'The Soloist,' Now on DVD, Depicts Unusual Friendship

In the film "The Soloist," out now on DVD, a homeless man with schizophrenia unwittingly attracts the attention of Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez, drawn to his impassioned playing of Beethoven on a two-stringed violin.

Lopez (Robert Downey, Jr.) tracks the life of Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx) back to the Juilliard school, and from his childhood a picture emerges of a gifted cello prodigy whose life once held tremendous promise.

The movie is based on real-life events. Lopez opened the eyes of millions to the realities of chronic mental illness and homelessness by writing about Ayers, first in his columns in 2005 and later a book, "The Soloist," which inspired the movie.

NARSAD honored Lopez at its 2006 gala in Southern California for helping change public perception of people with mental illness. In becoming familiar with Ayers and the problems of mental illness, Lopez said he came to see "a family of people who are struggling with mental illness or dealing with loved ones who are ill, and then so many others who have dedicated their lives to research and finding a way to help."

Last year, NARSAD saluted DreamWorks and Paramount for bringing Lopez's story of his and Ayers' friendship to the big screen and an even larger audience.

"These two men came from completely different worlds and circumstances and found a common bond," said producer Gary Foster, who developed the idea for the film after reading one of Lopez's columns. "I loved that Steve crossed the line of professionalism and decided this man and his issues would become an important life relationship."

Learn more about "The Soloist," now out on DVD, and how you can help mentally ill homeless people in your community at www.takepart.com/thesoloist.