Alec Baldwin, Whoopi Goldberg, and James Woods star in this 1996 biographical drama that tells the story of Medgar Evers, an African American civil rights activist who was murdered by a white supremacist in 1963. The film follows the Evers family’s fight for justice, which is a long and hard road.
The film takes place mainly in the courtroom, which dives into the scenes of two trials, both of which ended and hung juries. It wasn’t until 1994 that the murderer, Byron De La Beckwith, was finally brought to justice, giving closure to Evers’ widow.
The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
Will Smith stars as Chris Gardner, a salesman who is homeless, and down on his luck. But that all changes when he worked his way up in the world of sales. Gardner published an autobiography detailing his experiences in 2006, and ultimately became a producer on the film later that same year.
Initially, Gardner wasn’t happy with the casting choice when it came to portraying his own life, but his daughter felt differently, saying, “if Smith can play Muhammad Ali, he can play you!” And that he did, winning a number of awards and been nominated for several more for his performance.
Beyond the Sea (2004)
Kevin Spacey plays singer-actor, Bobby Darin, based on the entertainer's rise to success in the midst of Hollywood’s Golden age. Preproduction work on the film began in the 1980s, when Barry Levinson initially intended to direct the film himself. Those several years later, Spacey picked it up and completed the project with the help of Darin’s son, Dodd.
The film opened to mixed reviews, holding just a 42% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 46/100 on Metacritic. Roger Ebert said, “Kevin Spacey believes he was born to play Bobby Darin, I believe he was born to play more interesting characters.”
Patton (1970)
Patton is a 1970 war film that dives into the life of Gen. George S Patton, who loses command after making controversial remarks about politics. Franklin J Schaffner directs the film, which is based on the 1963 biography Patton: Ordeal and Triumph, by Ladislas Farago, as well as A Soldier’s Story, by Omar Bradley. Patton led the US army into the invasion of Normandy in June 1944, one of the most iconic battles in World War II.
The film won a whopping seven Academy Awards, including the esteemed Best Director and Best Picture award. In 2003, it was added to the United States national film registry by the Library of Congress, on the grounds of being culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.
My Left Foot (1989)
This 1989 biographical drama tells the story of a man named Christy Brown, played by Daniel Day-Lewis, who was born into an incredibly large family with a disease that only allowed him to control his left foot, rendering him unable to walk or talk. Christy Brown was in 1932 into working-class Irish. Doctors discovered that he had severe cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that left him almost entirely spastic in his limbs. His autobiography My Left Foot became a literary sensation and inspired the movie.
The film opened to mostly positive reviews, including from Roger Ebert, who gave it a four out of four-star rating. Both Daniel Day-Lewis and Brenda Fricker, who played Christy’s mother, won an Oscar for their performances. The Hollywood Reporter put out a story in 2015, claiming that My Left Foot should’ve won for Best Picture over Driving Miss Daisy.