Ragtime is a 1981 film directed by Milos Forman. It is an adaptation of the 1975 novel of the same name by E. L. Doctorow. The film stars James Cagney, Howard E. Rollins Jr., and Elizabeth McGovern. It follows the story of three families in New York City at the turn of the 20th century, and their struggles to find their place in a rapidly changing world. The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won two.