Poster for Man on the Moon (1999), a biopic

A biographical picture— often shortened to biopic— is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or people. They differ from films “based on a true story” or “historic films” in that they attempt to comprehensively tell a person’s life story or at least the most historically important years of their lives. Download high resolution version (665x966, 61 KB)Promotional poster for Man on the Moon, showing Jim Carrey as a startling look-alike for Andy Kaufman. ... Download high resolution version (665x966, 61 KB)Promotional poster for Man on the Moon, showing Jim Carrey as a startling look-alike for Andy Kaufman. ... Look up portmanteau word in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Since the 1980s, biographical pictures have become increasingly popular as advancement in film technology and increases in film budgeting have allowed directors to more fully recreate historic periods. In the early 2000s, there was a flood of biographical pictures after Man on the Moon, Ali, Frida and others became widely acclaimed and awarded The 1980s refers to the years of 1980 to 1989. ... The film director, on the right, gives last minute direction to the cast and crew, whilst filming a costume drama on location in London. ... This article is about the decade starting at the beginning of 2000 and ending at the end of 2009. ... Man on the Moon is a 1999 film based on the unusual life and career of comedian Andy Kaufman. ... Ali is a 2001 biographical film which tells the story of boxer Muhammad Ali. ... Frida is a 2002 film which depicts the life of the artist Frida Kahlo. ...

Because the figures portrayed are of such historic importance, biopics are considered some of the most demanding films of actors and actresses. Will Smith and Jim Carrey both gained respect as dramatic actors after starring in biopics, Smith as Muhammad Ali in Ali and Carrey as Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon Willard Christopher Will Smith, Jr. ... James Eugene Carrey (born January 17, 1962) is a Golden Globe-winning Canadian film actor. ... For other persons named Muhammad Ali, see Muhammad Ali (disambiguation). ... Andrew Geoffrey Kaufman (January 17, 1949 – May 16, 1984) was an American entertainer and performance artist. ... Man on the Moon is a 1999 film based on the unusual life and career of comedian Andy Kaufman. ...

Traditionally biographical films focus on beloved, historically important people. However, recently some have focused on more dubious figures (The People vs. Larry Flynt, Blow, Monster etc.) The People vs. ... Blow is a 2001 drama film about the American cocaine smuggler George Jung, directed by Ted Demme (who later died of a cocaine-related heart attack). ... Monster is a 2003 American movie about the life of prostitute-turned-serial killer Aileen Wuornos, who was executed in 2002 for killing seven men in the late 1980s-early 1990s. ...

In rare cases, the subject of the film plays him or herself; Jackie Robinson in The Jackie Robinson Story; Muhammad Ali in The Greatest, Audie Murphy in To Hell and Back, Howard Stern in Private Parts. Jack Roosevelt Jackie Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) became the first African-American Major League Baseball player of the modern era in 1947. ... The Jackie Robinson Story is a 1950 biographical film starring baseball legend Jackie Robinson as himself. ... For other persons named Muhammad Ali, see Muhammad Ali (disambiguation). ... The Greatest is a 1977 film about the life of boxer Muhammad Ali, in which Ali plays himself. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... To Hell and Back is a war film released in 1955. ... For the former personal attorney and partner of Anna Nicole Smith, see Howard K. Stern. ... Private Parts, a 1997 movie about Howard Stern. ...

Most biopics are dramas but some cross over into the comedy, action and other genres. This does not cite its references or sources. ... Airplane! is considered by some critics to be one of the funniest movies of all time. ... Action films, or movies, are a film genre, where action sequences, such as fighting, stunts, car chases or explosions, take precedence over elements like characterisation or complex plotting. ...

Controversies over veracity

A certain amount of veracity is expected of biopics, often to reduce the risk of libel, but the films often alter events to suit the storyline. Events are sometimes portrayed more dramatically than they actually occurred, time is "condensed" to fit all important events into the film or several people are blended into a composite. In English and American law, and systems based on them, libel and slander are two forms of defamation (or defamation of character), which is the tort or delict of making a false statement of fact that injures someones reputation. ...

Although many viewers and critics forgive such fabrications for entertainment value, some biopics have come under criticism for allegations of deception. Historians noted the wayward chronology of Michael Collins, a team of Greek lawyers threatened to sue the makers of Alexander for implying that Alexander the Great was bisexual and many boxing fans resented the villainous portrayal of Max Baer in Cinderella Man. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Alexander is a 2004 epic motion picture film, based on the life of Alexander the Great. ... Alexander the Great (Greek: ,[1] Megas Alexandros; July 356 BC–June 11, 323 BC), also known as Alexander III, king of Macedon (336–323 BC), was one of the most successful military commanders in history. ... In human sexuality, bisexuality describes a man or woman having a sexual orientation to persons of either or both sexes (a man or woman who sexually likes both sexes; people who are sexually and/or romantically attracted to both males and females). ... Professional boxing bout featuring Ricardo Domínguez (left) versus Rafael Ortíz Boxing, called pugilism (from Latin), prizefighting (when referring to professional boxing) or the sweet science[1] is a sport and martial art in which two participants of similar weight fight each other with their fists in a series... Maximilian Adelbert Madcap Maxie Baer Cussen (February 11, 1909 – November 21, 1959) was a famous jewish-American boxer of the 1930s, onetime Heavyweight Champion of the World, and actor. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

However, another boxing film, 1999's The Hurricane, about boxer Rubin Carter and his hotly-disputed triple murder conviction, is perhaps a more controversial biopic in terms of accuracy. Several details were altered to enhance the image of Carter and details about the police procedures that lead to the conviction conflicted with court records. Also, former middle weight champion Joey Giardello, who won a title bout against Carter, sued the film's producers for suggesting he won due to a racist "fix". The case was settled out of court. 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... The Hurricane, a 1999 film starring Denzel Washington, purports to be the true story of boxer Rubin Hurricane Carter, whose conviction for triple murder was overturned after he had spent almost 20 years in prison. ... Rubin Hurricane Carter (born May 6, 1937), an African-American middleweight boxer between 1961 and 1966, is better known for his controversial convictions (1967, 1976) for three June 1966 murders in Paterson, New Jersey, and his subsequent release from prison in 1985. ... Carmine Orlando Tilelli (born July 16, 1930), better known by his professional pseudonym of Joey Giardello, was an American star in the sport of boxing during the 1950s and 1960s. ...

Roger Ebert defended the The Hurricane and distortions in biographical films in general, stating "those who seek the truth about a man from the film of his life might as well seek it from his loving grandmother, The Hurricane is not a documentary but a parable."^[1] Russ Meyer (left) and Roger Ebert, (1970) Roger Joseph Ebert (June 18, 1942 - ) is an Emmy Award-nominated American television personality, author, and film critic who began writing for the Chicago Sun-Times in 1967. ... Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to document reality. ... // A parable is a brief, succinct story, in prose or verse, that illustrates a moral or religious lesson. ...

Some biopics purposely stretch the truth. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind was based on game show host Chuck Barris' widely debunked, yet still popular, memoir of the same name, in which he claimed to be a CIA agent, and Kafka incorporated both the life of author Franz Kafka and the surreal aspects of his fiction. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind is a 2002 drama film directed by George Clooney. ... This article is about the television genre. ... Chuck Barris (born Charles Hirsch Barris on June 3, 1929) produced American game shows during the 1960s and 1970s. ... As a literary genre, a memoir (from the Latin memoria, meaning memory) forms a subclass of autobiography, although it is an older form of writing. ... The CIA Seal The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an American intelligence agency, responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and reporting such information to the various branches of the U.S. Government. ... Kafka is a film based on the life of writer Franz Kafka. ... Kafka at the age of five Franz Kafka (IPA: ) (July 3, 1883 – June 3, 1924) was one of the major German-language fiction writers of the 20th century. ... Yves Tanguy Indefinite Divisibility 1942 Surrealism[1] is a movement stating that the liberation of our mind, and subsequently the liberation of the individual self and society, can be achieved by exercising the imaginative faculties of the unconscious mind to the attainment of a dream-like state different from, or... Fiction (from the Latin fingere, to form, create) is storytelling of imagined events and stands in contrast to non-fiction, which makes factual claims about reality. ...

Casting can be controversial for biographical films. Many felt that Anthony Hopkins should not have played Richard Nixon in Nixon because of a lack of resemblance between the two and some Selena fans objected to the casting of Jennifer Lopez in a biopic about her because Lopez is Puerto Rican and Selena was Mexican. Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins CBE (IPA: ) (born 31 December 1937) is an Academy Award, Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning Welsh film, stage and television actor. ... Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. ... Nixon is an Oliver Stone film that tells the story of the political and personal life of former President Richard Nixon. ... Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (April 16, 1971 – March 31, 1995), best known as Selena, was a Mexican American singer who has been called the queen of Tejano music.[2] The youngest child of a Mexican-American couple, Selena released her first album at the age of twelve. ... J. Lo redirects here. ...

References

1. ^ The Hurricane review by Roger Ebert

Russ Meyer (left) and Roger Ebert, (1970) Roger Joseph Ebert (June 18, 1942 - ) is an Emmy Award-nominated American television personality, author, and film critic who began writing for the Chicago Sun-Times in 1967. ...

See also

• Biographical novel
• List of biographical films