| Monster's Ball | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Marc Forster |
| Written by | Milo Addica Will Rokos |
| Produced by | Lee Daniels |
| Starring | Billy Bob Thornton Halle Berry Heath Ledger Sean Combs Mos Def Peter Boyle |
| Cinematography | Roberto Schaefer |
| Edited by | Matt Chesse |
| Music by | Asche and Spencer |
Production company | Lee Daniels Entertainment |
| Distributed by | Lions Gate Films[1] |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 111 minutes 112 minutes (Unrated) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $4 million |
| Box office | $45 million |
Monster's Ball is a 2001 American romantic drama film directed by Marc Forster, produced by Lee Daniels and written by Milo Addica and Will Rokos, who also appeared in the film. It stars Billy Bob Thornton, Heath Ledger, Halle Berry, and Peter Boyle, with Sean Combs, Mos Def, and Coronji Calhoun in supporting roles.
Thornton portrays a corrections officer who begins a relationship with a woman (Berry), unaware that she is the widow of a man (Combs) he assisted in executing.[2] Principal photography began in May 2001 in New Orleans, Louisiana and lasted for five weeks.[3]
Monster's Ball premiered at AFI Fest on November 11, 2001, and was theatrically released in the United States on February 8, 2002, by Lionsgate Films. The film received positive reviews, with critical acclaim directed at Berry's, Ledger's and Thornton's performances, Forster's direction, and Addica and Rokos' screenplay. It was also a significant commercial success, grossing $45 million worldwide on a production budget of $4 million.
The film received numerous accolades and nominations, and was nominated twice at the 74th Academy Awards for Best Actress (Berry) and Original Screenplay (Addica and Rokos), with Berry winning for her performance, becoming the first African-American woman to win the award.[4][5][6]
- ^ "Theaters Have A Monster's Ball". hive4media.com. April 2, 2002. Archived from the original on April 17, 2002. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
- ^ Brooks, Libby (June 3, 2002). "'Now I'm really at the party'". The Guardian.
- ^ "Monster's Ball : Production Notes". www.cinema.com. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
- ^ "#OscarsSoWhite and The Legacy of Halle Berry | 8Hours". www.8hours.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2021. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
- ^ Barbour, Shannon (2020-09-09). "Halle Berry's Oscar Win Was One of Her "Biggest Heartbreaks"". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
- ^ "Halle Berry Recalls Historic Oscars Win For 'Monster's Ball'". BET.com. September 9, 2020. Retrieved 2020-10-03.