(12/10/01)

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Later this month ALI opens nation wide. It stars Will Smith as the champ. Originally titled POWER AND GRACE, a very early first draft of the script was penned by Gregory Allen Howard, a fine screenwriter. I'm a big fan of Howards work. His script for REMEMBER THE TITANS is an entertaining, enlightening and powerful story. Screenwriters Stephen J. Rivele and Christopher Wilkinson (the writing team behind Oliver Stone's NIXON) came on board and in 1999 rewrote the script under the title of ALI. I'll dicuss both drafts in this review.

Howards early script (POWER AND GRACE) really missed its target, unfortunately. And when the project stalled early on, the film was put into turnaround by Sony due to a budget estimated to exceed its $105 million cap, it appeared all was lost.

Howards script was very important in getting the project going. Yet, I couldn't help thinking that Howards take on Muhammad Ali doesn't inspire. We're getting a lot of information that isn't needed to tell the story of Ali the man. It also isn't as sympathetic as I'm sure the movie will be, and would want to be. I never felt like I got to truly know Ali the man in the shuffle of Howards script. But I don't want to give the impression that the script was all bad as it served an important role in the development of this project. Howard did a ton a research and is excellent at writing historically based scripts. It just wasnt good enough, I believe, and took too wide of a scope on the story of Ali.

Both drafts of the script deal with Alis life from his childhood to his last fights, including the 1975 fight with Joe Frazier (the rematch), better known as "The Thrilla in Manilla." Howard's script covers Ali's childhood to 1995, an example of how his script takes on way too much. Rivele and Wilkinson's script does a much better job of collapsing and condensing the story into a more dramatic one.

Michael Mann ended up making the film as director/producer. Spike Lee had wanted to direct the pic. Its been suggested that Spike felt that only a black director could truly capture the essence of the story of Ali. Whatever the case, Spike apparently had a change of heart saying, "Me and Will [Smith] had a meeting about the movie. We both decided that we did not see the same vision of Muhammad Ali. So if the director and the star aren't together on the same wavelength, it's not going to work." Lee, who was (is?) writing a script about Joe Louis and Max Schmeling, added, "I hope Michael Mann does a good job." (New York Daily News). I for one am curious as to what the differences were in their creative "visions" for the story of Ali. Wouldn't Ali himself have a say? Why, yes he would. Muhammad Ali was fine with the selection of Mann, and he also personally requested Will Smith to play him. As far as Im concerned, who cares, just so long as they do the story right and I think the filmmakers did. This is an American story, and I hope it's okay I say that, because it is. Muhammad Ali represents what American is about. He is a unique person who has lived a life of struggle, but persevered, a life of success, but never forgot about respect and humility. What we all remember, of course, is Ali the boxer, the champ, who was larger than life. But there's always a lot more to an athlete than meets the eye.

The early script, POWER AND GRACE, reads like a documentary and therefore fails to bring the reader (audience) closer to who Muhammad Ali was as a person. That's not to say that the story should be trivialized or romanticized. As a matter of fact, both drafts of the script seem to keep the story fairly grounded.

Howard's draft handles the social and political events surrounding Ali effectively. Ali was a very spiritual and soulful person. Howards script shows us how Ali effected the world, but not enough on how the world effected Ali. The story tackles a lot of issues, and that's because the story of Ali covers a lot issues. But in Howards honorable obsession for detail he loses sight of the finish line, which is to tell a deep, layered and meaningful story of Ali. Howards script meanders as it tries to tie all the lose ends it has created. The focus on the story is diluted. The script felt cold, almost more in line with a history lesson than that of a dramatic story. But for all of the scripts faults, it tells a complete story that is interesting and consuming.

Howard does an excellent job of fleshing out the relationship between Ali and Howard Cosell, almost to a fault. The relationship between Cosell and Ali was very interesting, and one I'm not sure a lot of Americans know much about. Meanwhile, Alis relationship with the important people in his life like his parents, lovers and wives gets lost in this early draft of the script (and in the later draft, which puzzles me.) Ali's father, Cassius Clay Sr., is portrayed as a victim of circumstance, helpless, and narrow minded. Which he may very well have been. This is opened up (toned down) and resolved with more meaning in the later draft I read. Ali and his father had a tenuous relationship is the best way to describe it. Both drafts of the script fail to really give us an understanding of Ali's relationship with his parents. Maybe there wasnt much there to begin with, I don't know. I cant help but think that Cassius Sr. (his character) was smoothed over and lightened up at requests from family members.

Issues such as racism, politics and religion, which are very important ones in Ali's life, take center stage in Howards script. Racial tones in the later draft are much different, and more effective. Where Howards script includes references like "White man go to church on Sunday, and lynch a nigga on Monday," Rivele and Wilkinsons script offers a more heady and intelligent approach to racism. Their script explores the profound effects of racism on the soul and psyche of Muhommand Ali. For example, after winning the gold medal at the Olympics, Cassius (Ali before he converted to Islam) readily enters a "white" restaurant to have dinner. Not as a way to protest, he simply wanted a good steak. But when he is asked to leave a devastating realization comes over him and the pain of that event would motivate and shape him as a person. This kind of insight into the person makes the more recent draft of the script more complete. The world isnt going to accept and embrace him simply because he was a champion, unfortunately. But Ali would not be deterred. Deep down Ali was a sensitive person who wanted everyone to like him.

Ali wanted the respect, admiration and most of all the love of his fellow man: black, white, blue, it didn't matter to him, at least that's the impression I got. He was an American, and proud of it. He was a Muslim and proud of it, and he was a black man and proud of it. Though not necessarily in that order. But most of all, he was champion of the world. He was charismatic and genuine. The story of ALI is the most American of American stories. A winner and champion for all time. That's Muhammad Ali. Howard loses this in his documentary style and approach to the life and times of Muhammad Ali. Thankfully, Rivele and Wilkinson recaptured the essence of the man in their draft.

The Rivele and Wilkinson draft I have is a 136-pages dated September 23rd, 1999, and it is exceptional in my opinion. It's dramatic and still offers a lot of detail on the ins and outs of Ali's life. It could have been shot as is, but wasn't. Director/producer Michael Mann brought in Oscar winner screenwriter Eric Roth for rewriting. I can't imagine what needed to be changed, but I'm sure Roth did an excellent job.

I'm not big on predictions, but I like what I've read, from both drafts of the script, and I think come Oscar time Ali will be there at least I hope.