Top Five "Real Life" Movies

The old saying, "truth is stranger than fiction" certainly applies to movies. While the basic premise of any movie is to entertain, those based on real life offer the added enjoyment of truth that cannot be denied. This added dimension often conveys emotional depth, as the viewer identifies with the people portrayed and shares their joys, fears, defeats and triumphs.

The movies on this list fit this description. Riveting in their own right-and each completely different from the others-the stories depicted in these movies are particularly gripping because they are based on real events. Chosen because I found them equally poignant and enthralling, here, in alphabetical order, are the top five movies based on true stories.

Five "Real Life" Movies

Released in 2001, A Beautiful Mind-starring Russell Crowe in the role of mathematician John Forbes Nash Jr.-is meticulous in its portrayal of this man's simultaneous brilliance and schizophrenia. Sensitively handling mental illness, the movie is far underway before the viewer begins to realize that, just maybe, the way John perceives events in his life is not quite as things are. PBS has an interview with the real John Nash that very much helps to put A Beautiful Mind in context.

Next, is a 2005 release called Cinderella Man, also starring Russell Crowe. Although there seems to be a pattern here, it really is unintentional! This time, in the role of boxer Jim Braddock, Crowe beautifully depicts the New Jersey boxer's fall from lofty heights to abject poverty and his struggle to climb back out during the Great Depression. Renee Zellweger's portrayal of Braddock's wife, Mae, is nuanced and well-drawn, under the direction of Ron Howard. With Paul Giamatti co-starring as Braddock's indefatigable manager, this movie makes audiences cringe with each punch and cheer with each victory. A documentary version, of this film may interest viewers as well.

Glory, a 1989 movie starring Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman is next on this list. This Academy Award-winning film is an excellent presentation of the Civil War experiences of Massachusetts's 54^th Regiment, under the leadership of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, superbly played by Broderick. In the roles of former-slaves-turned-soldiers, Washington and Freeman give equally splendid and moving performances, bringing each man to life as a unique individual. Deserving of any list of best war films, Glory has viewers on edge, with genuine empathy of the men portrayed, as they enter basic training, face down overt racism and stand up in battle until the very end.

In 2007, The Great Debaters has Denzel Washington as director and star, in the role of Wiley College professor and debate coach, Melvin B. Tolson. The issue of race is a subtext throughout this movie, set in the south during the 1930s. And when Professor Tolson's winning debate team from this all-Black college begins to triumph over all other teams, ultimately facing Harvard, race and the Jim Crow laws of the era become a central focus, tying together several subplots. Although this movie didn't have the "buzz" of popular films, The Great Debaters is destined to become a classic among American history buffs and followers of African-American history as well.

The final entry on this list is Schindler's List. Released in 1993, this tour de force, masterfully directed by Steven Spielberg, is mesmerizing and haunting in its presentation of events during the holocaust. Oskar Schindler, portrayed by Liam Neeson, gradually transforms from a callous, hedonistic businessman (and member of the Nazi party), into a compassionate man with a cause-the rescue of as many Jews as he can barter to release. This film is so powerful, and the performances so wonderfully rendered, that it remained on my mind for days afterward.

For different reasons, each of these real life films is unforgettable and worth viewing over again.

Sources:

PBS

Movie Fone