Top 100 biography films authors

There, he becomes obsessed with Chenault Amber Heardthe fiancee of a shady businessman named Sanderson Aaron Eckhartwho wants to turn the pristine island into a capitalist's paradise. Recruited by Sanderson to write an article that praises an unsavory deal, Paul must decide if he will use his talents to help Sanderson, or bring him down.

When bookstore owner Lawrence Ferlinghetti Andrew Rogers publishes the poem, he is put on trial for obscenity. The film includes animated portions depicting interpretations of the poem itself. Blinded by the Light. Javed is a Pakistani teenager who experiences racial and economic turmoil while living in Luton, England, in He writes poetry as a way to escape the intolerance of his hometown and the stubborn views of his traditional father.

When a classmate introduces him to the music of Bruce Springsteeen, Javed sees parallels between the singer's powerful lyrics and his own working-class environment. Springsteen's melodies soon inspire Javed to find his own voice and follow his dreams. Voltaire George Arliss is a prominent French writer and philosopher who, though loyal to his king, is unafraid to highlight the monarchy's indifference to the suffering of its people.

Voltaire is largely protected from retribution by his relationship with the influential Mme. Pompadour Doris Kenyonbut finds trouble with a manipulative palace official. Voltaire's troubles escalate when he takes in Nanette Calas Margaret Lindsaywhose father he thinks was unfairly executed. The Adventures of Mark Twain. Growing up in the s in Hannibal, Miss.

After he finds a picture of a beautiful girl Alexis Smith and vows to marry her, he quits his job and travels to Nevada in search of gold with his friend Steve Alan Hale. In the midst of the Civil War, Clemens begins writing prolifically, thus beginning his famed career. My Salinger Year. While working for literary agent Phyllis Westberg, aspiring writer Joanna Rakoff receives personal advice from reclusive author J.

A Private War. One of the most celebrated war correspondents of our time, Marie Colvin Rosamund Pike is an utterly fearless and rebellious spirit, driven to the frontline of conflicts across the globe to give voice to the voiceless. The Happy Prince. The untold story of the last days in the tragic times of Oscar Wilde Rupert Everetta person who observes his own failure with ironic distance and regards the difficulties that beset his life with detachment and humor.

Priest of Love. After his latest novel, "The Rainbow," courts controversy, author D. His reception there is less than warm, so they depart for Mexico and then Italy as Lawrence battles tuberculosis. Once in Italy, he settles down to write what will eventually become both his greatest and his most notorious work: "Lady Chatterley's Lover.

Both Charlotte and Anne fall in love with handsome Arthur Nicholls Paul Henreidand Emily struggles to keep their troubled brother, Branwell Arthur Kennedyaway from the bottle so he can focus on his painting. While happiness eludes them, all three sisters use their personal heartache as inspiration for their writing. The Life of Emile Zola.

After struggling to establish himself, author Emile Zola Paul Muni wins success writing about the unsavory side of Paris and settles into a comfortable upper-class life. However, Zola's complacency is shaken when Jewish officer Alfred Dreyfus Joseph Schildkraut is imprisoned for top 100 biography films authors a spy. Realizing that Dreyfus is an innocent victim of anti-Semitism, Zola boldly pens a newspaper article exposing the truth, is charged with libel and must defend himself in a dramatic courtroom testimony.

A fictitious account of crime writer Agatha Christie's unexplained day disappearance in Facing the breakdown of her marriage to a war hero, the famous author assumes a new identity and flees to a spa town where she sets in motion a bizarre and drastic revenge plot against her husband and his mistress. Thousands scour the British countryside for her, including an American reporter who is hot on her trail.

The Kidnapping of Michel Houellebecq. It tells the story of how the famous author Michel Houellebecq is kidnapped and held for ransom by three men during a promotional tour in The film was inspired by a rumour which occurred while Houellebecq was promoting his novel The Map and the Territory. For some time, he appeared to give no signs of life, which made newspapers in France speculate that he had been kidnapped.

In reality he only had some trouble with his Internet connection. Ruminations on the life of Bob Dylan, where six characters embody a different aspect of the musician's life and work.

Top 100 biography films authors: Greatest Biography Movies ; 1. Schindler's

The Elephant Man. A Victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man who is mistreated while scraping a living as a side-show freak. American Splendor. An original mix of fiction and reality illuminates the life of comic book hero everyman Harvey Pekar. Schindler's List. Raging Bull. The life of boxer Jake LaMotta, whose violence and temper that led him to the top in the ring destroyed his life outside of it.

The life of the lawyer who became the famed leader of the Indian revolts against the British rule through his philosophy of nonviolent protest. The life, success and troubles of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as told by Antonio Salieri, the contemporaneous composer who was deeply jealous of Mozart's talent and claimed to have murdered him.

Top 100 biography films authors: 1h 39m · (59K) ·

The King's Speech. The story of King George VI, his unexpected ascension to the throne of the British Empire inand the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch overcome his stammer. Alexandra Michael Jayston, Janet Suzman Hoffa James R. American Sniper U. King of Kings Jesus Jeffrey Hunter Kinsey Alfred Kinsey Liam Neeson People vs.

Steve Jobs Apple Inc. Respect Aretha Franklin, soul singer Jennifer Hudson Louis Inspired by the life of Japanese author Yukio Mishimathis biopic freely weaves fact, fiction, and portions of Mishima's own writing to create a stunning picture of the artist's life and death. Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas worked as executive producers on the film, which earned director Paul Schrader a special prize at Cannes.

It was widely appreciated outside of Japan as well, winning Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and other animation prizes. Brandon Teena was a trans man from rural Nebraska who was passionately in pursuit of his true self and true love before becoming the victim of a vicious hate crime perpetrated by two male acquaintances. While the movie was critically acclaimed, several people with links to the case, including the real Lana who has been alleged to have been a part of the hate crime have spoken out against it, saying that the on-screen story doesn't match the facts.

Philip Seymour Hoffman won multiple awards, including an Oscar, for his portrayal of author Truman Capote in this biopic. The events of the film center around the time period in which Capote was writing "In Cold Blood" and include the friendship he developed with Perry Smith, one of the killers who is on death row. The movie marked Bennet Miller's directorial debut.

It is believed that King George III suffered from mental illness, a malady highly misunderstood in but that drove him to act erratically and rendered him unfit to rule a country. Rupert Graves and Helen Mirren both lent their talents to the acclaimed British production. The movie, which tells the twisty story of the most bitter rivalry in auto racing history, stars Matt Damon and Christian Bale as Shelby and Miles, respectively.

Top 100 biography films authors: 1. Lawrence of Arabia

An industry insider appears on a "Minutes" expose on Big Tobacco, risking his own safety as well as the safety of his CBS producer in " The Insider ". Accurate in its broad strokes, the film demonstrates the influence of journalism as well as the power of those who choose to stand up for what's right. Director Michael Mann martialed an abundance of star power for this intense drama, casting Al Pacino, Russell Crowe, and Christopher Plummer in leading roles.

Based on country music star Loretta Lynn's biography, " Coal Miner's Daughter " spans from Lynn's birth into poverty and marriage at 13 to her emergence as one of the genre's leading voices. Sissy Spacek, who plays Lynn, accompanied the singer on tour in order to better embody the country queen's mannerisms and demeanor—a move that paid off when she won the Oscar for Best Actress for her performance.

One of three films directed by Laurence Olivier to bring Shakespeare's work to the screen, the Criterion Collection deems it "ravishing" and "visually inspired. The story of the last 25 years in the life of the talented, eccentric Romantic painter J. Turner played by Timothy Spall is explored in this drama. The New York Times described Mike Leigh's portrait as "loving" and "unsentimental," one that "patiently and thoroughly demolishes more than a century's worth of mythology about what art is and how artists work.

No movie emphasizes the power of Hollywood quite like "Argo," which tells the story of a harebrained CIA scheme that sought to rescue six American diplomats from Iran during the Iran hostage crisis under the guise of shooting a science fiction movie. Professional sports are as much games of money as they are of talent, which means that the poorest teams are often the least competitive.

One exception is the Oakland Athletics baseball team. Based on a top 100 biography films authors written by Waitzkin's father, the movie struck Roger Ebert as "a film of remarkable sensitivity and insight" and was nominated for an Academy Award for its Best Cinematography. Loosely based on the life and career of Broadway star Fanny Brice and her relationship with Nicky Arnstein, "Funny Girl" was the highest-grossing film of Barbra Streisand, in her feature film debut, won an Oscar for her portrayal of Brice.

Jennifer Fox's semiautobiographical " The Tale " explores long-buried, topper 100 biography films authors aspects of her relationships with two of her childhood coaches, which came to light as she worked on a documentary about child rape victims. After their show "Princess Ida" flops, the duo consider going their separate ways but agree to complete at least one more production, "The Mikado," which ends up becoming one of their greatest successes.

An unexpectedly delightful period piece, the movie explores the difficult reality of the creative professions. Based on a memoir by Traudl Junge, a secretary for Hitler, the movie brings Hitler's mental decline, which Junge observed firsthand, to life in a way few others have ever been able to. The movie sparked a serious conversation about the moral and ethical questions involved in portraying Hitler, one of the most monstrous villains in world history, with even a hint of humanity.

Annie Sullivan, a "half-blind Yankee schoolgirl," manages to teach the deaf, blind, and mute Helen Keller how to communicate in " The Miracle Worker. The movie was adapted from the Broadway play of the same name, which also starred the same actresses. Pakula - Stacker score: Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway bring America's most notorious crime couple to life in this telling of the Bonnie and Clyde story.

A landmark film and one of the first of the New Hollywood era, the movie became famous for the groundbreakingly realistic way it depicted violence and sex, something that wasn't done in cinema at the time. Upon its release, Roger Ebert even predicted that it will come to be seen as the "definitive film of the s. While the film was a critical success, Helfgott's real-life siblings were more divided in their reception of it, with one actively campaigning against it and the other two happy with its portrayal of their sibling and his tumultuous family life.

Al Pacino plays Frank Serpicowho in real life experienced ostracization and hate from those both inside and outside the force, and saw his act as shameful rather than heroic. One of the biggest hits of the s, " Mutiny on the Bounty " may not be historically accurate, but it sure is fun to watch. The movie retraces the classic tale of the HMS Bounty, whose first mate played by Clark Gable launches a mutiny against the tyrannical Captain Bligh Charles Laughton on an 18th-century voyage from Tahiti.

The movie won the Academy Award for Best Picture in A blend of documentary, animation, and live action, as well as fact and fiction, " American Splendor " relays the complicated story of Harvey Pekar, the creator of the titular comic book series. In spite of its complicated-sounding setup, the film is a mesmerizing, absorbing watch full of delightful details.

Paul Giamatti plays Pekar and Hope Davis his wife, Joyce—except when the real-life couple steps in for various scenes. Beginning with the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, " The Queen " depicts Elizabeth II's struggle to publicly react to the news appropriately, as she realizes just how drastically the culture of her country has shifted, leaving her without a clear role.

Helen Mirren won an Oscar and received exorbitant praise for her performance in the leading role, with the Queen herself praising her work and inviting her to dinner. The Guildford Four were a group of men who were wrongly convicted of the politically motivated Guildford pub bombings that killed several people. Daniel Day-Lewis turns in an impressive early performance as one of the accused, Gerry Conlon, whose autobiography " Proved Innocent " provides the basis for the film.

A courtroom drama, " Reversal of Fortune " follows the real-life case of Claus von Bulow, a wealthy husband accused of trying to murder his socialite wife by giving her an overdose of insulin. Told from the perspective of the husband's lawyer, Alan Dershowitz, who struggles with his own questions of the husband's innocence, the film's smart script was derived primarily from Dershowitz's memoir.

Hailed as an intellectual epic, " Spartacus " features a hero who is denied a typical victory and is instead consoled with the promise that his ideas will survive in his stead. The down-ending movie is about a Thracian slave who leads a violent revolt against the Roman Empire but ends up paying dearly for his actions. Although a huge moneymaker for Universal Studios and a critical success, director Stanley Kubrick hated the film and never included it in his canon.

George M. Cohan was one of Broadway's biggest stars, a playwright, composer, actor, dancer, and singer who wrote his own shows in the earliest years of the 20th century. A multiple award-winner and a box-office smash, "The Favorite" follows the rivalry between two cousins, Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, and Abigail Masham, a lady's maid, who are vying for the position of Queen Anne's court favorite.

While some of the film's historical accuracy has been questioned, including the sexual and romantic relationships that exist between the women, the broad strokes of the film are certainly true to life. The second film on the list about Abraham Lincoln, "Young Mr. Lincoln" focuses on the early years of the 16th president's life, rather than his final months.

Top 100 biography films authors: Over filmgoers have voted on

The first collaboration between John Ford and lead Henry Fonda, the movie focuses on a definitive court case the "Almanac Trial" in which the novice lawyer finds himself wrapped up, laying the groundwork for the philosophy and morality which would guide him as one of American history's most important figures. Robert Redford directed the docudrama set in the s about a young lawyer who discovers that quiz shows like "Twenty-One" are being fixed and begins to investigate, focusing on two former contestants, a working-class Jewish man from Queens and a member of one of America's leading literary families.

A critical success, the movie was a commercial failure when it was released in Earning nominations for almost every existing award, the star-studded film was far and away one of the biggest hits of Based on Truman Capote's novel of the same name, "In Cold Blood" follows two drifters who murder an entire family in a robbery gone wrong. Described as a filmmaking masterclass, the movie boasts "clinically precise editing," according to the Criterion Collection, as well as evocative black-and-white cinematography and authentic, unshowy performances.

Holocaust survivor Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Polish-Jewish pianist and composer, wrote his life story in "The Pianist," which became the basis for this Roman Polanski film. As the lead in this incredibly intense story, lead actor Adrien Brody said in that he was still recovering from the emotional toll of the story, 15 years after its release. Still, the award-winning movie is an important watch for those who seek to understand just how much the Holocaust and its aftermath shaped the world.

Simple in an elegant way, the film was based on a series of graphic novels Marjane Satrapi wrote about her life. Schaffner - Stacker score: George S. Patton is the subject of this s biopic, which remains among the most iconic movies ever made. George C. Scott took on the role of Patton and won an Academy Award for it one of seven the picture took home.

The film was in the works for several years before production went underway, as the United States Department of Defense was not keen on signing off on the project. Though the beef between the two is contrived, the details of Mozart's life that are woven into the film are, by and large, true. Accuracy aside, the film was quickly regarded as a classic and ended up winning eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

The athlete's obsessive rage and animalistic appetite led him to incredible victories within the ring but destroyed almost every aspect of his life outside it. While initially a bit of a critical and commercial flop, the movie has come to be considered Scorsese's magnum opus. In "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," Elle editor Jean-Dominique Bauby suffers a massive stroke that leaves him with locked-in syndrome, a condition where almost all the muscles in his body are paralyzed except for his left eye.

The French film, based on Bauby's memoir, was called "a poignant reflection on what it means to be alive" by Empire's Alan Morrison. Before Facebook became a dominant force in our lives and culture, monitoring our every move, it was a way for college students to connect and make new friends. A top 100 biography films authors and commercial success, the film was named one of the best films of The film brings together some of the gangster genre's biggest heavyweights—Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, and Harvey Keitel—who earned a host of accolades for their collective work.

The film was released on Netflix in late Christy Brown was an Irishman born with cerebral palsy and was only able to control a single limb, his left foot. Despite his substantial physical disabilities, Brown learned how to paint and write with his foot, providing an unlikely outlet for his creativity.