Recent Event Highlights: Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story, and 62 more...
Created by dipity on Jan 23, 2008
Last updated: 11/16/09 at 04:43 PM
Biographical has no followers yet. Be the first one to follow.
The Red Baron(German title: Der Rote Baron) is an upcoming 2007 feature film about legendary fighter pilot Manfred von Richthofen.Manfred, Freiherr von Richtofen is the most feared and celebrated pilot of the Imperial German Air Service in World War I. To him and his companions, air combats are events of sporty nature, technical challenge and honorable acting, ignoring the terrible extent of war. But after falling in love with the nurse Käte, Manfred realizes he is only used for propaganda means. Caught between his disgust for the war, and the responsibility for his fighter wing, von Richthofen sets out to fly again.It has been reported that the movie portrays Canadian pilot Roy Brown killing the Baron. Modern research has shown that Brown could not have killed von Richthofen, as he did not fire at him from the angle at which the fatal bullet approached, or within the right timeframe, although he was given credit for it by the Royal Air Force. It is now believed that Australianmachine...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0365675
Becoming Jane is a Miramax film that was released in 2007. The film is based on the early life of author Jane Austen, who is portrayed by Anne Hathaway, and her possible flirtations with Thomas Langlois Lefroy, played by BAFTA-nominated Scottish actor James McAvoy. Julie Walters, James Cromwell and Maggie Smith also appear in this picture. The film was produced in cooperation with several companies, including BBC Films and Irish Film Board.
Becoming Jane was directed by Julian Jarrold. The cast was selected by Gail Stevens and Gillian Reynolds, costumes designed by Eimer Ni Mhaoldomhnaigh, and original soundtrack composed by Adrian Johnston.
Although the film goes beyond what is proven fact in assuming a real relationship between Austen and Lefroy, the original screenplay was inspired by real events, which were chronicled in the book Becoming Jane Austen by Jon Spence, who was the historical consultant on the film. In fact, prior to Spence’s book, Radovici (1995) and Tomalin (2000)...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0416508
Jodhaa-Akbar (Hindi: जोधा अक्बर, Urdu: اکب جودھا) is a forthcoming film, to be released in 2007. It is being directed and produced by Ashutosh Gowariker, the director of Oscar-nominated Lagaan. It stars Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai in lead roles. This film also represents the debut of newcomer Abir Abrar. Extensive research has gone into the making of this film which begun shooting recently. [1]The film centers around the romance between the Mughal Emperor Akbar, the founder of Din-i-Ilahi, played by Hrithik Roshan and his Hindu wife, Jodhabai, played by Aishwarya Rai. The music will be composed by acclaimed music composer A. R. Rahman. This movie is scheduled for release on October 12, 2007.
Jodhaa Akbar is a sixteenth century[citation needed] love story about a marriage of alliance that gave birth to true love between a great Mughal emperor, Akbar, and a Rajput princess, Jodhaa.
Political success knew no bounds for Emperor Akbar (Hrithik Roshan). After having secured the,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0449994
The Legend of King Naresuan (Thai: ตำนานสมเด็จพระนเรศวรมหาราช, Tamnan Somdej Phra Naresuan) is a two-part 2007 Thai biographical historical drama film about King Naresuan the Great, who ruled Siam from 1590 until his death in 1605.
The films are directed by Chatrichalerm Yukol and are a followup to his 2003 film, The Legend of Suriyothai. Part I, Pegu's Hostage, was released on January 18, 2007. Part II, Reclaiming Sovereignty, was released on February 15, 2007. A third part was initially expected to be released on December 5, 2007, in celebration of King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 80th birthday, but that release date has been pushed back and as of 2007, it was uncertain if a third part is still in production.
Part I deals with Naresuan's boyhood, when he was taken hostage by Burmese King Bayinnaung to keep the vassal Ayutthaya Kingdom subservient. During this time, he was a novice Buddhist monk under the tutelage of a wise father-figure monk (Sorapong Chatree). Part II depicts Naresuan as...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0817940
Copying Beethoven is a dramatic film directed by Agnieszka Holland which gives a fictional take on the triumphs and heartaches of Ludwig van Beethoven's last years.A fictionalised exploration of Beethoven's life in his final days working on his Ninth Symphony.It is 1824. The composer, played by Ed Harris, is racing to finish his new symphony. However, it has been years since his last success and he is plagued by deafness, loneliness and personal trauma. A copyist is urgently needed to help the composer finish in time for the scheduled first performance - otherwise the orchestra will have no music to play. A fictional character is introduced in the form of a young conservatory student and aspiring composer called Anna Holtz (Diane Kruger). The mercurial Beethoven is skeptical that a woman might become involved in his masterpiece but slowly comes to trust in Anna's assistance and in the end becomes quite fond of her.By the time the piece is performed, her presence in his life is an...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0424908
Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story is a CBC Television miniseries first aired in two consecutive parts on March 12 and March 13, 2006. It dramatizes and fictionalizes the life and career of Tommy Douglas, the Canadian politician who oversaw the legislation of Canada's first medicare program as premier of Saskatchewan. The production is directed by John N. Smith and produced by Kevin DeWalt. Prairie Giant has attracted a great deal of controversy. Although the CBC promoted Prairie Giant as a ‘real story about real people’, after the miniseries aired on the CBC in two parts on March 12 and 13, 2006, newspaper columnists, radio talk shows, internet blogs, and the Saskatchewan legislature commented on the fallacies present in the story line of the CBC – Minds Eye Productions mini-series. Historical fallacies and omissions concerning Medicare, Douglas's personal life and career, and the mischaracterization of the Rt. Hon. James Garfield Gardiner were identified. On March 16, 2006, ...,
Mangal Pandey: The Rising (Indian title) or The Ballad of Mangal Pandey (international title) (released in India on August 12, 2005) is an Indian movie based on the life of Mangal Pandey who is known for his role as a leader in the Indian rebellion of 1857 which led to the downfall of the British East India Company. It is directed by Ketan Mehta, produced by Bobby Bedi, and with a screenplay by Farrukh Dhondy.Aamir Khan, a leading Bollywood actor, plays the lead role of Mangal Pandey. Mangal Pandey was a Sepoy who helped spark the Indian rebellion of 1857. Subsequently the mutiny was called "The Sepoy Mutiny" or "The Sepoy Rebellion" by most of the English-speaking world, while Indians referred to it as the "First War of Independence".The film begins in 1857, when India was ruled by the British East India Company. Mangal Pandey (portrayed by Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan) is a soldier (Sepoy) for the East India company who is fighting in the Anglo-Afghan Wars and who saves the life...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0346457
Downfall (German: Der Untergang) is a 2004 German / Austrian film depicting the final ten days of Adolf Hitler in his Berlin bunker and Nazi Germany in 1945, written by Bernd Eichinger, directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, and based upon the books Inside Hitler's Bunker, by historian Joachim Fest, portions of Albert Speer's memoirs, the memoirs of Traudl Junge, Hitler's secretary, and the memoirs of Siegfried Knappe.
In the last days of the European fighting in World War II, the Red Army is reaching Berlin, while in the Führerbunker under the Reich Chancellery, Adolf Hitler has his last birthday and final ten days of life isolated from the world and ordering desperate counterattacks. Hitler (Bruno Ganz) is a sick, exhausted man dreaming still of a Greater Germany amid the ruins of Berlin, callously ranting against the weakness and deserved destruction of the Germans. As the Red Army and defeat loom over the Third Reich, he is alone with his clique: Joseph Goebbels (Ulrich Matthes), ...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0363163
The Life and Death of Peter Sellers is a 2004 film about the life of British comic actor Peter Sellers, based on Roger Lewis's book of the same name. It was directed by Stephen Hopkins and starred Geoffrey Rush as Sellers, Miriam Margolyes as his mother Peg Sellers, Emily Watson as his first wife Anne Howe, Charlize Theron as his second wife Britt Ekland, John Lithgow as Blake Edwards, Stephen Fry as Maurice Woodruff and Stanley Tucci as Stanley Kubrick.
The film shows Peter Sellers as a demented genius, not having a personality of his own. It glimpses his life as a family man and as an actor.
According to the film, Sellers was not too excited about landing a role in Pink Panther movies, as the Clouseau character was only offered to him after Peter Ustinov turned it down. Also, it upset him that Clouseau was only a minor character, with David Niven's character getting the bulk of the attention. Sellers' performance impressed Blake Edwards, though, and Clouseau was made the central...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0352520
Soldier's Girl is a 2003 dramatic film produced by Showtime. It is based on a true story: the relationship between Barry Winchell and Calpernia Addams and the events that led up to Barry's murder by fellow soldiers. It was written by Ron Nyswaner and directed by Frank R. Pierson, with Troy Garity starring as Barry and Lee Pace starring as Calpernia.
Barry was a private with the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army, stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Calpernia was working as a showgirl at a transgender revue in Nashville, Tennessee when the two met in 1999. Barry's roommate Justin Fisher (played by Shawn Hatosy) brought Barry to the club where she performed. When Barry and Calpernia began seeing each other regularly, Fisher began spreading rumors on base about their relationship, which appeared to be a violation of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy about discussing the sexual orientation of military personnel. The film depicts the increasing harassment and...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0324013
High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story is a 2003 biopic focusing on the life of American professional poker and gin player Stu Ungar. Stuey is the film's alternate title. The film features cameos from several figures from the world of professional sports and poker, including Vince Van Patten, Andy Glazer and Al Bernstein.
High Roller is told in flashback. Ungar (Michael Imperioli), in a motel room on the last night of his life, relates his life story to a Stranger (Michael Pasternak). He relates his life from growing up as the son of a bookie through his career as a tournament gin player, moving into poker, his marriage and the birth of his daughter Stefanie, cocaine abuse and the breakup of his marriage. The film climaxes with Ungar's third victory at the main event of the World Series of Poker a few months before his death. In the final scene Ungar departs the motel room with the Stranger (who apparently represents Death).
...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338467
Auto Focus is a feature film adaptation of the book The Murder of Bob Crane by Robert Graysmith. It tells the story of actor Bob Crane, an affable radio show host and amateur drummer who found success on Hogan's Heroes, a popular television comedy series about a prisoner of war camp during World War II, for which he is best known.
The 2002 movie deeply delves into Crane's secret personal life, focusing on his relationship with John Henry Carpenter, an electronics expert involved with the development of the VCR. Encouraged by Carpenter and enabled by his expertise, Crane - a church-going, non-drinking family man - became a sex addict obsessed with sleeping with as many women as possible and recording those encounters with video and photographic equipment, usually with Carpenter participating. Auto Focus depicts Crane's life from his sitcom success through his post-Hogan's Heroes efforts to sustain a viable career - mostly in dinner theatre - until his murder which, to this day, remains...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298744
A Mighty Heart is a 2007 film adaptation of Mariane Pearl's memoir, A Mighty Heart.A Mighty Heart is a detailed account of the search for kidnapped Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002.
Pearl was kidnapped in Karachi by supporters of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed who claimed responsibility (and were later captured and convicted) for kidnapping and beheading Pearl in 2002. The movie also covers efforts by Department of Justice and Diplomatic Security Service special agents to track the kidnappers and bring them to justice.
For security reasons, the majority of the film, including all scenes with Angelina Jolie was shot in Pune, Maharashtra, India rather than in Pakistan. However many of the exteriors and all scenes involving the kidnapping, were shot at the real locations in Karachi with actor Dan Futterman. The film's other Indian location was Mumbai, where Danny and Marianne lived. Flashback scenes were shot there. The film was also shot in France and Austin, Texas.
Released...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0829459
Trudeau was a 2002 television miniseries dramatizing the life of former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau. It aired on CBC Television and was written by Wayne Grigsby and directed by Jerry Ciccoritti.The miniseries was one of the highest-rated Canadian television programs of the year. It won several Gemini Awards, including Best Actor, Best Writing and Best Direction.It follows Pierre Trudeau through the major events of his political mandates up to the patriation of the Canadian Constitution. A few of the major characters in the film (notably "Greenbaum" and "Duncan") are fictional, or composite characters.A sequel, Trudeau II came out in 2005, examining Trudeau's early life.Archival footage of Joe Clark, Knowlton Nash and Queen Elizabeth II is used in the film. Cynthia Dale and Peter Mansbridge also have small roles; Mansbridge plays himself.In several interviews at the time of the premiere, actual Trudeau PMO bureaucrats commented on the general accuracy of the film with one...,
Ali is an Academy Award-nominated 2001 biographical film which tells the story of boxing icon Muhammad Ali. It stars Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, Jon Voight, Mario Van Peebles, Ron Silver, Jeffrey Wright, Mykelti Williamson, Jada Pinkett Smith, Nona Gaye (in her film debut), Michael Michele, Joe Morton, Giancarlo Esposito and LeVar Burton.The film focuses on the first turbulent decade of the boxer’s professional career, featuring his capture of the heavyweight title from the ill-fated Sonny Liston (played by Michael Bentt), conversion to Islam, criticism of the Vietnam War and banishment from boxing, return to fight Joe Frazier in 1971, and lastly his reclaiming the title from George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle fight of 1974. The movie also discusses the great social and political upheaval in the United States following the assassinations of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. The film also shows the man’s private side: his numerous wives and failed marriages, and his friendships...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0248667
A Beautiful Mind is a 2001 biographical film about John Forbes Nash, the Nobel Laureate (Economics) mathematician. The film was directed by Ron Howard and written by Akiva Goldsman, and was inspired by a bestselling, Pulitzer Prize-nominated 1998 book of the same name by Sylvia Nasar. The film also stars Russell Crowe, along with Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris and Paul Bettany.
The film begins in the early years of Nash's life at Princeton University as he develops his "original idea" that will revolutionize the mathematics world. Later, Nash develops schizophrenia and must endure paranoid and delusional episodes while painfully watching the loss and burden his condition brings upon his wife and friends.
The film's theatrical release was on December 21, 2001, and was well received by critics. It went on to win four Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actress. It was also nominated for Best Leading Actor, Best Editing, Best...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0268978
The Legend of Suriyothai is a Thai film directed by Chatrichalerm Yukol, telling the history of Queen Suriyothai, who died in a battle in 1548 against Burmese invaders. Taking her battle elephant in front of the Burmese army, Suriyothai sacrificed herself to save the life of her King Chakrapat, and his kingdom.
The film follows the dramatic course of the life of Suriyothai from her adolescence to her death. It presents a young woman of minor royal standing who has strong opinions and a great deal of self-determination. She loves Lord Piren, but is promised to Prince Tien, the son of the second king of the realm. In an attempt to escape a marriage she does not want she runs away and is captured by the principal king who explains the possible problems her marriage to Piren might cause to Siam. For the good of the kingdom, she marries Tien to keep peace in the royal families. From this point on she remains loyal to the man she likes but does not love, and is far from being his puppet.
...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0290879
Anne Frank: The Whole Story (also known as Anne Frank) was a mini series based on the book Anne Frank: The Biography by Melissa Müller. The mini series was shown on ABC on May 20, 2001.
Controversially, but in keeping with the claim made by Melissa Müller, the series asserted that the anonymous betrayer of the Frank family was the office cleaner, when in fact the betrayer's identity has never been established. A disagreement between the producers of the mini-series and the Anne Frank Foundation about validity of this and other details led to the withdrawal of their endorsement of the dramatisation, which prevented the use of any quotations from the writings of Anne Frank appearing within the production. Taylor-Gordon received both Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominations for her performance as Anne Frank, while Ben Kingsley won a Screen Actor's Guild Award for his performance as Otto Frank, Anne's father.
Eventually,...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0246430
Pollock is a 2000 biographical film which tells the life story of artist Jackson Pollock. It stars Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, Robert Knott, Bud Cort, Molly Regan, Marcia Gay Harden and Sada Thompson.The movie was adapted by Barbara Turner and Susan Emshwiller from the book Jackson Pollock: An American Saga by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith. It was directed by Harris.It won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (Marcia Gay Harden, who played Lee Krasner, Pollock's wife) and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor (Ed Harris).This film was a long term dream of Ed Harris. After his father gave him a copy of Pollock's biography, he started thinking about the project, which took almost 10 years to bring to fruition....,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0183659
The Audrey Hepburn Story was a 2000 television movie biography of actress and humanitarian Audrey Hepburn. Jennifer Love Hewitt, who also produced the film, starred as the actress although her casting drew criticism from Hepburn's fans and the media. A pre-stardom Emmy Rossum appears during early scenes of the film playing Hepburn in her early teens.
The film spans from her early childhood to the 1930's which details her life as a Dutch ballerina, coming to grips with her parents' divorce, and enduring life in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands during World War II. Audrey then settles in the USA where she succeeds in making it big as a movie actress, in such movies as Breakfast at Tiffany's.
The closing credits include footage of the real Audrey Hepburn during one of the UNICEF missions she undertook near the end of her life.
Several versions of the film were aired. On the American Fox Network, it aired as a three-hour movie, while in other countries a longer version was broadcast over...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0163887
Topsy-Turvy is a 1999 film that tells the background story of the creation of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado in 1884-1885. It was written and directed by Mike Leigh and stars Allan Corduner as Sir Arthur Sullivan and Jim Broadbent as W. S. Gilbert. The film focuses on the creative conflict and the momentous decision that the author and composer made that led to the creation of several more famous Savoy Operas between them: Should they continue to work together or go their separate ways?The film was not released widely, but it received very favourable reviews, including a number of film festival awards and some Academy Awards. While considered an artistic success, the film did not recover its production costs. Leigh cast actors who did their own singing in the film, and the singing performances were criticized by some critics, while others lauded Leigh's strategy.The film begins on the opening night of Princess Ida. Sullivan (Allan Corduner), who is ill from kidney disease, is...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0151568
Man on the Moon is a 1999 film based on the unusual life and career of Andy Kaufman.
The movie, starring Jim Carrey and directed by Miloš Forman, begins at Kaufman's childhood, where he is seen performing imaginary television programs for stuffed animals. The story traces Kaufman's steps through the numerous comedy clubs, and television appearances that made him famous, including his memorable appearances on Saturday Night Live, Late Night with David Letterman, Fridays, and his role as the lovable "Latka Gravas" on the television sitcom, Taxi. The film pays particular attention to the various inside jokes, scams, put-ons and happenings that Kaufman was famous for, most significantly his long-running "feud" with wrestler Jerry "The King" Lawler and his portrayal of the bawdy lounge singer Tony Clifton.
Carrey won a Golden Globe for his performance - his second win in a row after receiving an award for The Truman Show previously. He was nominated in the Musical/Comedy category for Man...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0125664
October Sky is a 1999 movie that was based on the book Rocket Boys, an autobiographical book by Homer Hickam. The book is based on Hickam's real childhood; however screenwriter Lewis Colick took some creative license in his adaptation of the story for film.
The story deals with four teenage boys struggling to find their place in the world in the late 1950s amidst the overwhelming presence of the coal mine in their town of Coalwood, West Virginia. Inspired by the launch of the first space satellite, Sputnik, they begin to experiment with building small rockets. They eventually enter their rockets in a science competition in an effort to experience life beyond their small town. The boys' relationships with family and community play a major role in the story, especially Homer's longing for approval from his father.
The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Cooper, Laura Dern, Chris Owen, William Lee Scott, Chad Lindberg, and Natalie Canerday. Noted photographer O. Winston Link has a ...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0132477
Elizabeth is an Academy Award winning 1998 film loosely based on the early reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England. The film was written by Michael Hirst and directed by Shekhar Kapur. It stars Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Joseph Fiennes, Christopher Eccleston, Daniel Craig, Eric Cantona and Richard Attenborough. It was the final film of acclaimed British actor Sir John Gielgud. It also stars a 12 year old Lily Allen as a lady in waiting and Manchester United legend Eric Cantona as a French lord.
A sequel, Elizabeth: The Golden Age will be released by Focus Features in theaters on October 12th, 2007.
In 1558, the Roman Catholic Mary I of England dies of a cancerous tumor in her uterus, leaving her Protestant half sister Elizabeth as Queen. Elizabeth had previously been jailed for a supposed conspiracy to murder Mary, but has now been freed for her coronation. The film shows Elizabeth being courted by suitors (including Henri, Duc d'Anjou et de Bourbon, the future King Henry III of...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0127536
The Temptations was a four-hour television miniseries broadcast in two-hour halves on NBC, based upon the history of one of Motown’s longest-lived acts, The Temptations. Executive produced by former Motown executive Suzanne De Passe, produced by Otis Williams and Temptations manager Shelley Berger, and based upon Williams’ Temptations autobiography, the miniseries was originally broadcast on November 1 and November 2, 1998. Allan Arkush was the miniseries’ director.
The miniseries starred Charles Malik Whitfield as Otis Williams, Leon Robinson as David Ruffin, D. B. Woodside as Melvin Franklin, Terron Brooks as Eddie Kendricks, and Christian Payton as Paul Williams. Also featured were Charles Ley as Dennis Edwards, J. August Richards as Richard Street, Obba Babatunde as Berry Gordy, Vanessa Bell Calloway as Johnnie Mae Matthews, and Mel Jackson as Norman Whitfield.
As the miniseries was based upon Otis Williams’ book, it came from his perspective: the focus of the story tended to be...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0164292
Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon is a 1998 film made for television by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). It was written and directed by John Maybury and stars Derek Jacobi, Daniel Craig, and Tilda Swinton.
A biography of Irish painter Francis Bacon (Jacobi), it concentrates on his strained relationship with George Dyer (Craig), a small time thief.
The film draws heavily on the authorised biography of Bacon, The Guilded Gutter Life of Francis Bacon by Daniel Farson, and is dedicated to him.
The film won three awards at the Edinburgh International Film Festival: Best New British Feature (director John Maybury) and two Best British Performance awards, one for Jacobi and the other for future James Bond actor Craig.
...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119577
Jinnah is a film about the life of the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. It was directed by Jamil Dehlavi and written by Akbar S. Ahmed and Jamil Dehlavi. The film was released in 1998 in London, United Kingdom and Pakistan.
Life of Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, formerly a part of India. When Jinnah dies, he is taken to a heavenly ante-room where a decision will be made on his fate, but his file has gone missing, and the Guide must question him about his life to fill in his story. He tells of the key point in 1947, when India was about to get independence from Britain, and Jinnah advocated a separate nation for the Muslim minority. Gandhi suggests Jinnah be made prime minister of the new India, as a compromise, but this suggestion is rejected and Nehru takes the job instead. Jinnah's nemesis is Lord Mountbatten, the British viceroy who opposes the idea of Pakistan. As well as this historical turning point, Jinnah recalls his youth, and formative relationships with his...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0183306
Without Limits is a 1998 biographical film about the friendship between running star Steve Prefontaine and his coach Bill Bowerman, who had co-founded Nike, Inc.Billy Crudup played Prefontaine and Donald Sutherland played Bowerman. The film was written and directed by Robert Towne. It was co-produced by Tom Cruise.
Due to a very low-key promotional campaign, the $25 million film grossed only $777,000 at the box office[1] but received mostly good reviews from major critics.[2] The film also stars Monica Potter, Jeremy Sisto, Judith Ivey, Matthew Lillard and Cruise's cousin, William Mapother.
Sutherland received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor. [3]Without Limits is often compared to Prefontaine, a similar movie on Prefontaine's life that was released a year earlier by Disney. While the two films both focus on the same events, the Disney Film tells the story from the point of view of the assistant coach who was with him day-to-day, Bill Dellinger and Prefontaine's...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119934
Prefontaine is a 1997 film documenting the life of the American long-distance track athlete Steve Prefontaine. It was written by Steve James and Eugene Corr and directed by Steve James, and stars Jared Leto as the title character.
Most of the movie was filmed at the University of Puget Sound campus in Tacoma, Washington. Peyton Field was redecorated to resemble Hayward Field at the University of Oregon.
The film is often compared to Without Limits, a similar movie on Prefontaine's life that was released a year later by Warner Brothers. While the two films both focus on the same events, the Disney Film tells the story from the point of view of the assistant coach who was with him day-to-day, Bill Dellinger, and Prefontaine's girlfriend at the time of his death, Nancy Alleman. It has a cast including Jared Leto as Prefontaine, Ed O'Neil as Bill Dellinger and R. Lee Ermey as Bill Bowerman. Siskel and Ebert reviewed it and gave it two thumbs up.
Without Limits was produced by Tom...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119937
Kundun is a 1997 film written by Melissa Mathison and directed by Martin Scorsese. It is based on the life and writings of the Dalai Lama, the exiled political and spiritual leader of Tibet. Both Scorsese and Mathison (along with several other members of the production) were banned by the Chinese Government from ever entering Tibet as a result of making the film.
The film did poorly at the box office, but was generally praised by critics. Some criticized the movie as hagiographic[citation needed], but many found it exceptionally moving and stunning, even within Scorcese's impressive oeuvre. Some — notably Jonathan Rosenbaum and Charles Taylor — consider it to be among Scorsese's finest films.
The majority of the film was shot at the Atlas Film Studios in Ouarzazate, Morocco.
The name "Kundun" is a title by which the Dalai Lama is addressed, literally meaning "presence". It is written སྐུ་མདུན་ (Wylie: Sku-mdun) in Tibetan and is pronounced [kũtỹ] in the Lhasa...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119485
Surviving Picasso is a 1996 Merchant Ivory Film starring Anthony Hopkins as the famous painter Pablo Picasso. It was shot in Paris and southern France.
Directed by James Ivory and produced by Ismail Merchant and David L. Wolper. Screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala loosely based on the biography Picasso: Creator and Destroyer by Arianna Stassinopoulos Huffington.
The film starts with Françoise meeting Picasso in Paris during the German occupation of the city, where Picasso is complaining that people broke into his house and stole his linen, rather than his paintings. It shows Françoise being beaten by her father after telling him she wants to be a painter, rather than a lawyer. Picasso is shown as often not caring about other people's feelings, firing his driver after a long period of service, and as a womanizer, saying that he can sleep with whomever he wants.
The film is seen through the eyes of his lover Françoise Gilot (Natascha McElhone). Because the producers were unable to get...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117791
Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny is a biographical 1996 TV film about Rasputin.
Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny won a Golden Globe for Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture made for TV. Alan Rickman, starring as Rasputin, won an Emmy (along with Greta Scacchi) and a Golden Globe for his work in this movie. Ian McKellen won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor, and was nominated an Emmy for Best Supporting Actor.
...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117442
Shine is a 1996 Australian film based on the life of pianist David Helfgott, who suffered a mental breakdown and spent years in institutions. It stars Geoffrey Rush, Lynn Redgrave, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Noah Taylor, John Gielgud, Googie Withers, Justin Braine, Sonia Todd, Chris Haywood, and Alex Rafalowicz. The screenplay was written by Jan Sardi, and Scott Hicks directed the film. The degree to which the film's plot reflects the true story of Helfgott's life is disputed (see below).
Shine won the Academy Award for Best Actor (Geoffrey Rush), and was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Armin Mueller-Stahl), Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Music, Original Dramatic Score, Best Picture and Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. It also won a BAFTA for best actor, a Golden Globe for best actor and nine AFIs.
Several previous alternate titles included "Flight of the Bumblebee" and "Helfgott". The title Shine connotes David's brightness while coming...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117631
Basquiat (pronounced[ba.ski.a(t)]) is a 1996 film directed by Julian Schnabel which is loosely based on the life of American postmodernist/neo expressionist artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Basquiat, born in Brooklyn, used his graffiti roots as a foundation to create collage-style paintings on canvas. His surroundings and lifestyle in New York City contributed and featured in his basic images, along with seemingly-unrelated words and phrases placed among the colours. His style was described as nervous, fierce and energetic.
As director, Schnabel is often found painting himself into the film by adding the fictional stand-in character, Albert Milo (Gary Oldman), based on Schnabel. Schnabel also leaves a bit more of himself in the film by adding cameo appearances by his own mother, father, and daughter (as Milo's family.) Schnabel himself is an extra as a waiter.
Basquiat died of a heroin overdose in 1988. Basquiat's estate would not grant permission for his work to be used in the film....,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115632
Michael Collins a 1996 biopic about Michael Collins, the Irish patriot and revolutionary who died in the Irish Civil War. Liam Neeson stars as the title character. Also starring are Aidan Quinn (as Harry Boland), Stephen Rea (as Ned Broy), Alan Rickman (as Eamon de Valera), Julia Roberts (as Kitty Kiernan), Ian Hart and Charles Dance. It was scripted and directed by Neil Jordan. The soundtrack was written by Elliot Goldenthal. The film was an international co-production between companies in Ireland, the UK and the USA.In Ireland, the film was extremely successful, becoming the second most successful movie in Irish box-office history and the most successful Irish-made film of all time.[citation needed] The film received generally positive reviews, but was criticized for its historical inaccuracies.[citation needed]With a budget estimated at between $35 to $40 million, receiving 10% to 12% of its budget from the Irish Film Board, the film was one of the most expensive films ever...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117039
Carrington is a film made in 1995 about the life of the English artist Dora Carrington, who was known simply as Carrington.
The film, starring Emma Thompson in the title role, focuses on her unusual relationship with the author Lytton Strachey, played by Jonathan Pryce, as well as with other members of the Bloomsbury Group.
...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112637
Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story is a 1995 biographical TV film directed by Kevin Connor. The film stars Sherilyn Fenn as Elizabeth Taylor, Katherine Helmond, Nigel Havers, Angus Macfadyen, William McNamara and Ray Wise.
...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113680
In the Name of the Father is a 1993 film directed by Jim Sheridan based on the true life story of the Guildford Four, four people falsely convicted of the IRA's Guildford pub bombing which killed 4 off duty British Soldiers and a civilian. The screenplay was adapted by Terry George and Jim Sheridan from the autobiography Proved Innocent by Gerry Conlon.The protagonist is Gerry Conlon (Daniel Day-Lewis), who tries to prevent his father (Pete Postlethwaite) from being involved in the IRA bombing accusations. Emma Thompson plays Gareth Pierce, a solicitor who eventually secures Conlon's release, but not before his father has died in prison.Because of incidents with the Irish Republican Army, Gerry Conlon (Daniel Day Lewis) with his friend Paul Hill (John Lynch) move to London from Belfast. The two become involved in the London Hippie scene and find accommodation in a squat. There they become acquainted with Carole Richardson and Paddy Armstrong. During one of their nocturnal excursions...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107207
Searching for Bobby Fischer is an acclaimed 1993 film based on the life of prodigy chess player Joshua Waitzkin (Max Pomeranc). Adapted from the book of the same name by Joshua's father Fred, the film was written and directed by Steven Zaillian. In the United Kingdom the film was released under the title Innocent Moves.
In this film, Josh Waitzkin's family discovers that he possesses a gift for chess and they seek to nurture it. They hire a strict instructor, Bruce Pandolfini (played by Ben Kingsley) who aims to teach the boy to be as aggressive as Bobby Fischer. The title of the film is a metaphor about the character's quest to adopt the ideal of Fischer and his determination to win at any price. The main conflict in the film arises when Josh refuses to adopt Fischer's misanthropic frame of reference. Josh then goes on to win on his own terms with the kind of gracious sportsmanship that Fischer rejects.
The film was nominated for Best Cinematography (Conrad L. Hall) at the 1993 ...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108065
Centre Stage (Simplified Chinese: 阮玲玉; Pinyin: ruǎn líng yù), also known as Actress and Yuen Ling-yuk, is a 1992 Hong Kong movie, directed by Stanley Kwan.
The film is based on a true story: the tragic life of China's first prima donna of the silver screen, Ruan Lingyu. This movie chronics her rise to fame as a movie actress in Shanghai during the 1930s. Actress Maggie Cheung portrayed Ruan in this movie.
Nicknamed the "Chinese Garbo," Ruan Lingyu began her acting career when she was 16 years old and committed suicide at age 24.
The film alternates between present scenes (production talks between director Stanley Kwan, Maggie Cheung and Carina Lau, interviews of witnesses who knew Ruan), re-creation scenes with Maggie Cheung (as Ruan, acting inside this movie), and extracts from Ruan's original films including her final two films The Goddess and New Women.
Maggie Cheung, lead actress of Song of the Exile (1990) and Comrades: Almost a Love Story (1996), won best actress for her...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102816
Kafka is a 1991 film based on the life and work of writer Franz Kafka. It was directed by Steven Soderbergh, written by Lem Dobbs, and stars Jeremy Irons in the title role along with Theresa Russell, Ian Holm, Jeroen Krabbé, Joel Grey, Armin Mueller-Stahl, and Sir Alec Guinness.sex, lies, and videotape (1989) •Kafka (1991) •King of the Hill (1993) •Underneath (1995) •Gray's Anatomy (1996) •Schizopolis (1996) •Out of Sight (1998) •The Limey (1999) •Erin Brockovich (2000) •Traffic (2000) •Ocean's Eleven (2001) •Full Frontal (2002) •Solaris (2002) •Eros (Equilibrium) (2004) •Ocean's Twelve (2004) •Bubble (2006) •The Good German (2006) •Ocean's Thirteen (2007) •Guerrilla (2008),
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102181
Wired is a 1989 film biography of John Belushi directed by Larry Peerce, and adapted from the book Wired: The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi, which was written by Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward and published in 1984. It starred Michael Chiklis (The Commish, The Shield, Fantastic Four) as Belushi. Wired was a critical and commercial failure.
The book was a best-seller but was criticized by many close to Belushi for its sensationalism, and the film adaptation does nothing to separate itself from the book's reputation. Like the book, the film was boycotted by several of Belushi's friends and family, including Dan Aykroyd, Jim Belushi, and Belushi's widow, Judith Belushi Pisano.
The films makers were unable to obtain rights to the original Saturday Night Live skits that had made Belushi a star, and the film's screenwriters were forced to write imitations (e.g. "Samurai Baseball").
The movie was also criticized due to the addition of several fictional elements that...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098660
Gorillas in the Mist is a 1988 movie which tells the true-life story of naturalist Dian Fossey and her work with gorillas. It is marketed with the tagline "At the far ends of the earth she found a reason to live, and a cause to fight for."The screenplay was adapted by Anna Hamilton Phelan from an article by Harold T. P. Hayes and a story by Phelan and Tab Murphy. The original music score was composed by Maurice Jarre. The movie was directed by Michael Apted and the cinematography was by John Seale.The movie stars Sigourney Weaver, Bryan Brown, Julie Harris and John Omirah Miluwi. It was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Sigourney Weaver), Best Film Editing, Best Music, Original Score and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium.A Kentucky girl, Dian Fossey is inspired by famed anthropologist Louis Leakey to devote her life to the study of primates. Travelling into deepest Africa, Fossey becomes fascinated with the lives and habits...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095243
Bird is an Academy Award-winning 1988U.S.film directed by Clint Eastwood.
The film is a biopic, a tribute to the life and music of jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker, written by Joel Oliansky. It is constructed as a collage of scenes from Parker's life, from his childhood in Kansas City, through his marriage to Chan Richardson, to his early death at the age of thirty-four.
Forest Whitaker's performance as Parker earned him the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival and a Golden Globe nomination. [1] In addition, the film also won an Academy Award for Best Sound.
...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094747
Walker (1987) is an acid western by British director Alex Cox based on the life story of William Walker, the American adventurer who invaded Mexico in the 1850s and made himself President of Nicaragua shortly thereafter.
The film stars Ed Harris, Marlee Matlin (as Walker's lover Ellen Martin), Peter Boyle (as Cornelius Vanderbilt, his financier), and Miguel Sandoval (as Parker French).
It was written by Rudy Wurlitzer (Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, Two-Lane Blacktop), produced by Lorenzo O'Brien, and photographed by Dave Bridges. The art director was Cecilia Montiel. The film was scored by Joe Strummer, who also plays a small role as a member of Walker's army. Sound was by David Batchelor.
The film, which by the end is intentionally full of anachronisms such as helicopters, Zippo lighters, automatic rifles, and a car passing a horse carriage, was made in Nicaragua during the American-sponsored Contra War.
There is no evidence that Walker ever met Vanderbilt or received his support,...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096409
Gandhi (1982) is a multi-award-winning biopic film about the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (often known as Mahatma Gandhi), who was leader of the nonviolent resistance movement against British colonial rule in India during the first half of the 20th century. The film was directed by Richard Attenborough and stars Ben Kingsley as Gandhi, a role for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor.It was an international co-production between production companies in India and the UK. The film premiered in New Delhi on November 30, 1982.The film opens with a statement from the filmmakers explaining their approach to the problem of filming Gandhi's complex life story:The film begins with Gandhi's assassination and funeral on January 30, 1948. After an evening prayer, an elderly Gandhi is helped out for his evening walk to meet a large number of greeters and admirers. One of these visitors shoots him point blank in the chest. Gandhi exclaims, "Oh, God!" in the film ("Hé Ram!"...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083987
The Elephant Man is a 1980 biopic loosely based on the story of the 19th century British deformed celebrity, Joseph Merrick (called John Merrick in the film). The film was directed by David Lynch and stars John Hurt, Anthony Hopkins, Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller, Michael Elphick, Hannah Gordon and Freddie Jones.
The screenplay was adapted by Christopher De Vore, Eric Bergren and David Lynch from the books The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences (1923) by Sir Frederick Treves and The Elephant Man: A Study in Human Dignity by Ashley Montagu. It was shot in black-and-white.
The Elephant Man became a huge surprise success, and received eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture in 1981.
The story begins with Dr Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins) discovering John Merrick (John Hurt) in a Victorian freak show where he is managed by the brutish Bytes (Freddie Jones). Merrick is so hideously deformed that he must wear a hood when in public. Also, Bytes claims his...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080678
Where the Buffalo Roam is a 1980 comedy film based on a number of semi-biographical stories written by author Hunter S. Thompson. The film loosely depicts Thompson's rise to fame in the 1970s and his relationship with Chicano attorney and activist Oscar Zeta Acosta.
Art Linson directed the picture, while Bill Murray portrayed the author and Peter Boyle portrayed Acosta, who is referred to in the film as Carl Lazlo, Esq. A number of additional names, places, and other details of Thompson's biography are also changed in the film.
An obituary Thompson wrote for Acosta, The Banshee Screams for Buffalo Meat, which appeared in a October 1977 issue Rolling Stone magazine, serves as the basis of the film, although screenplay writer John Kaye drew from several other Thompson works, including Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72, The Great Shark Hunt and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Thompson served as "executive consultant" on the film.
The film opens in the Rocky Mountains on the ...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081748
The Buddy Holly Story is a 1978 biographical film which tells the life story of rock musician Buddy Holly. It stars Gary Busey, Don Stroud, Charles Martin Smith, Conrad Janis, William Jordan, and Maria Richwine, who played Maria Elena Holly.
The movie was adapted by Robert Gittler from the biography of Holly by John Goldrosen. It was directed by Steve Rash.
It won the Academy Award for Best Music, Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Best Adaptation Score, and was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Gary Busey) and Best Sound.
The film opens with Buddy Holly's beginnings as a teenager in Lubbock, Texas and his emergence into the world of rock and roll with his fictional good friends and bandmates, drummer Jesse Charles (Don Stroud) and bass player Ray Bob Simmons (Charles Martin Smith), soon to be known as The Crickets. Their first break comes when they are brought to Nashville, Tennessee to record, but Buddy's vision soon clashes with the producers' rigid ideas of how...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077280
Bruce Lee: The Man, the Myth, (Cantonese: Li Hsiao Lung Chuan Chi) is a semi-biographical depiction of the life of Bruce Lee.The film is also known by several other titles including: Behind Bruce Lee, Bruce Lee: The True Story, and The Dragon Lives....,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077850
Update Sources