A biopic is a movie that portrays the life of an eminent or famous person. From Gangsta Rap to Classical Music, these inspiring films can touch the heart of the audience.
Ron Howard’s A Beautiful Mind is about a brilliant mathematical genius who struggles with mental illness. Russell Crowe and Julia Roberts make this one of the most touching inspirational movies ever made.
1. The Theory of Everything
One of the best biopics ever made, this 2014 film focuses on world-renowned theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking and his struggle with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Director James Marsh thankfully doesn’t turn the film into a nauseatingly maudlin melodrama or attempt to exploit the tragic side of the story through manipulative sentimentality.
Felicity Jones is a powerhouse as Hawking’s wife Jane, displaying incredible emotional strength and resolve to see her husband through his debilitating illness. It’s her performance that earns the movie its spot at the top of our list of the best biographical movies.
Hollywood’s been making these types of films for over a century. From rockers to country singers and rappers to classical musicians, these riveting films show us how great actors can transform into their real-life counterparts. Some have even been so good that their subjects have endorsed them!
2. Goodfellas
Biographical movies are a great way to see the life of famous personalities. Whether they are sports stars, musicians or icons of business, film makers have been making these movies for over a century now.
Goodfellas is, as the title suggests, based loosely on a true story. Scorsese adapted the screenplay from Wiseguy, a mob book by Nicholas Pileggi, and it presents an almost epic portrait of Henry Hill’s progression from Brownsville errand boy to Mob caporegime member to witness-protected informant.
It’s a powerful and insightful work, and a key movie of the 1990s that helped revitalize gangster flicks and reshape pop culture. But it also displays a shrewd grasp of how realism can enhance a drama. This is especially evident in the details of the production, from the selection of props to the minutiae of line deliveries.
3. The King’s Speech
One of the best historical dramas of recent times, The King’s Speech is about Britain’s George VI (Colin Firth) and his lifelong struggle with a stammer. For most of his public life, he avoided speaking in front of people and dreaded giving any kind of formal speech. He was helped by Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), an Australian speech therapist.
While many films are based on true stories, the most compelling movies are those that depict real-life heroes, villains and ordinary folk. Whether it’s a gangster epic like Goodfellas or an inspirational story about overcoming obstacles, Hollywood has produced countless biographical flicks over the years. Here are some of the most memorable ones:
4. The Blind Side
Hollywood has been making movies based on the lives of famous personalities for over a century. From gangster epics to biopics of artists and musicians, these films have the power to bring real-life historical figures to life.
The Blind Side is a heartwarming and inspirational tale about a poor black boy who was adopted by a white family and turned into an NFL superstar. The film is also a criticism of the way white people view the world and how they treat the underprivileged.
The movie was nominated for 12 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. It’s not without its flaws, though. Some of the scenes depicting the brutality of the Holocaust are difficult to watch. And some of the characters, such as Itzhak Stern, are not well-developed. Nonetheless, the movie is worth watching.
5. The Hunger Games
Hollywood has been making inspiring biographical movies for over a century. From famous musicians, scientists, iconic entrepreneurs to world leaders, these films show us the many ways in which we can be inspired by others.
One of the most famous biographical films of all time, Schindler’s List is a gripping story of an industrialist who saved thousands of Jews during WWII. It stars Liam Neeson as Oskar Schindler.
This film is about New Zealander Burt Munro, who spent years building his 1920 Indian motorcycle to set a land speed record at Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats. It stars Jason Lee as Munro and won Julia Roberts her first Oscar. This is a powerful, inspiring story about perseverance and determination.
6. The Last King of Scotland
The Last King of Scotland is a powerful film about the power of paranoia. It is also a reminder of the brutality that is sure to follow when dictatorships get out of control.
Forest Whitaker delivers a titanic performance as Idi Amin in this movie. His portrayal is a reminder of how a once popular leader can turn into a vicious dictator.
Like 2006’s Hotel Rwanda, The Last King of Scotland looks into an African nation at the dawn of one of its darkest periods. It may be less revelatory about the actual atrocities than that other film, but it is still a riveting thriller.
Despite a rocky start, the film quickly finds its stride with the arrival of Idi Amin on screen. It also benefits from a solid supporting cast. The DVD includes a commentary by director Kevin MacDonald, deleted scenes, a featurette on Whitaker, and more.
7. The Last King of Scotland
There’s an old saying about holding power: “Grab it too tightly and it will drip through your fingers; hold it loosely, and it will slip through your hands.” This is the underlying theme of this tense political thriller based on a true story. Forest Whitaker’s performance as General Idi Amin is nothing short of spectacular, as he captures the dictator’s mercurial personality with ease.
Giles Foden’s novel was praised for its realistic portrayal of historical events, making it one of the best biographies ever made. Unlike many other movies, this film doesn’t shy away from the atrocities of Amin’s regime and the fact that his reign was riddled with violence and bloodshed. It’s a fascinating, compelling drama that never gets dull. For that, it deserves a spot on this list of top 10 biographical films. The DVD includes deleted scenes with optional commentary by director Kevin Macdonald, a featurette on the making of the film, and a cast and crew interview.
8. The Martian
A grand sweep of history can be told more easily through the narrow lens of a single individual’s life, which is why movies based on real people have always been popular. Whether they’re rock (Sid & Nancy, Control), country (Coal Miner’s Daughter, Walk the Line) hip-hop (Straight Outta Compton, Selena), or classical (Amadeus), these films are often both inspiring and heartbreaking.
Liam Neeson carries the movie as Austrian industrialist Oskar Schindler in Steven Spielberg’s Holocaust drama, which doesn’t hold back on the brutality of Nazi atrocities and features excellent performances from Ralph Fiennes and Ben Kingsley.
9. The Theory of Everything
A biopic about the famous physicist Stephen Hawking was always going to be an inevitability. Luckily, James Marsh’s movie isn’t quite as nauseatingly maudlin as many feared it would be. Eddie Redmayne is utterly remarkable as Hawking, and it’s easy to see why he won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance.
However, the film could have been a lot more honest about Hawking’s womanizing (which was particularly troubling considering his condition). Instead, the only bit of that story that’s touched on is a frank discussion of his first marriage, which feels glossed over.
Another brilliant actor who nailed a tough character is Julia Roberts in Erin Brokovich. This inspiring movie is about a real-life environmental activist who took on a big energy company and won. It’s a tough watch, but a truly inspiring one. A must-watch!
10. The Last King of Scotland
It’s a shame that the movie industry seems to have a compulsion to palm off stories as being true when they are not only miles but light-years from the truth. It’s not just writers who have this affliction, however; actors often fall prey to it as well.
Based on the novel by Giles Foden, The Last King of Scotland follows Scottish doctor Nicholas Garrigan as he is recruited to become Idi Amin’s personal physician. The film is a fascinating study of power and corruption, with James McAvoy giving an outstanding performance as Garrigan, who becomes increasingly fascinated by the dictator.
This is a standout drama with an excellent cast that will remain with you long after you’ve watched it. But it can be tonally awkward at times and could have been a more effective film had it been less manipulative.
