While most of us watch films for entertainment purposes, there have been films that are made to do more than just that. Hollywood is well known for taking inspirational true stories and turning them into instant classics, despite being known for fudging facts to make the story better. Here are some of the most inspirational films based on true stories for you to check out.
1. The Pursuit of Happiness
This film is a truly epic tale that follows Chris Gardner’s (Will Smith) life as he struggles with homelessness while taking care of his son. The story follows Garner as he bounces from homeless shelters, subways, and cheap hotels while trying to make ends meet as a salesman and intern for a brokerage firm.
The film is based off Garner’s autobiography that shares the same title. He reportedly wrote his book after he received overwhelming support following an interview on the television show 20/20.
All-in-all it’s a fantastic story of a person fighting against all the odds, and coming out on top through hard work and determination; something we all need to keep in mind from time to time.
2. Apollo 13
There are a couple of reasons that this film was a box-office hit. Obviously the cast was incredible, but the other is that it’s one of the most fascinating stories ever told. Everyone remembers hearing about the space race that occurred between the Russians and Americans in 1960s and ’70s. The Russians were first into space, and the Americans were the first on the moon.
Apollo 13 was scheduled to be the third mission to put men on the moon. On the way the oxygen tank exploded, which caused power issues, loss of heat, and shortage of water. Literally thousands of kilometres from help, the crew managed to survive after jury-rigging a carbon dioxide removal system.
It’s important to note that the vast majority of us get the big line wrong. As noted by Karen Zrizanovich on Picturebox’s movie blog, it’s not “Houston, we have a problem.” It’s actually “Houston, we’ve had a problem.” Oops.
3. Braveheart
Despite the historical inaccuracies and the poor portrayal of the English, this is a fantastic epic film that is based on a true story. It’s the tale of the Scots’ incredible fight and desire for freedom during the 13th century. There’s no arguing that freedom is something that everyone strives for, if they don’t have it.
The real William Wallace might not have been quite the hero that Mel Gibson’s was, but he was a hero nonetheless. He has numerous statues throughout Scotland, a monument in Stirling, and there’s even a plaque marking his execution site. And he did defeat the English army in Stirling, but there’s no documentation stating that he yelled “Freedom!” during his disembowelment.
4. The Blind Side
The Americans make some truly inspirational films based on their athletes, but this one is the best. The story follows Michael Oher, and saying that he came from an underprivileged background would be an understatement. The bulk of the film follows him after he manages to get tied in with a wealthy family that assumes that he would be good at playing American football, just by his protective nature and incredible size. As it turns out, they were right.
Oher quickly became the best player on his high school team, which led him to get athletic scholarship offers from many of the top football universities in America. While in college, Oher continued to prove himself as one of the best players at his position. He ended up becoming a first round draft pick in the NFL’s draft, where he went to the Baltimore Ravens. He’s now playing for the Tennessee Titans making $20 million over the next four years.
5. Patch Adams
While this film is often mocked for its quirky and childish humour, it is based on the real Dr. Hunter “Patch” Adams. The actual Adams, much like Robin Williams’ character in the film, does dress as a clown to bring laughter and smiles to orphans and the sick.
Just like in the film, the Gesundheit! Institute was constructed to counter the typical hospital mentality of greed and competition, by focusing on generosity and compassion. Gesundheit! still runs almost completely off donations and continues to help anyone they can.