Inspired By or Based Upon a True Story
Unlike recent years when the best movies had strong performances (Gladiator, Training Day) but were not based in fact, 2002 was quite different. In 2002, many of the best films were either inspired by or based upon a true story.
If I was picking the best actor Oscar nominees, on my short list would be Derek Luke (Antwone Fisher), Adrian Brody (The Pianist), Sam Rockwell (Confessions of a Dangerous Mind), John Nesbitt (Bloody Sunday), Daniel-Day Lewis (Gangs of New York) and Michael Caine (The Quiet American). The young Everlyn Sampi in Rabbit-Proof Fence would vie for best actress with Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman from The Hours, Diane Lane in Unfaithful, Isabelle Huppert (The Piano Teacher), and Edie Falco (Sunshine State). Julianne Moore could win for Far From Heaven, in part because of her body of work (The Hours, and Hannibal in 2001). What stands out about many of the best actor/actress nominees is that the films they appeared in are based upon true stories, or more accurately, are "inspired by factual events."
In the hands of the right director, who has selected outstanding cinematography and casting personnel, the end result is a film which makes you think after you've seen it that it must be among the best of the year. Some of the examples that come to mind that are highly recommended are:
Antwone Fisher: It poignantly shows us the importance of the formative years and the value of a strong supportive family life from day one. The cost of rehabilitating people (which is an oxymoron in some cases because it's impossible when the rights of the victims have been considered) is far greater than doing it right the first time. The root causes of the recent uptick in violence in Southeast LA will not be stopped by the actions of the police, no matter how fair and aggressive a job they do. Many folks are not as strong as Antwone Fisher.
The Pianist: The story of a young musician in Warsaw during the late 1930's, who goes into hiding from 1942-1945 during the Nazi occupation. The movie is rooted in a true story, based upon the memoirs written by Wladyslaw Szpilman shortly after the events occurred.
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind: A biopic of Chuck Barris, the creator of TV shows "The Dating Game," "The Newlywed Game" and "The Gong Show." He wrote a rather strange memoir about twenty years ago, which has now been made into a movie. In the book and film Barris (Sam Rockwell) claims that between jobs in Hollywood, he was recruited by CIA agent Jim Byrd (George Clooney) and became an off-the-books assassin. Barris alleges that by the time he got out of the CIA, he had murdered 33 people. These folks were identified by the CIA as communists, and a threat to the security of the United States of America. As a part of "The Dating Game," Barris was a chaperone of the show's winners to foreign locales that just happened to be a spot where he had an assignment to kill someone.
Gangs of New York: Daniel Day Lewis shows us that the wild west was not the only part of the country that was ruled by outlaws, both elected and "appointed."
The Hours: This film bends time and place to explore a common theme, desperation. Those hours of the day that we spend living our lives tethered by regrettable choices and missed opportunities, are held to a prismatic light in this beautifully plaintive film. Linked to the real novelist Virginia Woolf.
Catch Me if you Can: Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) chases con man Frank Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) around the globe. Abagnale's ability to put one over on us shows the innocence of the time, and how people in positions of intellect and some power (doctors, professors, pilots and lawyers) literally got away with the impossible.
Rabbit-Proof Fence: Directed by Philip Noyce, who also directed The Quiet American, this is an Australian film that follows the trail of three young girls who walk 1,200 miles to become reunited with their mothers. They had been kidnapped and taken to a reservation because they have both Aborigine and Caucasian blood, labeled half-caste. Beautiful cinematography with Oscar caliber performances, young adults and older children will also appreciate this picture.
What I've found most compelling about these films is that they have touched me the most emotionally, in much the same way as an outstanding documentary. Even though these pictures, with the Hollywood touch, have been without doubt fictionalized to a considerable degree, the essence of truth remains.
If you enjoy these types of movies, and don't usually go beyond the local multiplex, there is a pleasant surprise in store for you. Go check out films such as Bowling for Columbine, Biggie and Tupac, Promises, Family Fundamentals, I am Trying to Break Your Heart, The Kid Stays in the Picture, ABC Africa, The Trials of Henry Kissinger and this year's upcoming Stevie (from the director that brought you Hoop Dreams). The powerful film City of God in many ways is the logical extension of Bowling for Columbine ¾¾ that is, if our gun policies remain the same.
With the success at the box office of many of these more "serious" films, 2003 may also be a year when a large number of high quality films are released. Let's hope so. Fact is often more entertaining than fiction.
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