4. Ray
Released just a year before the thematically identical Walk the Line, 2004's Ray narrowly edges out the Johnny Cash biopic thanks to the leading man's outstanding performance. There were many who (rightfully) questioned whether Jamie Foxx was the right man to play out the rags-to-riches story of one of America's greatest musical icons, Ray Charles, on the silver screen. But his detractors would end up eating plates upon plates of crow. Although the script fails to dig into some of the deeper complexities surrounding Charles' home life, it does its best to tackle as many of the personal low points as it does the musical highlights. It's a relatively even-keeled film, which may or not be a good thing depending on how much sheen you like in your biopics. But whatever shortcomings you may find in the story, it's reasonable to think most people barely noticed them whenever Foxx was on screen. It would have been easy for his portrayal to devolve into a cheap imitation, particularly given Charles' animated way of performing. During the first act, you can pretty much see Foxx losing himself in the role. And by the third act, you'll forget there's even someone named Jamie Foxx in the movie.