Jamie Foxx stars as Nathaniel Ayers in Oscar-nominated director Joe Wright's poignant look at a former violin prodigy whose bouts with schizophrenia landed him on the streets after two years of schooling at Juilliard. Steve Lopez is a disenchanted journalist. He's wandering through Los Angeles' Skid Row when he spots Ayers, whose promising career in music was cut short due to acute mental illness. The more Steve learns about Ayers, the more he longs to help the troubled soul.