Causecast

by AARON HORWITZ, Contributing Writer

The Soloist, in theaters today, is the story of a friendship that forms between a homeless musical prodigy afflicted with schizophrenia and a down-and-out journalist. I know what you’re thinking: sounds like some Hollywood studio is reaching a little too hard in an attempt to bring home a little gold statuette this year, right? Wrong. Amazingly, the film is based on the true story of Nathaniel Ayers, a 58-year-old [formerly] homeless musician who lived for years on the streets of Los Angeles and at one time attended the prestigious Julliard School of Music.

A master of the cello, Nathaniel was heading down a well-earned pathway to success until his schizophrenia began to severely affect his daily life. Eventually, he made his way to Los Angeles and onto the streets, where he had to trade in his rather large cello for a violin because it fit better in his shopping cart.

One day in 2005, Los Angeles Times reporter Steve Lopez stumbled upon Nathaniel playing his two-string violin, and the rest, as they say, is history. The film comes from Participant Media, a company known for its award-winning slate of cause-related projects. The Soloist effectively raises awareness about the plight of homeless communities, and the struggles schizophrenics cope with on a daily basis.

The film boasts an impressive array of talent. Jamie Foxx, no stranger to playing famous musicians (he won an Oscar for his portrayal of Ray Charles in Ray) puts on Nathaniel’s shoes in The Soloist, while fellow Oscar nominee Robert Downey Jr. takes on the role of his reporter and friend Steve Lopez. The film is directed by acclaimed director Joe Wright (Pride and Prejudice, Atonement).

Thankfully, this is a story that comes with a happy ending. The Nathaniel Anthony Ayers Foundation was launched in 2008, dedicated to providing assistance for the artistically gifted mentally ill.

If you’d like to learn more about the real Nathaniel Ayers, you can read the original series of now-famous LA Times columns Steve Lopez wrote on Nathaniel Ayers. To hear similar amazing stories check out Causecast organization I Live Here, or if you’d like to get involved with the homeless, here’s a great way to find a homeless shelter near you. You might just meet the next Nathaniel Ayers.

Image courtesy Dreamworks Pictures and Participant Media.