Margot Robbie stars as former Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding in this biographical crime drama. The 2017 film tells the tale of the athlete, who infamously knocked out competitor Nancy Kerrigan’s kneecap with a baseball bat in the 1990s, leading to her ruin. The film also goes into deep detail about Tonya’s tragic life and heavily abusive relationship.
The film grossed over $53 million worldwide and holds a 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It received a number of awards, including a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for Allison Janney’s role as the skater’s harsh mother. Robbie was nominated for Best Actress for her performance as well
Bird (1988)
Clint Eastwood produces and directs this 1988 biographical film based on the life of saxophonist Charlie “Bird” Parker. The film follows the musician’s (played by Forest Whitaker,) life from childhood through his death at the young age of 34. Parker was one of the most highly influential soloists in history and the leading figure in the development of bebop, a form of jazz
The film received mostly positive reviews and holds an 80% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Whitaker earned the award for Best Nctor at the Cannes film Festival in 1988 for his impressive performance in the role, and Eastwood won the Golden Globe for Best Director, among several other accolades the film received..
Flash of Genius (2008)
Greg Kinnear stars in this 2008 film that tells the story of Robert Kearns, an inventor who goes up against the Ford Motor Company in court when they develop a part based on his idea, and work he’d already patented. Robert Kearns an American engineer, educator, and inventor finally got the recognition he deserved for inventing intermittent windshield wiper systems used on most cars from 1969 to the present.
The film opened to mixed reviews and holds a 60% critic’s approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Roger Ebert said it was, “faithful and often moving detail,” while Peter Travers at Rolling Stone wrote, “Kinnear takes the star spot in Flash of Genius and rides it to Glory.” He wound up winning the Best Actor Award at the Boston Film Festival that year.
The Greatest Showman (2017)
Hugh Jackman plays the role of P.T. Barnum in this 2017 musical produced with a budget of nearly $85 million. The film follows the man behind one of the largest old-world circuses, Barnum & Bailey. Zack Efron, Michelle Williams, and Zendaya also appear in the biographical drama. Barnum was an American showman, politician, and businessman and rose to prominence for his celebrated hoaxes and the founding of the Barnum & Bailey Circus.
The Greatest Showman received a number of accolades, including the Golden Globe award for Best Original Song. It was nominated for two more Globes, which included the best actor for Jackman’s work in the film.
Foxcatcher (2014)
Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, and Steve Carell start in and this 2014 sports crime drama that centers around a deranged and wealthy wrestling superfan, John E. Du Pont (Carell,) who starts his own team in the ‘80s, with the help of naïve up-and-coming wrestler Mark Schultz (Tatum.) Du Pont was an ornithologist, philatelist, conchologist, and sports enthusiast who was convicted for murdering Schulz. He sentence was 30 years and he died in prison.
The film has an 87% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with all of the star’s performances being praised. Carell and Ruffalo were nominated for Academy Awards for their work, and Bennett Miller was up for Best Director.