Editing Brett Ratner (section)

== Early life ==
Ratner was born and raised in [[Miami Beach, Florida]], the son of Marsha Presman and Ronald Ratner.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MH&s_site=miami&p_multi=MH&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB4D848A51C5301&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Wonder Brett – Brett Ratner Has Always Wanted to Direct Movies. Now the Never-Take-No South Florida Native is Fulfilling That Dream – At the Ripe Age of 27|date=August 21, 1997|work=Miami Herald}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Bloom|first=Nate|title=Jewish Stars |newspaper=[[Cleveland Jewish News]]|date=November 7, 2011|url=https://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/archives/jewish-stars/article_33b03e64-095b-11e1-9084-001cc4c03286.html}}</ref> He grew up in an upper-middle-class [[Jewish]] family.<ref name=hwodg>{{cite news| url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/brett-ratner-homeless-father-philanthropy-353684 | work=The Hollywood Reporter | first=Brett | last=Ratner | title=Brett Ratner on How His Homeless Father Inspired His Nonprofit Work | date=July 25, 2012}}</ref> His grandfather was [[d-CON]] mail order [[rat poison]] company founder and real estate developer [[Lee Ratner]].<ref name=hrvid/><ref name="Martin">{{cite news |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/miami-com/things-to-do/article225909605.html |last=Martin |first=Lydia |title=Movie money man |date=October 15, 2017 |access-date=September 9, 2020 |newspaper=[[The Miami Herald]]}}</ref><ref name="Hotchandani">{{cite magazine |url=https://hauteliving.com/2007/08/brett-ratner-billion-dollar-director/808/ |title=Blockbuster Brett Ratner |last1=Hotchandani |first1=Kamal |last2=Wilson |first2=Stephanie |magazine=[[Haute Living]] |date=August 24, 2007 |access-date=September 9, 2020}}</ref><ref name="nancyjosales.com" /> His mother was born in [[Cuba]] and immigrated to the U.S. in the 1960s with her parents, Fanita and Mario Presman, whose families themselves originally moved to Cuba from Eastern Europe.<ref>{{cite news|first=Brett|last=Ratner |url=https://variety.com/2007/film/features/beach-boy-nurtures-his-roots-1117969378/ |title=Beach boy nurtures his roots|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|publisher=[[Penske Media Corporation]]|location=New York City|date=July 27, 2007 |access-date=January 11, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MH&s_site=miami&p_multi=MH&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EDD48AA5AA933E4&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Bernardo Benes, Cuban Miami Featured in Book|date=August 8, 2001|work=Miami Herald}}</ref><ref name="nancyjosales.com">{{cite web |url=http://nancyjosales.com/stories/brettratner.pdf |last=Sales |first=Nancy Jo |title=Hollywood Loves Brett Ratner |magazine=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] |date=March 2007 |access-date=January 11, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714151549/http://nancyjosales.com/stories/brettratner.pdf |archive-date=July 14, 2011 }}</ref> Ratner's mother was sixteen when he was born.<ref name="hwodg" /> Ratner has said that he "really didn't know" his biological father, and that he considers [[Alvin Malnik]], a lawyer and businessman with alleged [[organized crime]] ties<ref name="NYT1978">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/04/17/archives/new-jersey-pages-crime-figures-found-involved-in-poconos-commission.html |title=Crime Figures Found Involved in Poconos |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 17, 1978 |access-date=September 9, 2020}}</ref><ref name="Perry">{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-10-29-me-2583-story.html |title=Alleged Crime Figure Malnik Makes S.D. Council an Offer It Can't Refuse |last=Perry |first=Tony |date=October 29, 1990 |access-date=September 9, 2020 |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref><ref name="Norman">{{cite news |url=https://www.browardpalmbeach.com/news/updated-reputed-mobster-al-malnik-says-hes-executor-of-michael-jacksons-will-and-blanket-s-new-dad-6452862 |title=UPDATED: Reputed Mobster Al Malnik Says He's Executor of Michael Jackson's Will and "Blanket"'s New Dad |last=Norman |first=Bob |newspaper=[[Broward Palm Beach New Times]] |date=June 26, 2009 |access-date=September 9, 2020}}</ref> who opened the restaurant [[The Forge (restaurant)|The Forge]] in Miami Beach, to be his father, "the one who raised" him.<ref name="Colen2011">{{cite web |first=David|last=Colen|url=http://www.aventurabusinessmonthly.com/abj/brettratner-abj.shtml |title=20 Good Questions with Brett Ratner |work=Aventura Business Monthly |publisher=Stern Bloom Media| location=Hallandale Beach, Florida| date=May 1, 2011 |access-date=February 27, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110904185120/http://www.aventurabusinessmonthly.com/abj/brettratner-abj.shtml |archive-date=September 4, 2011 }}</ref> Malnik was a friend of Lee Ratner and not romantically involved with Marsha Presman.<ref name="nancyjosales.com" /> Ratner's biological father became homeless in Miami Beach, a situation which inspired Brett Ratner to become a board member of the nationwide nonprofit organization Chrysalis, which helps the homeless find work.<ref>{{cite news|first=Brett| last=Ratner |title = My Own Father Was Homeless, Too| url = https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/my-own-father-was-homeless-353135| work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]| publisher=[[Eldridge Media]]|location=Los Angeles, California|date=July 24, 2012 | access-date = August 10, 2012}}</ref>

Ratner attended [[Rabbi Alexander S. Gross Hebrew Academy]]<ref>{{Citation|first=Jerry|last=Levine|title=Hollywood Director Brett Ratner – Growing Up Jewish in Miami Beach|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzTntlX5W5Q| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211110/JzTntlX5W5Q| archive-date=November 10, 2021 | url-status=live|date=January 9, 2013|access-date=November 1, 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref> elementary school and attended [[Alexander Muss High School in Israel]]<ref name="nancyjosales.com" /> and graduated in 1986 from [[Miami Beach Senior High School]]. While growing up in Miami Beach, Ratner was an extra on the set of [[Scarface (1983 film)|''Scarface'']] and was able to watch ''[[Miami Vice]]'' film around town.<ref name="DiazSunSentinel2017">{{cite news|first=Johnny|last=Diaz|url=http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/fl-fea-miami-beach-film-director-brett-ratner-whiskey-business-20170707-story.html|title=Lifestyle Beverly Hills estate inspires film director Brett Ratner's new whiskey – but Miami's still in his heart|work=[[Sun Sentinel]]|publisher=[[Tronc]]|location=[[Deerfield Beach, Florida]]|date=June 10, 2017|access-date=April 4, 2018}}</ref> Shortly before Ratner's high school graduation, his mother and biological father married with the intention of [[Legitimation#Family law|legitimizing]] his status.<ref name="nancyjosales.com" /> He is a 1990 graduate of [[New York University]].<ref>{{cite news|first=Richard |last=Pierce|url=https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2006/october/nyus_tisch_school_of_the_arts.html|title=NYU's Tisch School of the Arts to Celebrate Broadway and the Performing Arts at Benefit Gala|work=[[New York University]]|publisher=[[New York University]]|location=New York City|date=October 24, 2006|access-date=March 10, 2025}}</ref> In 2010, he cited [[Martin Scorsese]]'s 1980 film ''[[Raging Bull]]'' as his inspiration to enter the world of film.<ref>{{Cite news|first=Jessica|last=Hopkins|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/may/23/brett-ratner-raging-bull/print|title=The film that changed my life: Brett Ratner |work=[[The Guardian]]|location=London, England|date=May 22, 2010|access-date=April 4, 2018}}</ref>