# Films based on True Stories



## TK-421 (Jul 16, 2008)

There are many out there and some are great, some are good, many ho-hum and some bad. I have attempted to make a list of, what I think, may be the best ones out there. I expect some lively discussions (and perhaps a list of the worse ones, later).

These are in no specific order:

Glory
Boys don't Cry
American Gangster
Breach
Donnie Brasco
Erin Brockovich
Ali
Frida
Hoosiers
Monster
Capote
The Pianist
Shindler's List
Seabiscuit
Walk the Line
Goodfellas
The Last King of Scotland
Casino
Bugsy
Catch me if you can
City of God
Apollo 13
JFK (debatable)
Amittyville Horror
Patton
Lawrence of Arabia
Adaptation
The Insider
The Hurricane
The French Connection
Fire in the Sky (very debatable)
Gods and Monsters
Ghandi

Any more?


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## Marcus15 (Jul 16, 2008)

Rudy
Radio
Hoosiers(?)
Paper Lion


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## HoopyFrood (Jul 16, 2008)

Apparently based on a true story, or at least from a number of true stories thrown together: Fargo, by the Coen Brothers. A fantastic film, indeed.


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## Marcus15 (Jul 16, 2008)

Fargo was true? (sort of)

Lean on me
300
Hollywoodland
A league of thier own - I love this film!!


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## Hilarious Joke (Jul 16, 2008)

Into the Wild


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## The Procrastinator (Jul 16, 2008)

Forget Seabiscuit, _Phar Lap_ is the king of "true story" racing movies. Although Seabiscuit wasn't too bad really.   And what was that one about the little horse that won the Arabian endurance race? _Hidalgo_, thats it. I think that was based on a true story?

Of the movies you have listed, TK, _Glory_ was one I particularly loved, and _Erin Brockovich_ I coudn't finish.

And I shall add _Shadowlands_ to the list.


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## Grimward (Jul 16, 2008)

A couple more sports movies....

Eight Men Out (Baseball Black Sox Scandal)
Invincible (Construction worker turned pro football player for the Philladelphia Eagles)


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## Allegra (Jul 16, 2008)

*Munich*.  A good movie though the true story it's based on - *Vengeance: The True Story of an Israeli Counter-Terrorist Team* by George Jonas reads much more exciting and thought-provoking. The best written book I've read this year.


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## Susan Boulton (Jul 16, 2008)

I have a soft spot for British Films so a lot below are British... All based on real events, with some the "events have been stretched for dramatic effect" All worth a look, some better than others.

Saving Private Ryan.

Flags of our Fathers

Letters from Iwo Jima

Dunkirk

D Day.

Carve her Name with Pride.

Sink the Bismarck.

Battle of the River Plate.

Colditz

Battle of Britain.

First of the Few.

Target for tonight

In which we serve (Based loosely on the story of HMS Kelly)

Target for Today. Semi documentary, famous for its unparalleled sequences of the brutal battles waged at 30,000 feet.

Scott of the Antarctic

Whiskey Galore (based on the shipwreck of HMS Politician)

David Lean’s Film Madeleine

Odette ( story of female agent of  SOE)

The Magic Box ( Gave a biographic account of William Friese-Greene who first designed and patented a working cinematic camera. The accuracy of this claim is subject to some controversy, but evidence now tends to support the claim)

Moulin Rouge (1952)

*Breaking the Sound Barrier*. (The story is not a comprehensive (nor wholly accurate) account of the attempts to break the sound barrier, giving only a fictional and parochially British view, albeit considered an entertaining and visually stunning depiction, especially at the time of release.)

The Cruel Sea, based on the book by Nicholas Monsarrat  It is a strikingly accurate portrayal of the war between the Royal Navy and Germany's U boats from the viewpoint of the British naval officers and seamen who served in escort vessels during WWII

*The One That Got Away*, which chronicled the true exploits of _Oberleutenent Franz von Werra_ a German flyer shot down over England.

*Yangtse Incident: The Story of HMS Amethyst*

I Was Monty's Double

Becket

Zulu

A Man for all Seasons.

The Lion in Winter

Mayerling.

Anne of a Thousand Days.

Cromwell.

The Music Lovers

10 Rillington Place.

Nicholas and Alexandra

*Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall* is a film adaptation of  Spike Milligan's autobiography

Young Winston

Mahler (about Gustav Mahler)

A Bridge too Far

The Elephant Man

McVicar

Chariots of Fire.

The Bounty

The Killing Fields.

Lady Jane

84 Charing Cross Road.

Cry Freedom

Hope and Glory

Buster

My Left Foot.

Scandal

The Krays

Memphis Belle

In the name of the Father

Backbeat

The Madness of King George.

Carrington

Stonewall

Mrs Brown

Elizabeth

Tea with Mussolini

Calendar Girls

Enigma

Iris

Touching the Void.

The Life and Death of Peter Sellers

Mrs Henderson Presents.

Becoming Jane.

Elizabeth the Golden Age

The Duchess

The Queen


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## BookStop (Jul 16, 2008)

*Titanic*
*The Exorcism of Emily Rose*
*Charlie Wilson's War*
*Balto* - we have loved this film around our house, even have a dog named Jenna
*A Beautiful Mind*



			
				Marcus15 said:
			
		

> A league of thier own - I love this film!!


 
me too


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## TK-421 (Jul 16, 2008)

Many of these are good additions, in particular:
Letters from Iwo Jima
Flags of our Fathers
The Queen
Elizabeth
The Madness of King George
My Left Foot
Memphis Belle
The Killing Fields
Mrs Brown
In the Name of the Father

I'd like to add:
Grey Owl
The Other Boleyn Girl (also some of it debatable)

but, Titanic? 

The Exorcism of Emily Rose is also debatable, meaning it depends on what you believe.

A Beautiful Mind has ALOT of controversy surrounding it as it left out some major parts of his character and life.


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## iansales (Jul 16, 2008)

*Breaking the Sound Barrier*! David Lean, I know, but... it's the one where they have to "reverse the controls" when they reach Mach 1.


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## Lady of Winterfell (Jul 16, 2008)

I'll second *Saving Private Ryan*.

And I'll add:

*Black Hawk Down*
*The Right Stuff*
*Braveheart*


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## Allegra (Jul 16, 2008)

*Shine - *based on the true story of pianist David Helfgott. Brilliant film!


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## Susan Boulton (Jul 16, 2008)

iansales said:


> *Breaking the Sound Barrier*! David Lean, I know, but... it's the one where they have to "reverse the controls" when they reach Mach 1.


 
Yep, that's the one, but I think if you really did that you would become part of the falling debris.

Braveheart, the film with the Battle of Stamford Bridge without the bridge...

Forgot "Night to remember" The best film, I feel, about the Titanic.


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## TK-421 (Jul 16, 2008)

As for Braveheart, I do not think it is even close to factual that William Wallace got the princess pregnant. He was quartered though, Ouch!

Another excellent movie, albeit made-for-TV, was The Burning Season (1994) with Raul Julia as the Brazilian environmentalist Chico Mendes. Highly recommended.

I agree that Shine was very good as well but I felt Black Hawk Down was OK. Apparently they changed the name of one of the main soldiers in that incident as he was later a convicted child molester.

I rather liked Malcom X by Spike Lee as well.


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## TK-421 (Jul 17, 2008)

Saw this trailer for new movie called Flash of Genius. Story of the little guy (college professor who invented the intermitent wiper) who took on Ford (who stole his invention).
Flash of Genius - Apple Trailers


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## Spade (Jul 19, 2008)

I think The Lord of the Rings managed to be pretty accurate while also being entertaining.


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## TK-421 (Jul 20, 2008)

However, it isn't based on a true story.

Another good one that has come to mind is Lorenzo's Oil with Nick Nolte and Susan Sarandon.


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## fishi (Apr 23, 2009)

Its a american comedy!!

Very few ppl must be knowing this but *Yes man* is also a movies based on true story...The film is based on the true story and 2005 book _Yes Man_.


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## Moonbat (Apr 23, 2009)

Confessions of a dangerous mind
Gorillas in the mist
The Great Escape


I haven't actually seen the film Yes Man, but I read the book yesterday, and from what I've seen of the film it isn't very true to the book. In the book he meets a man on a bus that tells him to 'say yes more' but in ther film it is some sort of lifestyle guru that he goes to see. In the book there is no point where he learns guitar or wheelies a motorcycle down the street, (both clips I'[ve seen in trailers) so how true can these stories be said to be if they take artistic license with the film.


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## littlemissattitude (Apr 25, 2009)

I don't believe anyone has mentioned *Stalag 17*.  The play it was adapted from was co-written by a man who was actually in that particular POW camp during World War II.

I don't know how much of it was based on actual events, but my father was in the same camp for nearly two years, and he always said that he could definitely recognize some of the characters as having been based on people he knew while he was there.

Also, just as a side note of no particular importance: I never really liked *Goodfellas* all that much (after *The Godfather*, which is one of my favorite films, any mob film, based on truth or not, pales in comparison), but a couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to meet Henry Hill, the person whose life the film was based on, when he came to speak to the mystery writers' group I belong to.  Interesting character.


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## nj1 (Apr 25, 2009)

I'm about to watch Gran Turismo, apparently based on a real life character? will post if its as good as i've been told later.


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## nj1 (Apr 25, 2009)

Just turned over the TV and THE PERFECT STORM is starting, in big writing it just stated  that its based on a true story. Watched this the other day - good film.


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## Grimward (Apr 25, 2009)

As per usual (or at least, as is often the case), the book's even better, nj.  The author basically researched the lives of the fishermen, captains, etc. down to minute detail in the process of writing about it.  Well worth the read.

_*Good Morning Vietnam*_ is based on the experiences of a real person, but apparently takes a few too many liberties to tout itself as a "true life story".

_*Born on the Fourth of July*_


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## littlemissattitude (Apr 27, 2009)

Grimward said:


> _*Born on the Fourth of July*_



I am most definitely NOT a Tom Cruise fan, but this is a good movie.  I only saw it because I had read the book (and everyone should) and liked it at lot.  I'm glad I did.


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