List of films based on actual events

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This is a list of films that are based on actual events.

Contents 1 2000s 2 1990s 3 1980s 4 1970s 5 1960s 6 1940s 7 External links

[edit] 2000s

• Living Proof (2008) — Based on the true life story of Denny Slamon, who helped develop a breast cancer drug called Herceptin 2.
• Forever the Moment (2008) — Based on the achievements of the South Korean women's national handball team at the 2004 Summer Olympics.
• An American Crime (2007) - Based on the torture on Sylvia Marie Likens.
• Zodiac (film) (2007) - Based on Bay Area Serial Killer (Zodiac Killer)
• Primeval (film) (2007) — based on tales of a real man-eating crocodile still living in Burundi named Gustave
• Charlie Wilson's War (2007) — Based on Texas congressman Charlie Wilson's covert dealings in Afghanistan.
• Into the Wild (2007) — Based on the 1996 non-fiction book of the same name by Jon Krakauer about the adventures of Christopher McCandless.
• Alpha Dog (2007) — Based on the kidnap and murder of Nicholas Markowitz organized mainly by Jesse James Hollywood, with names changed.
• Freedom Writers (2007) — Based on the book, The Freedom Writers Diary, by teacher Erin Gruwell.
• Pride (2007) — Based loosely on the true story of Jim Ellis and his African American swim team in 1974 Philadelphia.
• Traces of Love (2006) — Based on the Sampoong Department Store collapse of 1995.
• Flags of Our Fathers (2006) — Based on the book Flags of Our Fathers written by James Bradley and Ron Powers about the Battle of Iwo Jima and Raising the flag on Iwo Jima.
• Glory Road (2006) — Based on the story of the 1965-66 Texas Western basketball team and its march to the national championship, although with some liberties taken.
• The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) — Based on the true story of Christopher Gardner, with liberties taken.
• We Are Marshall (2006) — Story of the aftermath of the 1970 plane crash that killed the entire Marshall University football team. Directed by McG.
• The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005) — Based on the life of golfer, Francis Ouimet. Directed by Bill Paxton.
• The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005) — Story of Anneliese Michel. Directed by Scott Derrickson.
• The Great Raid (2005) — Story of the raid at Cabanatuan. Directed by John Dahl.
• Lords of Dogtown (2005) - Based on the documentary Dogtown and Z-boys. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke.
• North Country (2005) — Based on a law suit. Directed by Niki Caro.
• The Perfect Man (2005) — Based on the life stories of screenwriter Heather Robinson and her mother, Janet Robinson. Directed by Mark Rosman.
• Only the Brave (2005) — Story of the rescue of the Lost Battalion by the 442nd Regimental Combat Team during World War II. Directed by Lane Nishikawa.
• The Amityville Horror (2005) — Ostensibly based on the real life murders by Ronald DeFeo, Jr. of his six family members from November, 1974 in Long Island, New York.
• The Aviator (2004) — Story of Howard Hughes, Directed by Martin Scorsese.
• Friday Night Lights (2004) — Adapted from Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream by H. G. Bissinger, about the 1988 football season of Permian High School in Odessa, Texas. Directed by Peter Berg.
• The Assassination of Richard Nixon (2004) — Story of failed assassin Samuel Byck. Directed by Niels Mueller.
• Hotel Rwanda (2004) — Story of the Paul Rusesabagina's experiences during the Rwandan Genocide. Directed by Terry George.
• Miracle (2004) — Story of Herb Brooks and the U.S. Olympic hockey team leading up to, and during the 1980 Olympic Games. Directed by Gavin O'Connor.
• Hidalgo (2004) — Story of horse rider Frank Hopkins. Directed by Joe Johnston.
• Open Water (film) (2003) — Based on story of Tom and Eileen Lonergan, who were left behind on their scuba diving trip in the South Pacific. Directed by Chris Kentis.
• Monster (2003) — Story of serial killer Aileen Wuornos. Directed by Patty Jenkins.
• Radio (2003) — Based on the real-life story of South Carolina high school football coach Harold Jones and his mentally-challenged assistant, James Robert "Radio" Kennedy, adapted from a 1996 Sports Illustrated article by Gary Smith entitled "Someone to Lean On".
• Touching the Void (2003) — Adapted from the book by Joe Simpson. Directed by Kevin MacDonald.
• Catch Me if You Can (2002) — Story of con artist Frank Abagnale. Directed by Steven Spielberg
• Chicago (2002) — Adapted from the stage musical by Bob Fosse and Fred Ebb. Directed by Rob Marshall.
• City of God (2002) — Adapted from a book by Paulo Lins. Directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund.
• Kandahar (2002) — Story of Afghan refugee Nelofer Pazira's return to Afghanistan. Directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf.
• The Laramie Project (2002) — Adapted from the play The Laramie Project, both by Moisés Kaufman.
• Ted Bundy (2002) — Story of serial killer Ted Bundy.
• We Were Soldiers (2002) — Based on the Battle of Ia Drang, the first major engagement of American troops in the Vietnam War. Directed by Randall Wallace.
• Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002) — Based on the book Follow The Rabbit Proof Fence. Directed by Phillip Noyce.
• A Beautiful Mind (2001) — Adapted from Sylvia Nasar's A Beautiful Mind, an unauthorized biography of John Nash. Directed by Ron Howard.
• Behind Enemy Lines (2001) — Loosely based on the Mrkonjić Grad incident. Directed by John Moore.
• Black Hawk Down (2001) — Adapted from Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern Warfare, a book by Mark Bowden which was in turn adapted from articles he wrote for The Philadelphia Inquirer on the Battle of Mogadishu. Directed by Ridley Scott.
• Erin Brockovich (2000) — Story of Erin Brockovich. Directed by Steven Soderbergh.
• The Perfect Storm (2000) — Adapted from the book The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger about the 1991 Halloween Nor'easter. Directed by Wolfgang Petersen.
• Remember the Titans (2000) — Based on the 1971 football season of the newly integrated T. C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia.
• Shadow of the Vampire (2000) — Story of the making of Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens. Directed by E. Elias Merhige.

[edit] 1990s

• Anna and the King (1999) — Story of Anna Leonowens. Directed by Andy Tennant.
• Boys Don't Cry (film) (1999) — Story of transgender man Brandon Teena. Directed by Kimberly Peirce.
• Girl, Interrupted (1999) — Directed by James Mangold.
• The Insider (1999) — Adapted from a magazine article by Marie Brenner. Directed by Michael Mann.
• October Sky (1999) — Adapted from the memoir Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam. Directed by Joe Johnston.
• RKO 281 (1999) — Story of the making of Citizen Kane. Directed by Benjamin Ross.
• Patch Adams (1998) — Story of Patch Adams. Directed by Tom Shadyac.
• Saving Private Ryan (1998) — Story of the Niland Brothers during World War II. Directed by Steven Spielberg.
• Anastasia (1997) — Story of the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia, with considerable liberties taken. Directed by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman.
• Four Days in September (1997) — Adapted from the book by Fernando Gabeira. Directed by Bruno Barreto.
• Fly Away Home (1996) — Adapted from the book by Bill Lishman. Directed by Carroll Ballard.
• Michael Collins (1996) — Based on the life of IRA leader Michael Collins.
• Apollo 13 (1995) — Story of the Apollo 13 lunar mission, based on the book Lost Moon by Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger. Directed by Ron Howard.
• Heavenly Creatures (1994) — Based on the true story of Juliet Hulme and Pauline Parker.
• Quiz Show (1994) — Adapted from the novel by Richard N. Goodwin about the real-life American quiz show scandals of the 1950s. Directed by Robert Redford.
• Alive (1993) — Based on the Piers Paul Read book Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors, which tells the story of the crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 in 1972. Directed by Frank Marshall.
• And the Band Played On (1993) — Adapted from the book of the same title by Randy Shilts. Directed by Roger Spottiswoode.
• Rudy (1993) — Based on the story of Notre Dame football walk-on Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger. Directed by David Anspaugh.
• 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.
• Awakenings (1990) — Adapted from Oliver Sacks' memoir of the same title. Directed by Penny Marshall.
• Not Without My Daughter (1990) — Story of Betty Mahmoody. Directed by Brian Gilbert.

[edit] 1980s

• Glory (1989) — Based on the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry during the American Civil War. Directed by Edward Zwick.
• The Accused (1988) — Based on the 1983 rape of Cheryl Araujo at Big Dan's Tavern in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
• The Delta Force (1986) — Based heavily on the hijacking of TWA Flight 847 in 1985. Directed by Menahem Golan.
• Hoosiers (1986) — Based loosely on the story of the 1953-54 Milan High School basketball team, winners of that year's Indiana state high school basketball championship despite representing a school of about 160 students.
• Marie (1985) — Based on Marie Ragghianti's exposure of the 1970s Tennessee parole board scandals; adapted from the book Marie: A True Story by Peter Maas.
• Coal Miner's Daughter (1980) — Adapted from the book by Loretta Lynn and George Vecsey. Directed by Michael Apted.
• The Elephant Man (1980) — Story of Joseph Merrick. Directed by David Lynch.

[edit] 1970s

• The Amityville Horror (1979)
• Patton (1970) — Story of U.S. General George S. Patton.

[edit] 1960s

• The Miracle Worker (1962) — Story of Helen Keller.

[edit] 1940s

• Sergeant York (1941) — Story of Sergeant Alvin York, the most decorated American soldier of World War I.

[edit] External links

• Internet Movie Database List
• Films Based on Historical Events and People