The Soloist Production Notes

·         Yet as inspirational as both Ayers and Lopez might be at times, Grant was also insistent on staying away from the urge towards fairy-tale sentimentality in the story. Rather, she wanted to reveal the truth of their challenges as people. “It was important to honor the fact that a significant friendship isn’t going to cure an illness like schizophrenia and that it is always going to be an ongoing struggle for Nathaniel,” she explains. “Most of all, I wanted to pay homage to the humanity of these characters.”

·         Wright worked with the homeless extras using an organic process and an almost documentary approach. To keep these diverse extras comfortable and relaxed in the strange world of moviemaking, Wright tried to maintain a very human atmosphere by keeping the crew’s footprint to a minimum so the set was spare with very little in the way of lighting or equipment.

·         For Foxx, the simple poetry of Wright’s approach was key to the film. “The way Joe uses the camera captures everything the movie is about,” says the actor. “He always contrasts the darkness with beauty and light.”

·         Wright wanted to capture the vibrant kinetic energy of this part of the city where sky and building and graffiti all flow into and through one another, creating a mix of human and natural rhythms.