10. 8 Mile
One of the main reasons the film is on the list is not because of Eminem being my favorite rapper, but simply because this is a damn good movie. 8 Mile is an account of a young white rapper named Jimmy "B-Rabbit" Smith Jr. (played by Eminem) living in inner city Detroit, Michigan set in 1995, and attempt to launch a rap career in a genre dominated by African Americans. 8 Mile was nominated for 1 Academy Award (Best Original Song) while also winning the award and the film also has a rating of 76% on rottentomatoes.com.
9. My Left Foot
This film is one of the best stories to root for the underdog. Christy Brown (played by Daniel Day-Lewis) is born with crippling cerebral palsy into a poor, working-class Irish family. Able only to control movement in his left foot and to speak in guttural sounds, he is mistakenly believed to be retarded for the first 10 years of his life. Later, through the help of his strong-willed mother (played by Brenda Fricker), a dedicated teacher, and his own courage and determination, Christy not only learns to grapple with life's simple physical tasks and complex psychological pains, but he also develops into a brilliant painter, poet and author. My Left Foot was nominated for 5 Academy Awards including Best Actor, Picture, Supporting Actress, Adapted Screenplay and Director, while winning 2 (Best Actor and Supporting Actress) and it has a rating of 100% on rottentomatoes.com.
8. Miracle
This movie is based on possibly the greatest sports victories of all-time. The USA Hockey team faced off against the Soviet Union (who was considered the greatest hockey team in the world). During the 1980's the Cold War was still raging on and some American were fearing of an imminent nuclear strike. Herb Brooks (played by Kurt Russell) assembles a team full of college all-stars and tries to bring them together and to let them know that what they are playing for is bigger than just hockey. Miracle has a rating of 80% on rottentomatoes.com.
7. Hotel Rwanda
This is one of the most emotional movies of all-time. Ten years ago some of the worst atrocities in the history of mankind took place in the country of Rwanda (and in an era of high-speed communication and round the clock news, the events almost went unnoticed by the rest of the world). In only three months, one million people were brutally murdered . In the face of these unspeakable actions and inspired by the love for his family, an ordinary man named Paul Rusesabagina (played by Don Cheadle) summons extraordinary courage to save the lives of over a thousand helpless refugees, by granting them shelter in the hotel he manages. Hotel Rwanda was nominated for 3 Academy Awards including Best Actor, Supporting Actress and Original Screenplay and it has a rating of 90% on rottentomatoes.com.
6. Gangs of New York
This is one of the best history films ever made and in my opinion it is Martin Scorsese's best film. The story follows Bill "the Butcher" Cutting (played by Daniel Day-Lewis) in his roles as a crime boss and political kingmaker under the helm of "Boss" Tweed (played by Jim Broadbent). The film culminates in a violent confrontation between cutting and his mob against Amsterdam Vallon (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) and his allies, which concludes with the New York Draft Riots of 1863. Gangs of New York was nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Director, Actor, Original Screenplay, Original Song, Sound Mixing, Art Direction, Cinematography, Costume Design, and Film Editing and it has a rating of 75% on rottentomatoes.com.
5. The Social Network
This a true story that lets you see the invention of the top social media site in the world. Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg (played by Jesse Eisenberg) creates the social networking site that would be come known as Facebook, but later is sued by twin brothers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, who claimed that he stole their idea and the cofounder of the site Eduardo Saverin (played by Andrew Garfield) who was later squeezed out of the business. The Social Network was nominated for 8 Academy Awards including best Picture, Actor, Cinematography,Director, Film Editing, Original Score, Sound and Adapted Screenplay, while winning 3 (Best Adapted Screenplay, Original Score and Film Editing) and it has a rating of 96% on rottentomatoes.com.
4. Remember The Titans
This is probably one of the greatest sports movies of all-time. Remember the Titan tells the true story of T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia. Herman Boone (played by Denzel Washington) is hired to take over a new football program of segregated athletes at a time when segregation wasn't to well received. Former head coach Bill Yoast (played by Will Patton) is asked to become Coach Boone's assistant coach. Though the team doesn't like each other to begin with they soon settle their differences and begin to play as a team uniting a community and making a statement. Remember the Titans has a rating of 73% on rottentomatoes.com.
3. In The Name of the Father
This film shows just how corrupt a justice system can be. It is based on the true life story of the Guildford Four, four people named Gerry Conlon (played by Daniel Day-Lewis), Paul Hill (played by John Lynch), Paddy Armstrong (played by Mark Sheppard) and Carole Richardson (played by Beatie Edney) are falsely convicted of the IRA's Guildford Pub bombings which killed four off-duty British soldiers and a civilian. In The Name of the Father was nominated for 7 Academy Awards including Best Actor, Picture, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Director, Film Editing and Writing and it has a rating of 84% on rottentomatoes.com.
2. Argo
This film is just brilliant and is one of the only films that I agree should have won Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Acting under the cover of a Hollywood producer scouting a location for a science fiction film, CIA agent Tony Mendez (played by Ben Affleck) launches a dangerous operation to rescue six Americans in Tehran during the U.S. hostage crisis in Iran in 1980. Argo was nominated for 7 Academy Awards including Best Original Score, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Film Editing, Picture, Adapted Screenplay and Supporting Actor, while winning 3 (Best Picture,Adapted Screenplay and Film Editing) and it has a rating of 96% on rottentomatoes.com.
1. There Will Be Blood
This film will keep you on the edge of your set the entire time. It tells the story of a gold miner-turned-oilman named Daniel Plainview (played by Daniel Day-Lewis) on a ruthless quest for wealth during Southern California's oil boom of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There Will Be Blood was nominated for 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Director, Actor, Adapted Screenplay, Art Direction, Cinematography, Film Editing and Sound Editing, while winning 2 (Best Actor and Cinematography) and it has a rating of 91% on rottentomatoes.com.
So ladies and gentlemen what do you think of my list and what are some of your favorite films based on true stories? Let me know in the comments and let your voice be heard.
Jonah Sparks
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