Making biographical movies isn’t easy. Distilling a subject’s life and achievements into a two-hour film is tough, and filmmakers usually have to rely more on emotional truths than the cut-and-dry facts. These ten biopics, however, are so far from reality that they’re almost works of fiction. But that doesn’t detract from their appeal.
The Wolf of Wall Street
The Scorsese movie The Wolf of Wall Street is very entertaining, featuring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill in some of their best roles of the 2010s. However, it’s also historically inaccurate in a few meaningful ways: the real-world Jordan Belfort has noted that his actual drug habits were much worse than the film’s (already extreme) portrayal. Moreover, the movie glossed over brokerage firm Stratton Oakmont’s crimes and didn’t explain how, exactly, Belfort and his cohorts were breaking the law.
The King’s Speech
King George VI had a stutter and was on the throne near the start of the Second World War, and that’s about the end of the facts that are shared between The King’s Speech and reality. The 2010 movie mixes up the timeline, injects entirely fictional scenes, and basically does whatever it can to make for a better story. It still won Best Picture at the Oscars, too.
Braveheart
The 1995 Mel Gibson movie Braveheart is a great war movie, but it has very little to do with the real life of Sir William Wallace. The costumes and tactics are miles from the way they would have really been in Wallace’s time. In fact, the protagonist himself has a backstory that is completely fictional and has no basis in his actual life!
Argo
Ben Affleck’s role as Tony Mendez in Argo (2012) was widely praised, and the movie even picked up Best Picture. However, it takes a lot of liberties with the real-world story of how Mendez, with the help of multiple governments, was able to extract American hostages from Iran under the guise of filming a sci-fi movie.
Bonnie & Clyde
Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrows are two of the most notorious American criminals to ever live, catapulting to infamy in their own lives and sparking public imaginations. The 1967 film, Bonnie & Clyde, leaves out some important context and also invents fictional crimes to pad out the runtime.
Catch Me If You Can
Interestingly enough, Leonardo DiCaprio also starred in another inaccurate biopic: Catch Me if You Can, the 2002 Spielberg flick about con man Frank Abagnale. To Spielberg’s defense, the movie is very faithful to Abagnale’s own autobiography. That book, however, is full of outright fictional passages that bear no resemblance to Abagnale’s actual life.
The Social Network
The Social Network is an excellent movie, but it’s not a very good historical document. For instance, Erica Albright doesn’t exist and was fabricated to make the film flow better. Zuckerberg’s motivations for making Facebook weren’t to get girls, he’s stated, and he was more interested in “building things.”
Amadeus
The 1984 film Amadeus is a great exploration of genius, obsession, and fame. It’s also got very little to do with the real life of Mozart. In fact, it reiterates a largely fictional rivalry between Mozart and his admirer Salieri, a man who takes a vow of chastity in the film but had children and a wife in the real world.
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The Greatest Showman
It’s perhaps fitting that a movie about P.T. Barnum would be a work of mostly fiction. Barnum himself had a troubled relationship with the truth, often depicting himself in a softer light than reality. The real Barnum has been accused of being a con artist and a shady character, but the film paints him in a rosy light.
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Weird: The Al Yankovic Story
There’s no doubt that Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is not remotely rooted in reality. It’s a parody film, a loving tribute to the absurdism that has defined Weird Al’s career, and lampoons other recent musical biopics like Rocketman, Bohemian Rhapsody, and Elvis.
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