One Night in Miami Movie Information

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Opening in Theaters January 8^th, and will be streaming on Amazon Prime Jan. 15th

“One Night in Miami” is a powerful look at the meeting of four powerful men. It is the story of four young Black men who have decided to use the fame, the glory and the notoriety they possess to make powerful changes in the world. These are people who are leading figures in their respective areas. Yet, to America as a whole, they are still just Negro boys – some think they are out to make some trouble.

It is back in Februry 1965, in Miami when an up-and-coming boxer named Cassius Clay (played by Eli Goree) became the Heavyweight Champion. He had yet to decide to rename himself as Muhammad Ali. But he had a close friendship with the Black Muslim leader Malcolm X (played by Kingsley Ben-Adir). He was also close to famous soul singer Sam Cooke (played by Leslie Odom Jr.) and football star Jim Brown (played by Aldis Hodge). Yet the place where Clay beat Sonny Liston for the title would not allow Blacks to stay overnight. So they had to book a hotel outside of Miami Beach, away from any trouble.

It was just few years before the Mexico Olympics, where a couple of Black athletes stood atop the podium and raised their fists in a Black Power salute. At this point, the subtle changes in attitudes and the country’s directions had only slightly changed to become more inclusive. But when the fame and the power to influence became real for these four men, they took that night Miami to discuss the options and methods that they could use. Being a ‘Black celebrity’ was a rare thing, and these men had the chance to build up their community and develop the connections that would lead to change.

This is based on a play by Kemp Powers (who recently was responsible for Pixar’s ‘Soul’). So they get these four people into a situation where honest dialog and differing opinions are played out over the evening. Seeing various instances of racism over the years, all four knew that they carried a hefty responsibility to show to the world that a Black man could be as important and as impactful as any White guy. But they wanted to achieve the Best by becoming the Best, and that way they could lead by example. All of them knew that getting to the top was going to be an easy task.

The director is Regina King, who is an award winning actor in her own right. Yet with this movie, she has picked a meaningful screenplay and four very talented actors to help in her directorial debut. While she takes on a topic that examines race relations, she is able to show how these four men will choose to empower each other, and thus become icons in America. With the success and the accolade that King will get from this, her first effort, there will surely be more to come in her future.

While due to some scheduling issues, I was not able to see the preview screening — I know that this group effort was a labor of love for all involved. The entire production was loaded with talent, and the amount of praise that the movie is getting is fantastic. There is a great need to see an uplifting story of young men who choose to use the fame and celebrity that they have with responsibility and care.

“One Night in Miami” shares four powerful stories of four powerful Black men, over the course of one single night – you can guess where…

Opening in Theaters January 8^th, and will be streaming on Amazon Prime Jan. 15th