The term “Based on a True Story” can refer to movies and TV shows in various ways. For movies in particular, this phrase can mean the film is deeply based on something that actually happened, or it can mean that the screenplay is a loose interpretation.
For this list, we’ve decided to do a combination of both because both options still have a basis in reality, even if the story takes some liberties with the truth. After all, there is something so fascinating about watching a movie that we know we can relate to in some way because of the human aspect.
Take a trip down memory lane with us and revisit some films that have a place in film history.
In no particular order, here are 15 Movies You Didn’t Realize Are Based on a True Story.
1. Radio
Quite a few inspirational sports-related movies hit theatres in the early 2000s. One of the most memorable ones was Radio, which was released in 2003 and stars Cuba Gooding Jr. and Ed Harris in the lead roles.
This film follows the heartwarming story of a young man with mental limitations being adopted by the local high school football team. This young man is known by everyone as “Radio” because he always carries around a transistor radio.
Radio is a film that follows the true nature of James Robert “Radio” Kennedy’s life story very closely. He was taken under the wing of his local high school’s football coach and given the opportunity to never graduate so he could remain part of the team as long as he wanted.
All of which we see play out in this film.
2. Prayers for Bobby
In January 2009, Lifetime went out on a limb with a made-for-TV film about a young man navigating his sexuality and his faith. It was titled Prayers for Bobby, the same as the memoir that inspired it. It starred Sigourney Weaver as Bobby’s mom and Ryan Kelley as Bobby.
This film became a turning point for Ryan Kelley’s career, and he is so appreciative of it to this day. The story he was tasked with telling was one of heartbreak and depression. It’s unfortunate that Bobby’s life turned out this way, even more so considering it is based on a true story.
In the 1980s, a young man named Bobby Griffith came out to his mom, Mary, who, up until that moment, had been his closest confidant. Unfortunately, she turned to her faith to heal what she felt was a mental affliction.
Her change in viewpoint came too late for Bobby, but not for other young men that she stood up for for the rest of her life.
3. Goodfellas
Today, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Ray Liotta are known for their roles in many iconic mob films. And years ago, they were the heart of the large ensemble cast of the 1990 classic Goodfellas, which cemented their status as icons of cinema.
Telling the sordid tale of a young associate trying to make it big in a mafia family is nothing new, but somehow, Liotta’s performance stands out among the crowd. It probably helps that De Niro and Pesci were his frequent scene partners throughout the film, bringing all their stellar performances to another plane.
Told in testimony format, the story unfolds naturally, pulling audiences in from the start. This most likely comes from the book this film is based on, which highlighted the workings of real-life mob members at the height of criminal power.
If you want to know more, read Nicholas Pileggi’s book Wiseguy, which details how Henry Hill helped the Lucchese crime family.
4. Cheaper by the Dozen
While this family-friendly film from 2003 doesn’t seem like it has any basis in a family that actually existed, it actually does. In the early 1900s, there was the Gilbreth family, which had 12 children. The parents were efficiency experts who used their home as a giant science experiment.
In past childhood, a couple of the Gilbreth children got together and wrote down their experiences growing up with so many siblings into a book. Over the years, multiple iterations of the book Cheaper by the Dozen have been made into films—1950, 2003, and 2022.
Each of these films takes different liberties with the factual information presented in the book while sticking to common themes. For example, in the 2003 film, the parents might have different careers than the actual Gilbreth parents, but the challenges of wrangling a large family, having enough time for each child, and keeping things loving and kind are timeless and found in both the book and the films.
Despite there being multiple iterations of this story, the Cheaper by the Dozen film from 2003 remains the most beloved, thanks to its humor-based storytelling and strong cast performances.
5. The Favourite
The Favourite might be a dark, absurdist, satirical comedy about Queen Anne during the height of England’s war with France in 1705. Queen Anne might not be willing to run the country as she should, but her ever-faithful confidante and lover, Sarah Churchill, influences her decisions.
Things turn toward dark jealousy when Queen Anne’s cousin, Abigail, comes looking for work and treats her gout with herbs she picked. The two women find themselves vying for the queen’s attention when it becomes clear that Anne wants physical relations with the both of them.
Olivia Colman amazes at the ailing Queen Anne while Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz entertain as her jealous lovers. This film takes a very real romantic triangle and adds a bit of drama to keep us all entertained, despite not really needing to.
After all, the true history of Queen Anne is scandalous and juicy enough.
6. The Impossible
Disaster films are always an enjoyable media to behold. Often they are based on a specific natural disaster that made headlines. However, occasionally, the film writers take it a bit further and take a human-interest story from the disaster to focus on.
While the film The Impossible, starring Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, and Tom Holland, definitely hits us right where it hurts, some details from the true account were switched up for dramatic purposes and overall audience appeal. Despite that, the major bones of this harrowing tale remain intact.
That said, if you aren’t aware of the Belón-Álvarez Family’s story about how they were vacationing in Thailand when the 2004 tsunami hit, you should check it out. Their ability to not only survive but reunite with one another after days of being separated is one you won’t soon forget.
7. A Beautiful Mind
Sometimes the most brilliant of individuals are also the biggest sufferers. Such is the story of Nobel Laureate in Economics, John Forbes Nash Jr.
This man pioneered the field of economics and made discoveries that changed the world of mathematics forever. However, not long after he started to succumb to the pressures of such notoriety.
The film, A Beautiful Mind chronicles his journey from highly regarded genius to schizophrenic. It focuses on the human side of his story, showing that John Forbes Nash Jr. made significant contributions to our world.
Of course, as any good film does with these types of individuals in history, it finds a sweet spot in who this man was to draw audiences in. For John Forbes Nash Jr. it is the woman who falls in love with him and how her devotion to him helped him to find balance with his mental illness.
8. The Pianist
Stories that came out of World War II and the Jewish experience are always going to capture audiences’ attention. The Pianist in particular adapts Wladyslaw Szpilman’s autobiography: The Pianist: The Extraordinary True Story of One Man’s Survival in Warsaw, 1939-1945.
For the film Adrian Brody takes on the titular role, bringing an emotionality to the part that is still talked about to this day. In fact, many people who have seen this film talk about how difficult it was to get through it thanks to dedication to not glossing over the more difficult facts about the Nazi regime.
Wladyslaw Szpilman got to observe the slow descent of Warsaw, Poland into the atrocities of World War II thanks to his career as a radio station pianist who was forced into the Warsaw Ghetto. He manages to stay out of the concentration camps during this time by hiding out in various war torn areas of Warsaw.
The hope in this film comes from Szpilman’s determination to survive and someday reunite with his family. Unfortunately, that reunion was never to be, but he managed to survive thanks to the kindness of friends and a German Soldier.
9. Can You Ever Forgive Me?
In the 1990s Lee Israel was an author who found herself frustrated and financially strapped after years of hard-drinking. In order to get herself out of this mess she took her biographer skills and forged hundreds of letters from famous authors.
Over a period of time, she wrote these letters and then sold them to various bookstores and collectors. And was successful at it for some time because as soon as people started to suspect her, she would come up with a new plan to keep her out of trouble.
The film, Can You Ever Forgive Me? stars Melissa McCarthy as Lee Israel. McCarthy’s natural charm and wit bring Israel to life in a way that allows for sympathy and understanding.
Though the story presented in this film seems completely out there and unbelievable, it mirrors Lee Israel’s life and actions accurately.
10. Freedom Writers
Movies about teachers who manage to reach through the divide and inspire their students are always fun to watch. No matter who you are, these types of stories pull at your heartstrings and remind you that education can truly change your life.
Freedom Writers is probably one of the most widely known human-interest films about a teacher changing the lives of her students. While it is a fun story that rivals such tales as Mona Lisa Smile and Dead Poets Society, this film takes it a step further because it is based on the very real life of Erin Gruwell.
Ms. Gruwell is a struggling teacher who spends her days policing her class instead of teaching them anything of merit. Then, one day, she decides to assign each of her students reading material they can relate to and a journal for them to write about their readings and their lives.
The students go on to learn how to change the world, even if it’s just their immediate environment, by writing about it. In terms of films based on a true story genre, this one is probably one of the best ones in terms of sticking to facts.
11. It Could Happen to You
The charming story of It Could Happen to You is completely thanks to the performances of Nicholas Cage (Charlie Lang) and Bridget Fonda (Yvonne Biasi). Their chemistry has audiences rooting for the two characters from the start.
Not to mention the concept that a beloved police officer would offer lottery winnings to a waitress he sees almost every day is swoon worthy. While this film does take some liberties when it comes to the real story of these two individuals brought together by kindness and luck, they aren’t changes that detract from the story.
After all, films of this nature need a natural romantic throughline to keep people interested. There has to be a reason for us to care about this sweet story beyond what we could just independently read.
So, the romantic tones are added for oomph, but in reality both Officer Robert Cunningham and Phyllis Penzo were never romantically linked. They just had a bond centered on their respect of each other and the professions they had.
12. Front of the Class
Another film centered on an educator who thought outside the box, Front of the Class is one of those feel-good films everyone loves. This one is especially memorable for the simple fact that this teacher, Mr. Brad Cohen has Tourette’s Syndrome.
At times it might feel a bit like inspiration porn, but overall the film reminds us that we should never judge people nor should we discourage them from being their truest selves.
In reality, Brad Cohen wanted to be taken seriously as a teacher, but most people around him didn’t think he could do it. However, he had parents who encouraged him and other adults in his life who stood by him and encouraged others to truly see his value.
As an educator Brad Cohen made an impact on his students due to his good-natured and humor centered approach to teaching. As the film shows, he eventually found significant success in the classroom. He later used that influence and success to establish the Brad Cohen Tourette Foundation.
13. Seabiscuit
During the Great Depression the American people were desperate for anything to give them a sense of hope. Along comes a race horse, Seabiscuit, who had a storied history of 17 losses in a row.
No one was really rooting for him to change the morale of the country, but then against all odds Seabiscuit started winning. At first it felt like a fluke, and then he just kept winning.
Then in 2003, the film, Seabiscuit was released, bringing this seemingly impossible story to people of a new generation. With a cast that consists of Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges, Elizabeth Banks, Chris Cooper, and William H. Macy, this is a film you don’t want to miss.
Also, by the end you’ll be rooting for Seabiscuit much like folks in the 1930s did.
14. 12 Years a Slave
The year is 1841 and the country is still 24 years from ending slavery. Solomon Northup is a free Black man living his life with his wife and children when he is mistakenly sold into slavery.
He fights desperately to get back to his family, but being a slave, no one listens to him. So, for the next 12 years Solomon has to remain in servitude while never giving up on the possibility of seeing his family again.
The great thing about the 12 Years a Slave film is that it takes most of the moments and dialogue directly from Solomon Northup’s autobiography. This gives the film a level of accuracy that often gets sidelined with “Based on a True Story” films.
The performance of Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon increases our attachment to this tale. Not to mention this is the film that put Lupita Nyong’o on the map, for good reason. Her performance is emotionally raw and changes the way we look at history.
15. The Big Sick
If you are familiar with stand up comedy, chances are you’ve heard of Kumail Nanjiani. Heck, if you were around in 2014 and loved the show Silicon Valley you know who he is.
Well, back in 2017, Nanjiani and his wife, Emily V. Gordon, cowrote the film The Big Sick. It was a heavily autobiographical project that follows Kumail and Emily as they meet, fall in love, and then deal with a major medical crisis all with humor and heart.
One of the defining features of this story, that really got people talking about the film, is the culture clash that really comes to light when Emily gets sick. This couple is doing well together, managing their goals and lives together, but this illness threatens that connection.
It’s something that Nanjiani and Gordon faced in their relationship at one point. Just like in the film, this event only proved to bring them back together, stronger than ever.
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Mads Misasi
Mads is a part-time entertainment journalist and full-time marketing content creator. They love reading the latest in Queer novels -- especially romance ones and watching the latest dramas, sci-fi/fantasy, Star Wars, and romcom films/TV shows. You can join the conversation by following them on Twitter: @dorothynyc89.
