Ragtime (film)
Updated: 12/20/2025, 1:10:21 PM Wikipedia source
Ragtime is a 1981 American drama film directed by Miloš Forman, based on the 1975 historical novel Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow. It is set in and around New York City at the start of the 20th century, New Rochelle, and Atlantic City, and includes fictionalized references to actual people and events of the time. The film stars James Cagney, Mary Steenburgen, Howard Rollins, Brad Dourif, James Olson and Elizabeth McGovern. Ragtime featured Cagney's and Pat O'Brien's final film appearances, as well as early roles for Jeff Daniels (his film debut), Fran Drescher, Samuel L. Jackson, Ethan Phillips, and John Ratzenberger.
Infobox
Directed by
Miloš Forman
Screenplay by
mw- Michael Weller Bo Goldman (uncredited)
Based on
Ragtimeby E.L. Doctorow
Produced by
Dino De Laurentiis
Starring
James Cagney Mary Steenburgen Howard Rollins Brad Dourif James Olson Elizabeth McGovern
Cinematography
Miroslav Ondříček
Edited by
Anne V. Coates Antony Gibbs Stanley Warnow
Music by
Randy Newman
Distributed by
Paramount Pictures
Release date
November 20, 1981 (1981-11-20)
Running time
155 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$28.3–32 million
Box office
$21.2 million (rentals)
Tables
· Awards and honors
Award
Award
Awards and nominations
Award
Awards and nominations
Category
Awards and nominations
Nominee(s)
Awards and nominations
Result
Awards and nominations
Ref.
Academy Awards
Academy Awards
Awards and nominations
Academy Awards
Awards and nominations
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Awards and nominations
Howard E. Rollins Jr.
Awards and nominations
Nominated
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Awards and nominations
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Awards and nominations
Elizabeth McGovern
Awards and nominations
Nominated
Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium
Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium
Awards and nominations
Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium
Awards and nominations
Michael Weller
Awards and nominations
Nominated
Best Art Direction
Best Art Direction
Awards and nominations
Best Art Direction
Awards and nominations
Art Direction: John Graysmark, Patrizia Von Brandenstein, and Tony Reading Set Decoration: George DeTitta Sr., George DeTitta Jr., and Peter Howitt
Awards and nominations
Nominated
Best Cinematography
Best Cinematography
Awards and nominations
Best Cinematography
Awards and nominations
Miroslav Ondříček
Awards and nominations
Nominated
Best Costume Design
Best Costume Design
Awards and nominations
Best Costume Design
Awards and nominations
Anna Hill Johnstone
Awards and nominations
Nominated
Best Original Score
Best Original Score
Awards and nominations
Best Original Score
Awards and nominations
Randy Newman
Awards and nominations
Nominated
Best Original Song
Best Original Song
Awards and nominations
Best Original Song
Awards and nominations
"One More Hour" Music and Lyrics by Randy Newman
Awards and nominations
Nominated
British Academy Film Awards
British Academy Film Awards
Awards and nominations
British Academy Film Awards
Awards and nominations
Best Original Song Written for a Film
Awards and nominations
Nominated
Golden Globe Awards
Golden Globe Awards
Awards and nominations
Golden Globe Awards
Awards and nominations
Best Motion Picture – Drama
Awards and nominations
Ragtime
Awards and nominations
Nominated
Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Motion Picture
Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Motion Picture
Awards and nominations
Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Motion Picture
Awards and nominations
Howard E. Rollins Jr.
Awards and nominations
Nominated
Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Motion Picture
Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Motion Picture
Awards and nominations
Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Motion Picture
Awards and nominations
Mary Steenburgen
Awards and nominations
Nominated
Best Director – Motion Picture
Best Director – Motion Picture
Awards and nominations
Best Director – Motion Picture
Awards and nominations
Miloš Forman
Awards and nominations
Nominated
Best Original Song – Motion Picture
Best Original Song – Motion Picture
Awards and nominations
Best Original Song – Motion Picture
Awards and nominations
"One More Hour" Music and Lyrics by Randy Newman
Awards and nominations
Nominated
New Star of the Year
New Star of the Year
Awards and nominations
New Star of the Year
Awards and nominations
Howard E. Rollins Jr.
Awards and nominations
Nominated
New Star of the Year
New Star of the Year
Awards and nominations
New Star of the Year
Awards and nominations
Elizabeth McGovern
Awards and nominations
Nominated
Grammy Awards
Grammy Awards
Awards and nominations
Grammy Awards
Awards and nominations
Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special
Awards and nominations
Randy Newman
Awards and nominations
Nominated
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
Awards and nominations
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
Awards and nominations
Best Music
Awards and nominations
Won
NAACP Image Awards
NAACP Image Awards
Awards and nominations
NAACP Image Awards
Awards and nominations
Outstanding Motion Picture
Awards and nominations
Ragtime
Awards and nominations
Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Awards and nominations
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Awards and nominations
Moses Gunn
Awards and nominations
Won
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Awards and nominations
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Awards and nominations
Best Supporting Actor
Awards and nominations
Howard E. Rollins Jr.
Awards and nominations
4th Place
Writers Guild of America Awards
Writers Guild of America Awards
Awards and nominations
Writers Guild of America Awards
Awards and nominations
Best Drama – Adapted from Another Medium
Awards and nominations
Michael Weller
Awards and nominations
Nominated
| Awards and nominations | ||||
| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
| Academy Awards | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Howard E. Rollins Jr. | Nominated | |
| Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Elizabeth McGovern | Nominated | ||
| Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium | Michael Weller | Nominated | ||
| Best Art Direction | Art Direction: John Graysmark, Patrizia Von Brandenstein, and Tony Reading Set Decoration: George DeTitta Sr., George DeTitta Jr., and Peter Howitt | Nominated | ||
| Best Cinematography | Miroslav Ondříček | Nominated | ||
| Best Costume Design | Anna Hill Johnstone | Nominated | ||
| Best Original Score | Randy Newman | Nominated | ||
| Best Original Song | "One More Hour" Music and Lyrics by Randy Newman | Nominated | ||
| British Academy Film Awards | Best Original Song Written for a Film | Nominated | ||
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Motion Picture – Drama | Ragtime | Nominated | |
| Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Motion Picture | Howard E. Rollins Jr. | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Motion Picture | Mary Steenburgen | Nominated | ||
| Best Director – Motion Picture | Miloš Forman | Nominated | ||
| Best Original Song – Motion Picture | "One More Hour" Music and Lyrics by Randy Newman | Nominated | ||
| New Star of the Year | Howard E. Rollins Jr. | Nominated | ||
| New Star of the Year | Elizabeth McGovern | Nominated | ||
| Grammy Awards | Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special | Randy Newman | Nominated | |
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards | Best Music | Won | ||
| NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Motion Picture | Ragtime | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | Moses Gunn | Won | ||
| New York Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Howard E. Rollins Jr. | 4th Place | |
| Writers Guild of America Awards | Best Drama – Adapted from Another Medium | Michael Weller | Nominated | |
References
- Ragtimehttps://catalog.afi.com/Film/56683-RAGTIME
- Los Angeles Timeshttps://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-08-30-fi-5144-story.html
- Chicago Sun-Timeshttps://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/ragtime-1981
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/20/movies/ragtime-evokes-real-and-fictional-pasts.html?searchResultPosition=1
- Rotten Tomatoeshttps://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ragtime/reviews
- "The 54th Academy Awards (1982) Nominees and Winners"http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1982
- Ragtimehttps://web.archive.org/web/20120218223011/https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/40107/Ragtime/awards
- "Ragtime"https://www.bafta.org/awards/search?search=Ragtime&type=Film
- "Ragtime"https://goldenglobes.com/film/ragtime/
- "25th Annual GRAMMY Awards"https://www.grammy.com/awards/25th-annual-grammy-awards
- "The 7th Annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards"http://www.lafca.net/Years/1981.php
- "Awards Winners"https://archive.today/20121205095022/http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1551
- American Film Institutehttps://web.archive.org/web/20110313150527/http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/handv400.pdf
- American Film Institutehttps://web.archive.org/web/20110313150632/http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/scores250.pdf