Monster's Ball Information

Monster's Ball is a 2001 American romantic drama film directed by German-Swiss director Marc Forster and written by Milo Addica and Will Rokos. The film stars Billy Bob Thornton as a widowed prison-guard, Halle Berry as a woman whose husband is on death row, and Heath Ledger as Thornton's son. Berry won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance.

Plot

Hank Grotowski (Billy Bob Thornton), a widower, and his son, Sonny (Heath Ledger), are corrections officers in the Jackson, Georgia state prison. They reside nearby with Hank's ailing father, Buck (Peter Boyle), a racist whose wife committed suicide. Hank is nearly as angry and hateful as his father, and even dislikes his own son.

As Hank and Sonny assist in the execution of convicted murderer Lawrence Musgrove (Sean Combs), the proceedings prove too intense for Sonny, who collapses and then begins to vomit as he is leading Lawrence to the electric chair. Hank beats up Sonny in the jail's bathroom afterwards for being so "soft". Some time later, Hank drags Sonny out of bed and tells him to get out of the house. Unable to cope with the estrangement, Sonny grabs a gun. The confrontation ends in their living room with Hank at gunpoint, lying on the carpet, and Sonny in Buck's customary chair. Sonny asks his father if he hates him. After his father calmly confirms that he does and always has, Sonny responds, "Well, I always loved you," and then shoots himself in the heart. Hank subsequently buries Sonny in the back garden, quits his job at the prison, burns his uniform in the backyard, and locks the door of Sonny's room.

During the years of Lawrence's imprisonment, his wife, Leticia (Halle Berry), has been struggling while raising their son, Tyrell (Coronji Calhoun), who has inherited his father's artistic talent. She goads the boy to the point of abuse over his obesity. Along with her domestic problems, Leticia struggles financially, leading to the loss of the family car and, worse, an eviction notice on her house. In desperate need of money, Leticia takes a job at a diner frequented by Hank. One rainy night, Leticia and Tyrell are walking down a soaked highway when Tyrell is struck by a car. Hank happens to be driving along and sees Leticia and Tyrell. After some hesitation, he picks Leticia and Tyrell up, and takes them to a hospital, but Tyrell dies upon arrival. At the suggestion of the authorities at the hospital, he drives her home. A few days later, Hank gives Leticia a ride home from the diner. They begin talking in the car about their common losses, and she invites him in. They drown their grief with alcohol and have sex, and soon begin a relationship. Hank finds out that Leticia is Lawrence's widow, but he does not tell her that he participated in her husband's execution.

Leticia stops by Hank's home with a present for him, but finds that he is out. She meets Buck, who insults her and implies that Hank is only involved with her because he wants to have sex with a black woman. This incident proves to be the last straw for Hank and he decides to send his father to a nursing home. Leticia is evicted from her home for non-payment of rent and Hank invites her to move in with him. She later discovers Hank's involvement in her husband's death while he is gone, but is there waiting for him when he returns from town with ice cream. The film ends with them eating ice cream together on the back porch.

Cast

• Billy Bob Thornton as Hank Grotowski
• Heath Ledger as Sonny Grotowski
• Halle Berry as Leticia Musgrove
• Peter Boyle as Buck Grotowski
• Sean Combs as Lawrence Musgrove
• Mos Def as Ryrus Cooper
• Coronji Calhoun as Tyrell Musgrove
• Charles Cowan, Jr. as Willie Cooper

Development

The film was produced by Lionsgate and Lee Daniels Entertainment.

The prison scenes in Monster's Ball were filmed in Louisiana State Penitentiary in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana to represent the state execution facility in Jackson, Georgia.

Angela Bassett was originally offered the role of Leticia but turned it down the because of the script's sexual content.

Reception

The film received mostly positive reviews. Review website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 120 of the 141 reviews they tallied were positive. This resulted in a score of 85% and a certification of "Fresh".

Roger Ebert gave the film four stars and stated that, "The movie has the complexity of great fiction" listing it as the best film of 2001.

Reviewers also lauded the performance of Coronji Calhoun, who was chosen from an open casting call for the role of Tyrell Musgrove, the ill-fated son of Lawrence and Leticia. "Perhaps one of the most affecting performances of the year was given by a 10-year-old Louisiana fourth-grader who has never acted before or studied the craft," commented Variety reporter Christopher Grove.

Despite the critical acclaim, some activists urged a boycott because of extreme racist ideologies that portray African-American males as criminal or inept and black women as needing a white savior. This was highlighted by the fact that other actresses refused the role based on its plot and sexually explicit scenes. Halle Berry's Oscar win, the first for a black actress in a leading role, angered many African Americans who thought she should have received the prestigious award instead for her performance in Losing Isaiah. Film critic Esther Iverem of SeeingBlack.com wrote, "Ultimately, Monster's Ball uses the legacy of racism in an unconvincing manner to belittle its impact, and its historical and present-day consequences."

Accolades

• Academy Awards
  • Best Actress in a Leading Role: Halle Berry (Winner)
  • Best Original Screenplay: Milo Addica & Will Rokos (Nominated)

• BAFTA Awards
  • Best Actress: Halle Berry (Nominated)

• Black Reel Awards
  • Best Actress: Halle Berry (Winner)

• Golden Globes
  • Best Actress in a Drama: Halle Berry (Nominated)

• MTV Movie Awards
  • Best Female Performance: Halle Berry (Nominated)

• National Board of Review
  • Best Actor: Billy Bob Thornton (Winner)
  • Best Actress: Halle Berry (Winner)

• Screen Actors Guild Awards
  • Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role: Halle Berry (Winner)