Watch list: 48 BEST MOVIES BASED ON TRUE EVENTS.

A friend of mine asked me to list down the best movies which I have watched that are based on true events. I believe the following 48 movies are the most touching and inspirational set of movies which meant the most to me as a critic and a lover of cinema. 

*Note: This list is loosely based on the year of release and not categorized on a rank.

Schindler's List (1993) — adapted from the book Schindler's Ark by Thomas Keneally about Oskar.

 Schindler and his actions to save over 1,000 Jews from the Holocaust. Directed by Steven Spielberg

Braveheart (1995) — Based on the story of William Wallace of Scotland.

saving Private Ryan (1998) — Story of the Niland Brothers during World War II. Directed by Steven Spielberg.

Boys Don't Cry (1999) — Story of hate crime victim Brandon Teena. Directed by Kimberly Peirce.

 

Erin Brockovich (2000) — Story of Erin Brockovich. Directed by Steven Soderbergh.

Men of Honor (2000) — Based on Master Chief Petty Officer Carl Brashear the first African-American Master Diver of the US Navy. Directed by George Tillman, Jr..

Remember the Titans (2000) — Based on the 1971 football season of the newly integrated T. C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia.

Cinderella Man (2005) — Based on the story of James J. Braddock, a supposedly washed up boxer who came back to become a champion and an inspiration in the 1930s.

North Country (2005) — Based on a lawsuit. Directed by Niki Caro.

Coach Carter (2005) — Based on the Richmond High School basketball team led by coach Ken Carter.

Seabiscuit (2003) — Based on the book Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand.

Hotel Rwanda (2004) — Story of the Paul Rusesabagina's experiences during the Rwandan Genocide. Directed by Terry George.

A Beautiful Mind (2001) — Adapted from Sylvia Nasar's A Beautiful Mind, an unauthorized biography of John Nash. Directed by Ron Howard.

Pearl Harbor (2001) — Based on the events of the Pearl Harbor attack and the Doolittle Raid. Directed by Michael Bay.

Black Hawk Down (2001) — Adapted from Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern Warfare by Mark Bowden about the Battle of Mogadishu.

Enemy at the Gates (2001) — Based on Vasily Zaytsev during the Battle of Stalingrad. Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud.

Catch Me If You Can (2002) — Story of con artist Frank Abagnale. Directed by Steven Spielberg

City of God (2002) — Adapted from a book by Paulo Lins. Directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund.

The Pianist (2002) — Based on the memoir by Władysław Szpilman, a Polish musician of Jewish origins and childhood survivor of Nazi-occupied Poland.

Gridiron Gang (2006) — Based in real incidents involving youth gang members in a youth jail named 'Killpatrick Camp' who played into a football team led by the Coach Sean Porter.

Alpha Dog (2006) — Based on the kidnap and murder of Nicholas Markowitz organized mainly by Jesse James Hollywood, with names changed.

The Last King of Scotland (2006) — Based on factual events during Idi Amin's rule of Uganda. Directed by Kevin Macdonald.

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) — Based on true story of Chris Gardner, starring Will Smith

Mongol (2007) — Intended to be the first in a trilogy of films based on the life of Genghis Khan.

Rise of the Footsoldier (2007) — British gangster film based on actual events.

Charlie Wilson's War (2007) — Based on Texas congressman Charlie Wilson's covert dealings in Afghanistan.

The Bank Job (2008) — Based on a 1971 London robbery allegedly concocted by MI5.

Changeling (2008) — Loosely based upon the real-life Wineville Chicken Murders, involving Christine Collins and the disappearance of her son.

Valkyrie (2008) — Story of the 20 July plot of German army officers to assassinate Adolf Hitler.

The Blind Side (2009) — The story of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All American football player and first round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring woman and her family.

Invictus (2009) — Based on the real life story of South Africa president Nelson Mandela and François Pienaar, the captain of the Springboks, the South African rugby union team.

The Soloist (2009) - True Story Film Based On The Life Nathaniel Ayers

Hachi: A Dog's Tale (2009) -A drama based on the true story of a college professor's bond with the abandoned dog he takes into his home.

The Social Network (2010) - Film Based on creation of Facebook and the lawsuits that followed.

127 Hours — Based on the story of Aron Ralston, the American mountain climber who amputated his own arm to free himself after being trapped by a boulder for six days.

The Fighter (2010) - Based on the life of boxer Micky Ward and his half-brother Dicky Eklund

The Whistleblower (2010)- Inspired by actual events, the film tells the story of Kathryn Bolkovac.

Conviction (2010) - Based on a sister's life who goes to law school so she can become her brother's attorney,as the brother is convicted of murder and is innocent. Betty Anne fights for her brother kenny for his life.

The King's Speech (2010) - Historical British Drama Film Based On King George VI Who Was Suffering From Stammer

The Way Back (2011) - A true story of seven men escaping the prison in Siberia, (held by Stalin) walking through the Gobi desert, Himalayas and all the way to the China wall.

Moneyball (2011) - Based on Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis.

Kill the Irishman (2011) - Biopic movie based on the life of Danny Greene

I’m certain that there are many other great movies our there produced on the same category. But sadly I have not watched them! So good luck watching these flicks. I’m certain that once you get through all of these you will see the world as a different place. 

Author: Priyantha Bandara 

 Author contact Email: farcry77@gmail.com

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Reference: (Wikipedia) (IMDB)