List of films based on actual events

This is a list of feature films that are based on actual events.

1920s

• The Battleship Potemkin (1925) — Sergei Eisenstein's classic silent film based on a mutiny that occurred in 1905 when the crew of the Russian battleship Potemkin rebelled against their officers of the Tsarist regime.
• The Johnstown Flood (1926)
• Chicago (1927) — Phyllis Haver plays Roxie Hart in this silent film based on the 1926 play Chicago by Maurine Dallas Watkins, inspired by the stories of jazz babies on death row Belva Gaertner and Beulah Annan.
• The General (1927) — Silent film chronicling the 1862 theft of a railroad locomotive and its recovery by an overlooked "little guy."
• Napoléon (1927) — Sweeping French epic tells the tale of Bonaparte.

1930s

• Rasputin and the Empress (1932) — Passion and politics at the Czar's house.
• In the Wake of the Bounty (1933) — Australian film about the mutiny.
• Cleopatra (1934) — Retelling of the story of Cleopatra VII.
• Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) — First Hollywood telling of the mutiny-at-sea tale, with Gable and Laughton.
• San Francisco (1936) — Hurly-burly of the Barbary Coast is quickly quashed by the infamous 1906 temblor.
• You Only Live Once (1937) — Though called Eddie & Joan, they are loosely Bonnie and Clyde, just three years after the outlaws' deaths.
• Marie Antoinette (1938) — Based on the life of Marie Antoinette from her betrothal to Louis XVI to her reign as the last queen of France to her execution.
• Young Mr. Lincoln (1939) — The future President (Henry Fonda) finds success as a lawyer — and finds himself a wife (Marjorie Weaver).

1940s

• Young Tom Edison (1940) — Inventor Thomas Edison's boyhood is chronicled and shows him as a lad whose early inventions and scientific experiments usually end up causing disastrous results until a life or death event in his home town redeems him and his ideas.
• Edison, The Man (1940) — In flashback, fifty years after inventing the light bulb, an 82-year-old Thomas Edison tells his story starting at age twenty-two with his arrival in New York.
• Sergeant York (1941) — Alvin C. York, a pacifist from the Tennessee hills, becomes the most decorated American soldier of World War I. Gary Cooper won the Academy Award for Best Actor. Directed by Howard Hawks.
• The Pride of the Yankees (1942) — Gary Cooper plays NY Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig, "the luckiest man on the face of the earth"; Gehrig teammates including Babe Ruth play themselves in the film. Herman J. Mankiewicz and Jo Swerling adapted Paul Gallico's story; Sam Wood directed.
• Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) — Story of George M. Cohan, the actor-singer-dancer-playwright-songwriter-producer-theatre owner-director-choreographer known as "The Man Who Owns Broadway."
• Dillinger (1945) — Early outlaw depiction, starring Lawrence Tierney; uses footage cannibalized from Lang's You Only Live Once.
• Till the Clouds Roll By (1946) — Loosely, life of songwriter Jerome Kern, played by an all-star cast: Sinatra, Garland, Horne, et al...
• Rope (1948) — Two young men attempt to prove their superiority by performing the "perfect murder" of a former classmate, hiding his body in a chest in their apartment, and then serving dinner off it for a party. Based on a 1929 play that was inspired by the Leopold and Loeb murder in 1924. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

1950s

• Young Man with a Horn (1950) — Self-taught cornetist Bix Beiderbecke sets new jazz standards, but succumbs to alcoholism at 28.
• 5 Fingers (1951) — James Mason plays Cicero, World War II-era spy in Ankara, Turkey, the highest-paid spy in history.
• The Desert Fox (1951) — German general Erwin Rommel evades the Allies in North Africa, but not the Gestapo back home.
• A Place in the Sun (1951) — Update of Dreiser's An American Tragedy; Chester Gillette was executed for drowning pregnant girlfriend.
• Moulin Rouge (1952) — John Huston's colorful film about artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
• Houdini (1953) — Fanciful account of the life of magician and escapologist Harry Houdini starring Tony Curtis.
• Titanic (1953) — Film about the RMS Titanic.
• The Dam Busters (1955) — Technically-challenging raids against German dams in WWII required development of "bouncing bombs."
• To Hell and Back (1955) — Audie Murphy, America's most decorated soldier, played himself at studio's urging; he wanted Tony Curtis.
• Lust for Life (1956) — Force-of-Nature painter Vincent van Gogh, played by Kirk Douglas. Anthony Quinn plays Paul Gauguin.
• The Wrong Man (1956) — Hitchcock effort with Henry Fonda as a man wrongly accused of armed robbery.
• Man of a Thousand Faces (1957) — Life of silent film actor Lon Chaney, Sr., child of deaf-mute parents, played by James Cagney.
• The Spirit of St. Louis (1957) — Charles Lindbergh's first solo flight across the Atlantic in 1927, with James Stewart as "Lucky Lindy."
• I Want to Live! (1958) — Heavily fictionalized story of Barbara Graham, a woman convicted of murder and facing execution.
• A Night to Remember (1958) — Documentary-style telling of the Titanic's demise, from the still-definitive 1955 book by Walter Lord.

1960s

• Sink the Bismarck! (1960) — Behemoth German battleship flees British armada before being bombarded and sent to the bottom in May 1941.
• Spartacus (1960) — Stanley Kubrick's epic treatment of Roman slave revolt known as the Third Servile War in 73 B.C.
• El Cid (1961) — A highly romanticized story of the life of the Castilian knight El Cid.
• Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) — Spencer Tracy portrays an American judge in Nuremberg in 1948, assigned to preside over the trial of four German judges, each allegedly guilty of war crimes and charged with having abused the court system to help cleanse Nazi Germany of the politically and socially undesirable.
• Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) — Burt Lancaster portrays convicted murderer Robert Stroud.
• Gypsy (1962) — Musical film about the relationship between legendary stripper Gypsy Rose Lee and her irrepressible stage mother. Adapted from the Broadway show, which was in turn based on Lee's memoir.
• The Counterfeit Traitor (1962) — William Holden as WWII spy Eric Erickson whose life view is broadened by the woman he loved (Lilli Palmer).
• The Longest Day (1962) — About "D-Day", the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, during World War II.
• The Miracle Worker (1962) — Blind and deaf humanitarian Helen Keller and her teacher, the titular Annie Sullivan; reprised by Broadway cast.
• Mutiny on the Bounty (1962) — Telling of the famous mutiny tale.
• Lawrence of Arabia (1962) — David Lean's epic on T. E. Lawrence.
• Cleopatra (1963) — Chronicles the struggles of Cleopatra VII, the young Queen of Egypt, to resist the imperialist ambitions of Rome.
• The Great Escape (1963) — Allied prisoners attempt a mass, 175-man breakout of Stalag Luft III.
• PT 109 (1963) — President Kennedy's exploits and heroism as captain of the ill-fated patrol boat, cut in half by Japanese destroyer in WWII.
• Fall of the Roman Empire (1964)
• The Sound of Music (1965) — The story of the Von Trapp family, with Julie Andrews as the young woman who leaves an Austrian convent to become a governess to a Naval officer widower's seven children.
• Harlow (1965) — Biographical film about the life of film star Jean Harlow, starring Carroll Baker in the title role.
• The Battle of Algiers (1966) — Based on occurrences during the Algerian War (1954–62) against French colonial rule in North Africa, the most prominent being the titular Battle of Algiers.
• Bonnie and Clyde (1967) — Highly romanticized story of outlaw couple Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker.
• In Cold Blood (1967) — The Clutter family murder in 1959 Kansas, taken from Truman Capote's book of the same name.
• The Boston Strangler (1968) — Tony Curtis is Albert DeSalvo, convicted and imprisoned for the Boston area "Green Man Rapes" and was suspected of the murders of thirteen women from 1962 through 1964.
• Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) — Account of outlaw pair who did indeed flee the closing Old West for greener pastures of Bolivia.

1970s

• Patton (1970) — Story of U.S. General George S. Patton.
• Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) — Sprawling Japanese and American production of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.
• 10 Rillington Place (1971) — Events surrounding the wrongful execution of Timothy Evans, a Welshman framed for the death of his daughter by his landlord, English serial killer John Christie. Christie would kill women in his flat at 10 Rillington Place, and parts of the film were filmed in that actual location.
• Brian's Song (1971) — Story about Brian Piccolo who played for the Chicago Bears starring James Caan and Billy Dee Williams.
• The French Connection (1971) - Based on the story of drug smuggling from Marseille to New York City in the 1960s.
• Nicholas and Alexandra (1971) - Czar Nicholas II, the inept monarch of Russia, insensitive to the needs of his people, is overthrown and exiled to Siberia with his family.
• Lady Sings the Blues (1972) — Film about jazz singer Billie Holiday, loosely based on her 1956 autobiography.
• Badlands (1973) — Fictionalized account of 1957 Nebraska murder spree by Charles Starkweather and his 15-year-old girlfriend Caril Ann Fugate.
• Dillinger (1973) — Story of the 1930s gangster starring Warren Oates.
• Papillon (1973) - Based on the life of French convict Henri Charriere
• Serpico (1973) — Story of New York City policeman Frank Serpico, played by Al Pacino. Directed by Sidney Lumet.
• The Exorcist (1973) — Based on William Peter Blatty's novel of the same name, which is based on a 1949 case of demonic possession that Blatty heard about as a student at Georgetown University.
• Lenny (1974) — Biographical film about the comedian Lenny Bruce.
• Dog Day Afternoon (1975) — Events surrounding a 1972 Brooklyn bank robbery. John Wojtowicz, played by Al Pacino, said the film was "only 30% true."
• The Hindenburg (1975) — German airship LZ 129 Hindenburg exploded on landing in 1937. Film's sabotage theme was superseded by new 1990s evidence.
• All the President's Men (1976) — Reporters Woodward and Bernstein uncover the details of the Watergate scandal leading to President Nixon's resignation.
• Bound For Glory (1976) — Biopic about Depression-era folksinger and social advocate Woody Guthrie.
• Helter Skelter (1976) — The Tate/LaBianca murders in L.A. in 1969, perpetrated by the Manson Family.
• A Bridge Too Far (1977) — Tells the story of the failure of Operation Market Garden during World War II.
• MacArthur (1977) — Retells WWII-era General of the Army Douglas MacArthur's life from 1942, before the Battle of Bataan, to 1952, the time after he had been removed from his Korean War command by President Truman for insubordination.
• The Buddy Holly Story (1978) — Biopic about Texas musician Buddy Holly.
• Midnight Express (1978) — Based on the book by William Hayes and his experiences after he is caught smuggling drugs out of Turkey and thrown into prison.
• Escape From Alcatraz (1979) — Story of Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin, who possibly successfully escaped from Alcatraz.
• Norma Rae (1979) — Woman (Sally Field) who works in a North Carolina textile mill gets involved in organizing the place.

1980s

• Breaker Morant (1980) — Based on a 1902 incident in the Boer War.
• Coal Miner's Daughter (1980) — Adapted from the autobiographical book by Loretta Lynn and George Vecsey. Directed by Michael Apted.
• The Elephant Man (1980) — Story of Joseph Merrick. Directed by David Lynch.
• Raging Bull (1980) — Based on the life and career of middleweight boxing champ Jake LaMotta, played by Robert De Niro.
• Gallipoli (1981) — Depicts the Anzac battlefield at Gallipoli and the Battle of the Nek on August 7, 1915.
• Mommie Dearest (1981) — Joan Crawford's adopted daughter opens Joan's closet and exposes the wire hangers therein.
• Gandhi (1982) — Biographical film based on the life of Mahatma Gandhi.
• 10 to Midnight (1983) — Parallels the murders committed by Richard Speck. Directed by J. Lee Thompson.
• Cross Creek (1983) — Mary Steenburgen as The Yearling author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. The film is based, in part, on the author's 1942 memoir, "Cross Creek".
• Frances (1983) — Based on the story of actress Frances Farmer who battled the studio system and mental illness.
• Silkwood (1983) — Inspired by the true-life story of Karen Silkwood, who died in a suspicious car accident while investigating alleged wrongdoing at the Kerr-McGee plutonium plant where she worked.
• The Right Stuff (1983) — Based on Tom Wolfe's 1979 book about the test pilots involved in early high-speed aeronautical research and the United States' first attempt at manned spaceflight.
• Adi Shankaracharya (1983)- Sanskrit film based on the life of *Adi Shankaracharya by G V Iyer.
• Amadeus (1984) — Adapted by playwright Peter Shaffer; directed by Milos Forman. Based on the theory that composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was murdered by fellow composer Antonio Salieri.
• The Killing Fields (1984) - Based on the Cambodian civil war
• Marie (1985) — Based on Marie Ragghianti's exposure of the 1970s Tennessee parole board scandals; adapted from the book Marie: A True Story by Peter Maas.
• Out of Africa (1985) — Meryl Streep maintains a lovely home while spinning tales, shooting lions and falling in love with Robert Redford in the story of Karen Blixen's years on her coffee farm in Kenya. Danish accent. Directed by Sydney Pollack.
• Sweet Dreams (1985) — Country music legend Patsy Cline's story, played by Jessica Lange.
• The Falcon and the Snowman (1985) — Based on the story of childhood friends turned traitor spies Christopher Boyce and Andrew Daulton Lee.
• At Close Range (1986) — Based on rural Pennsylvania crime family led by Bruce Johnston, Sr. Directed by James Foley.
• The Delta Force (1986) — Based heavily on the hijacking of TWA Flight 847 in 1985. Directed by Menahem Golan.
• Heartburn (1986) — Based on Nora Ephron's autobiographical novel about the breakup of her marriage to Carl Bernstein.
• Hoosiers (1986) — Based loosely on the 1953-54 Milan High School basketball team, winners of that year's Indiana state H.S. basketball championship despite representing a school of just 160 students.
• The Mission (1986) - The experiences of 18th century Jesuits in South America starring Robert De Niro
• Act of Vengeance (1986) — Based on the Joseph Yablonski Family murders in connection with the United Mine Workers.
• Sid and Nancy (1986) — Based on the relationship of Sex Pistols bassist, Sid Vicious and his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen, Sid's drug use, and the controversy surrounding Nancy's death.
• Cry Freedom (1987) — Based on the life of South African activist Steve Biko.
• La Bamba (1987) — Based on the real life events that affected the lives of rock star Ritchie Valens, his half-brother Bob Morales, his girlfriend Donna Ludwig and the rest of their families.
• The Last Emperor (1987) — Based on the life of Chinese emperor Pu Yi.
• Matewan (1987) — John Sayles film about a coal miners' strike in the 1920s.
• Nayagan (1987) — Based on the life of Underworld Don Varadarajan Mudaliar.
• Salvador (1986) - The story of an American journalist in El Salvador during the Salvadoran civil war
• The Untouchables (1987) — Loosely based on the 1930s crackdown on Chicago gangster Al Capone by Treasury Department agent Eliot Ness.
• The Accused (1988) — After two trials the 1983 gang rape of Cheryl Araujo at Big Dan's Tavern in New Bedford, Massachusetts is finally avenged. This film frankly addresses unspoken prejudice against rape victims.
• Bird (1988) - Forest Whitaker portrays the troubled life of jazz musician Charlie 'Bird' Parker. Directed by Clint Eastwood.
• A Cry in the Dark (1988) — Meryl Streep plays an unlikeable woman convicted of her child's murder by the court of public opinion. Australian accent. Directed by Fred Schepisi.
• Eight Men Out (1988) - Based on the 1919 Black Sox scandal
• Mississippi Burning (1988) — Based on the FBI investigation following the 1964 slayings of three political activists. Directed by Alan Parker.
• Talk Radio (1988) - Based on the assassination of radio host Alan Berg. Directed by Oliver Stone
• Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988) — The story of Preston Tucker, the maverick car designer and his ill-fated challenge to the auto industry with his revolutionary car concept.
• Casualties of War (1989) — Based on the events of the incident on Hill 192 in 1966 during the Vietnam War.
• Glory (1989) — Based on the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry during the American Civil War. Directed by Edward Zwick.
• My Left Foot (1989) — Story of Christy Brown, disabled Irish writer who could type only with the toes on his left foot.
• Born On The Fourth Of July (1989) - Autobiography of Vietnam War veteran Ron Kovic. Directed by Oliver Stone
• A City of Sadness (1989) — Story based on 228 Massacre. It tells the story of a family embroiled in the tragic "White Terror" that was wrought on the Taiwanese people by the Kuomintang government (KMT) after their arrival from mainland China in the late 1940s, during which tens of thousands of Taiwanese were rounded up, shot, and/or sent to prison. The film won the Golden Lion Award (i.e., Best Film Award) at the 1989 Venice Film Festival.

1990s

• Awakenings (1990) — Long-comatose patients wake up; adapted from Oliver Sacks's memoir of the same title. Directed by Penny Marshall.
• Europa Europa (1990) - German film based on the true story of Solomon Perel's life
• GoodFellas (1990) — Based on the book "Wiseguy" by Nicholas Pileggi, the true story of Henry Hill. Directed by Martin Scorsese.
• The Krays (1990) — Trendy take on the criminally insane East End gangsters the Kray twins, who enjoyed a brief, black-humored celebrity during London's Swinging Sixties.
• Not Without My Daughter (1990) — Story of Betty Mahmoody. Directed by Brian Gilbert.
• Vincent & Theo (1990) — The intense relationship between an art dealer and his alienated older brother. Directed by Robert Altman.
• White Hunter Black Heart (1990) — Based on the location filming of The African Queen in 1951.
• Bugsy (1991) — Glamorized, sanitized story of the putative father of the Las Vegas Strip. Directed by Barry Levinson.
• The Boys from St. Petri (1991) - Danish World War 2 film
• JFK (1991) — Loosely based on New Orleans DA Jim Garrison's late-'60s prosecution of defendant Clay Shaw — plus pieces of a half-dozen other conspiracy theories — in the John F. Kennedy assassination.
• Mission Of The Shark (1991) - Based on the saga of the USS Indianapolis (CA-35)
• Alive (1993) — Based on the Piers Paul Read book that tells the story of the crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 in 1972. Directed by Frank Marshall.
• And the Band Played On (1993) — Adapted from the book of the same title by Randy Shilts. Directed by Roger Spottiswoode.
• Fire in the Sky (1993) — A group of men who were clearing bush for the government arrive back in town, claiming that their friend was abducted by aliens. Nobody believes them, and despite a lack of motive and no evidence of foul play, their friends' disappearance is treated as murder.
• Gettysburg (1993) — Based on the story of the Battle of Gettysburg. Originally made to be TV minseries, it is one of the longest feature films ever released.
• Heaven & Earth (1993) - Based on the experiences of Le Ly Hayslip during the Vietnam War
• The Puppetmaster (1993) — It tells the story of Li Tian-lu who becomes a master puppeteer but is faced with demands to turn his skills to propaganda during the Japanese-ruled Taiwan from pre-1896 to the end of World War II in 1945. The film won the Jury Prize at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival and the FIPRESCI Prize at Istanbul International Film Festival.
• Rudy (1993) — Based on the story of Notre Dame football walk-on Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger. Directed by David Anspaugh.
• Schindler's List (1993) — Adapted from the book Schindler's Ark by Thomas Keneally about Oskar Schindler and his actions to save over 1,000 Jews from the Holocaust. Directed by Steven Spielberg.
• Cool Runnings (1993) — Based on the true story of the First Jamacian bobsled team trying to make it to the winter olympics. Directed by Jon Turteltaub.
• The Amy Fisher Story (1993)- television film dramatizing the events surrounding Amy Fisher's teenage affair with Joey Buttafuoco and her conviction for aggravated assault for shooting Buttafuoco's wife.
• 8 Seconds (1994) — Based on the story of Lane Frost (Luke Perry), who died by injuries sustained by a bull he was riding in a championship. Stephen Baldwin plays Tuff Hederman.
• Ed Wood (1994) — Based on the story of Edward D. Wood Jr., the worst film director of all time, starring Johnny Depp as Ed Wood and Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi, and directed by Tim Burton
• Heavenly Creatures (1994) — Based on the true story of Juliet Hulme and Pauline Parker, principals in the 1954 Parker-Hulme murder in New Zealand.
• The Madness of King George (1994) — King George III's madness stemmed from porphyria. Based on the play The Madness of George III.
• Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994) — Film about writer Dorothy Parker and the members of the Algonquin Round Table, a group of writers, actors and critics who met almost daily from 1919 to 1929 at Manhattan's Algonquin Hotel.
• Quiz Show (1994) — Adapted from a book by Richard N. Goodwin about the real-life American television quiz show scandals of the 1950s. Directed by Robert Redford.
• Apollo 13 (1995) — Story of the Apollo 13 lunar mission, based on the book Lost Moon by Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger. Directed by Ron Howard.
• Braveheart (1995) — Based on the story of William Wallace of Scotland.
• Casino (1995) — Second Pileggi/Scorsese collaboration based on the last mafia-run casino in Las Vegas, the fictional Tangiers.
• Dangerous Minds (1995) — Based on the story of teacher LouAnne Johnson who takes on the challenge of an unruly class and wins them over.
• Nixon (1995) - The story of President Richard Nixon.
• Ravan Raaj (1995) - Indian Hindi film based on true story
• Bastard Out of Carolina (1996) — Based on real-life events of child abuse from the semi-autobiographical book of the same title by Dorothy Allison. Directed by Angelica Huston.
• Fly Away Home (1996) — Adapted from the book by Bill Lishman. Directed by Carroll Ballard.
• The Ghost and the Darkness (1996) — Based on Tsavo's (Kenya, Africa) two man-eating lions who killed 130 people over a nine month period.
• Ghosts of Mississippi (1996) — Based on the 1994 third re-trial of Klansman Byron De La Beckwith. Directed by Rob Reiner.
• Killer: A Journal of Murder (1996) — James Woods plays the evil 1920s murderer Carl Panzram, who befriended prison guard Henry Lesser. Directed by Tim Metcalfe.
• Michael Collins (1996) — Based on the life of IRA leader Michael Collins.
• Seven Years In Tibet (1997) — True story film based on the book written by Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer.
• Amistad (1997) — Based on the true story of a slave mutiny that took place aboard the ship La Amistad in 1839, and the legal battle that followed.
• Anastasia (1997) — Loosely based on the story of the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia. Directed by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman.
• Boogie Nights (1997) - Loosely based on the life of porn star John Holmes
• Donnie Brasco (1997) — Loosely based on Joseph D. Pistone, FBI agent who successfully infiltrated the Bonanno crime family in N.Y.C. during the 1970s.
• Four Days in September (1997) — Adapted from the book by Fernando Gabeira. Directed by Bruno Barreto.
• Prefontaine (1997) — Based on the life of Olympic hopeful Steve Prefontaine, a long distance runner who lived in Oregon and died young.
• Private Parts (1997) — Based on shock jock Howard Stern's 1993 autobiography of the same name.
• Rosewood (1997) — A dramatization of a 1923 horrific racist lynch mob attack on an African American community.
• Iruvar (1997) — Based on the life of M. G. Ramachandran and M. Karunanidhi.
• Kundun (1997) — Based on the life of the Dalai Lama.
• Selena (1997) — Based on the life of Mexican-American singer Selena Quintanilla Perez.
• A Civil Action (1998) — Based on the book of the same name by Jonathan Harr that tells the true story of environmental pollution that took place in Woburn, Massachusetts in the 1980s.
• Elizabeth (1998) — A film of the early years of the reign of Elizabeth I of England and her difficult task of learning what is necessary to be a monarch.
• Gia (1998) - Movie based on the life of Gia Carangi, a top fashion model from the late 1970s.
• Gods and Monsters (1998) — Last days of British film director James Whale.
• Patch Adams (1998) — Story of the "medical doctor, clown, performer, social activist" Patch Adams. Directed by Tom Shadyac.
• Saving Private Ryan (1998) — Story of the Niland Brothers during World War II. Directed by Steven Spielberg.
• Anna and the King (1999) — Story of Anna Leonowens. Directed by Andy Tennant.
• Boys Don't Cry (1999) — Story of hate crime victim Brandon Teena. Directed by Kimberly Peirce.
• Girl, Interrupted (1999) — Directed by James Mangold.
• The Hurricane (1999) — Based on the imprisonment of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter. Directed by Norman Jewison.
• The Insider (1999) — Adapted from a magazine article by Marie Brenner. Directed by Michael Mann.
• The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999) — Based on the story of Joan of Arc, a young girl who believed she was God's messenger.
• October Sky (1999) — Adapted from the memoir Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam. Directed by Joe Johnston.
• RKO 281 (1999) — Story of the making of Citizen Kane. Directed by Benjamin Ross.
• The Straight Story (1999) — Based on the story of Alvin Straight's journey across Iowa and Wisconsin on a lawnmower.
• Topsy-Turvy (1999) — After Gilbert and Sullivan's latest play is critically panned, the frustrated team threatens to disband until they are inspired to do their masterpiece, The Mikado.
• The Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999) — Based on the story of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates on their rivalry

2000s

• Thirteen Days (2000) - Set during the two-week Cuban missile crisis in October 1962, and it centers on how President John F. Kennedy, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, and others handled the explosive situation.
• Almost Famous (2000) — Based on Cameron Crowe's early life.
• Bawandar(2000)- Indian film, based on the true story of Bhanwari Devi, a rape victim from Rajasthan, India.
• The Iron Ladies (2000) - Thai Comedy Film Based On A Mens Volleyball Team Which Was Composed of Gays And Trangenders
• The Dish (2000) — The story of the Parkes antenna, in New South Wales, Australia, how it plays a key role in the first Apollo moon landing, and the quirky characters of the nearby town of Parkes and the roles they play.
• Chopper (2000) — Based on the biography of Australian criminal Chopper Read. Directed by Andrew Dominik.
• Erin Brockovich (2000) — Story of Erin Brockovich. Directed by Steven Soderbergh.
• Men of Honor (2000) — Based on Master Chief Petty Officer Carl Brashear the first African-American Master Diver of the US Navy. Directed by George Tillman, Jr..
• The Perfect Storm (2000) — Adapted from the book The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger about the 1991 Perfect Storm. Directed by Wolfgang Petersen.
• Remember the Titans (2000) — Based on the 1971 football season of the newly integrated T. C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia.
• Shadow of the Vampire (2000) — Story of the making of Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens. Directed by E. Elias Mer
• The Cat's Meow (2001)
• Rock Star (2001) - Based On True Story Of Tim "Ripper" Owens
• Quitting (2001) - Chinese Drama Film Based On The Life Of Actor Jia Hongsheng Who Was Suffering From Heroin And Marijuana Addiction From 1992 To 1997
• Ali (2001) — A biography of sports legend, Muhammad Ali, from his early days to his days in the ring.
• A Beautiful Mind (2001) — Adapted from Sylvia Nasar's A Beautiful Mind, an unauthorized biography of John Nash. Directed by Ron Howard.
• Behind Enemy Lines (2001) — Loosely based on the Mrkonjić Grad incident. Directed by John Moore.
• Black Hawk Down (2001) — Adapted from Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern Warfare by Mark Bowden about the Battle of Mogadishu.
• Blow (2001) — Based on the American cocaine smuggler George Jung. Directed by Ted Demme.
• Bully (2001) — Based on the case of Bobby Kent, who was murdered by seven teens in what is now Weston, Florida. Directed by Larry Clark.
• Enemy at the Gates (2001) — Based on Vasily Zaytsev during the Battle of Stalingrad. Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud.
• Pearl Harbor (2001) — Based on the events of the Pearl Harbor attack and the Doolittle Raid. Directed by Michael Bay.
• From Hell (2001) — True story film based on Jack the Ripper murders.
• Riding in Cars with Boys (2001) — True story film based on Beverly Donofrio, who wrote the book on her life titled "Riding in Cars with Boys".
• Catch Me If You Can (2002) — Story of con artist Frank Abagnale. Directed by Steven Spielberg
• 8 Mile (2002) - Based on rapper Marshall Bruce Mathers III (Eminem) and his rap battles in Detroit.
• Chicago (2002) — Adapted from the stage musical by Bob Fosse and Fred Ebb. Directed by Rob Marshall.
• City of God (2002) — Adapted from a book by Paulo Lins. Directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund.
• Dahmer (2002)— Story of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer.
• Frida (2002) — The story of Frida Kahlo.
• Kandahar (2002) — Story of Afghan refugee Nelofer Pazira's return to Afghanistan. Directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf.
• The Laramie Project (2002) — Adapted from the play The Laramie Project, both by Moisés Kaufman.
• The Mothman Prophecies (2002) — Based around paranormal events in Point Pleasant, West Virginia culminating in the Silver Bridge collapse on December 15, 1967. Directed by Mark Pellington.
• Paid in Full (2002) — Based on events in the life of drug dealer Azie Faison during the crack epidemic in 1980s Harlem, leading up to the murders of his friends Rich and Donnell Porter. Directed by Charles Stone III.
• The Pianist (2002) — Based on the memoir by Władysław Szpilman, a Polish musician of Jewish origins and childhood survivor of Nazi-occupied Poland.
• Prom Queen: The Marc Hall Story (2002) — Based on the 2002 court case, Marc Hall v. Durham Catholic School Board.
• Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002) — Based on the book Follow The Rabbit Proof Fence. Directed by Phillip Noyce.
• Ted Bundy (2002) — Story of serial killer Ted Bundy.
• We Were Soldiers (2002) — Based on the Battle of Ia Drang, the first major engagement of American troops in the Vietnam War. Directed by Randall Wallace.
• Bloody Sunday (2002) — Based on the events of Bloody Sunday.
• The Rookie (2002) - True Story Sports Film Based On Life Of Jim Morris
• Veronica Guerin* (2003) - Based on the True Story of an Irish Journalist.
• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) — The murder of several people in Wisconsin.
• Memories of Murder (2003) — South Korean film based on the true story of serial killers between 1986 and 1991.
• 44 Minutes: The North Hollywood Shoot-Out (2003) — Based on the real-life story of the 1997 robbery known as the North Hollywood shootout.
• Antwone Fisher (2003) — Based on the autobiographical book Finding Fish. Directed by Denzel Washington.
• Gods and Generals (2003) — Prequel to Gettysburg, about General Stonewall Jackson.
• Monster (2003) — Story of serial killer Aileen Wuornos. Directed by Patty Jenkins.
• Radio (2003) — Based on the real-life story of South Carolina high school football coach Harold Jones and his mentally-challenged assistant, James Robert "Radio" Kennedy, adapted from a 1996 Sports Illustrated article by Gary Smith entitled "Someone to Lean On".
• Shattered Glass (2003) — Based on Stephen Glass's journalistic career at The New Republic during the mid-1990s and the discovery of his widespread journalistic fraud.
• Touching the Void (2003) — Adapted from the book by Joe Simpson. Directed by Kevin MacDonald.
• Wonderland (2003) — Based on the Wonderland murders which occurred in Los Angeles in 1981. Directed by James Cox.
• Seabiscuit (2003) — Based on the book Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand.
• Troy (2004) - Epic War Film Based On Trojans War It Was Nominated For Academy For Best Costume
• Against the Ropes (2004) — Based on the life of American boxing manager Jackie Kallen.
• 12 Days of Terror (2004) — Based on true events that occurred in July 1916 in Central and Southern New Jersey, the film recounts 12 days during which people along the Jersey coast were subject to attacks by a shark (in the film it is a great white shark).
• The Assassination of Richard Nixon (2004) — Story of failed assassin Samuel Byck. Directed by Niels Mueller.
• The Aviator (2004) — Story of Howard Hughes, Directed by Martin Scorsese.
• Friday Night Lights (2004) — Adapted from Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream by H. G. Bissinger, about the 1988 football season of Permian High School in Odessa, Texas. Directed by Peter Berg.
• Beyond the Sea (2004) — Based on the life of singer Bobby Darin.
• Hidalgo (2004) — Story of horse rider Frank Hopkins. Directed by Joe Johnston.
• Hotel Rwanda (2004) — Story of the Paul Rusesabagina's experiences during the Rwandan Genocide. Directed by Terry George.
• Kaadhal (2004) — Based on a true love story.
• Kinsey (2004) — A look at the life of Alfred Kinsey (Neeson), a pioneer in the area of human sexuality research.
• Miracle (2004) — Story of Herb Brooks and the U.S. Olympic hockey team leading up to, and during the 1980 Olympic Games. Directed by Gavin O'Connor.
• Open Water (2004) — Based on story of Tom and Eileen Lonergan, who were left behind on their scuba diving trip in the South Pacific. Directed by Chris Kentis.
• Ray (2004) — A 2004 biographical film of singer Ray Charles.
• Something the Lord Made (2004) — The first heart surgery.
• Alexander (2004) - Epic film based on the life of Alexander the Great
• Finding Neverland (2004) — The story of Sir James Matthew Barrie's friendship with a family who inspired him to create Peter Pan.
• 36 Quai des Orfèvres (2004) — French film based on a true story about the police.
• Black Friday (2004) — Indian Hindi film based on the 1993 Bombay bombings.
• The Motorcycle Diaries (2004) — Biographic film about the early life of Che Guevara.
• Sins(2005) - Based on a true story of a catholic priest from kerala who was hanged to death due to his sexual relationship with a married woman.
• Aurore (2005) — Based on the murder of Aurore Gagnon.
• Capote (2005) — During his research for his book In Cold Blood, an account of the murder of a Kansas family, the writer Truman Capote, develops a close relationship with Perry Smith, one of the killers.
• Cinderella Man (2005) — Based on the story of James J. Braddock, a supposedly washed up boxer who came back to become a champion and an inspiration in the 1930s.
• Beyond the Gates (2005) — Based on events set during the early days of the Rwandan Genocide. Directed by Michael Caton-Jones.
• The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005) — Story loosely based on Anneliese Michel. Directed by Scott Derrickson.
• The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005) — Based on the life of golfer, Francis Ouimet. Directed by Bill Paxton.
• The Great Raid (2005) — Story of the raid at Cabanatuan. Directed by John Dahl.
• The Green River Killer (2005) — Based on the real life serial killer Gary Ridgway. Directed by Ulli Lommel.
• Jarhead (2005) — Based on the Gulf War memoir of Anthony Swofford. Directed by Sam Mendes.
• The Last Hangman (2005) — Based on the life and career of British executioner Albert Pierrepont, from the early 1933 until the end of his career in 1955, during which he executed some 608 people including the Nuremberg war criminals to Ruth Ellis, the last women to be executed in Britain.
• Lies My Mother Told Me (2005) — Based on the real life murder of Larry McNabney,who was overdosed of horse Tranquilizer in late 2001 by his own wife, Lauren Renee Sims Jordan (A.K.A Elisa McNabney) & her accomplice, Sarah Dutra.
• Marley & Me (2008) — Based on the memoir of the same title by journalist John Grogan.
• Lords of Dogtown (2005) — Based on the documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke.
• Munich (2005) — Loosely based on Operation Wrath of God following the aftermath of the Munich massacre. Directed by Steven Spielberg.
• The New World (2005) — Depicts the founding of the Jamestown, Virginia settlement. Inspired by the historical figures Captain John Smith and Pocahontas.
• North Country (2005) — Based on a lawsuit. Directed by Niki Caro.
• Only the Brave (2005) — Story of the rescue of the Lost Battalion by the 442nd Regimental Combat Team during World War II. Directed by Lane Nishikawa.
• Syriana (2005) — Geopolitical thiller film loosely based on the book See No Evil by Robert Baer, a former FBI agent based on his experiences.
• Walk the Line (2005) — based on two autobiographies of Johnny Cash, Man in Black, and Cash: The Autobiography.
• The World's Fastest Indian (2005) — The life story of New Zealander Burt Munro, who spent years building a 1920 Indian motorcycle — a bike which helped him set the land-speed world record at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats in 1967.
• Coach Carter (2005) — Based on the Richmond High School basketball team led by coach Ken Carter.
• Sehar (2005)- Loosely based on real-life gangster and hired killer, Shree Prakash Shukla.
• Black Book (2006) - True Story Dutch Film Based On The Young Jew Girl Set During WWII
• Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2005) - Film about Curtis 50 Cent Jackson's life.
• The Zodiac (2006) — Film about the Zodiac Killer.
• Provoked (2006) — Film based on the true story of Kiranjit Ahluwalia who murdered her abusive husband.
• Alpha Dog (2006) — Based on the kidnap and murder of Nicholas Markowitz organized mainly by Jesse James Hollywood, with names changed.
• Marie Antoinette (2006)— Based on the life of Marie Antoinette, last queen of France, from her betrothal and marriage to Louis XVI to her reign as queen to the French Revolution.
• An American Haunting (2006) — Based on the legend of the Bell Witch.
• The Black Dahlia (2006) — Based loosely on the true story of the unsolved Black Dahlia homicide in January 1947. Directed by Brian De Palma.
• Bobby (2006) — Based on speculated events leading to the shooting of Robert F. Kennedy at The Ambassador Hotel in 1968. Directed by Emilio Estevez.
• Catch a Fire (2006) — Based on the experiences of former migrant worker turned Umkhonto we Sizwe member Patrick Chamusso during apartheid in the 1980s. Directed by Phillip Noyce.
• Find Me Guilty (2006) — Based on the trial of Mobster Giacomo "Jackie" DiNorscio, that became the longest Mafia trial in American history. Directed by Sidney Lumet.
• Flags of Our Fathers (2006) — Based on the book Flags of Our Fathers written by James Bradley and Ron Powers about the Battle of Iwo Jima and Raising the flag on Iwo Jima.
• Gridiron Gang (2006) — Based in real incidents involving youth gang members in a youth jail named 'Killpatrick Camp' who played into a football team led by the Coach Sean Porter.
• Glory Road (2006) — Based on the story of the 1965-66 Texas Western basketball team and its march to the national championship, although with some liberties taken.
• Hollywoodland (2006) — Based on the suspicious death of actor George Reeves on June 16, 1959. Directed by Allen Coulter.
• Infamous (2006) — While researching his book In Cold Blood, writer Truman Capote develops a close relationship with convicted murderers Dick Hickock and Perry Smith.
• Invincible (2006) — Based on the story of Vince Papale who played for the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1970s as a walk-on.
• The Last King of Scotland (2006) — Based on factual events during Idi Amin's rule of Uganda. Directed by Kevin Macdonald.
• Lonely Hearts (2006) — Loosely based on the investigation of homicide detective Elmer C. Robinson into the Lonely Hearts Killers. Directed by his own grandson Todd Robinson.
• The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) — Based on true story of Chris Gardner, starring Will Smith
• The Queen (2006) — After the death of Princess Diana, HM Queen Elizabeth II struggles with her reaction to a sequence of events nobody could have predicted.
• Buenos Aires, 1977 (2006) - Argentinian Political Thriller Film Based On Military Dictatorship From 1976 To 1983
• Take the Lead (2006) — Based on the story of Pierre Dulaine, as he teaches potential high school drop-outs how to ballroom dance during detention, in an attempt to raise their self-respect and confidence.
• Traces of Love (2006) — Based on the Sampoong Department Store collapse of 1995
• United 93 (2006) — Based on United Airlines Flight 93 and the passengers on board who prevented the hijackers reaching their intended target. Directed by Paul Greengrass
• We Are Marshall (2006) — Story of the aftermath of the 1970 plane crash that killed the entire Marshall University football team. Directed by McG.
• World Trade Center (2006) — Based on the rescue of John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno freed from the wreckage of the collapsing World Trade Center towers.
• Karla (2006) — True story film based on serial killers Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka.
• 300 (2007) — Fictionalized retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae (480 BC).
• A Mighty Heart (2007) — Based on the murder of Daniel Pearl in Pakistan.
• The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007) — Based on the life of Jean-Dominique Bauby.
• An American Crime (2007) — Based on the torture and murder of Sylvia Marie Likens.
• American Gangster (2007) — Based on the true life story of Frank Lucas, a former heroin dealer, and organized crime boss in Harlem during the late 1960s and early 1970s.
• The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) — Based on the last year of Jesse James' life, leading up to his assassination by Robert Ford.
• Battle In Seattle (2007) — Based on the World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference of 1999 protest activity.
• Becoming Jane (2007) — A biographical portrait of a pre-fame Jane Austen and her romance with a young Irishman.
• Borderland (2007) — Loosely based on serial killer/cult leader Adolfo Constanzo.
• Breach (2007) — Based on the capture of Soviet spy Robert Hanssen.
• Curse of the Zodiac (2007) - Movie Based On The Zodiac Killings
• Charlie Wilson's War (2007) — Based on Texas congressman Charlie Wilson's covert dealings in Afghanistan.
• Chicago Massacre: Richard Speck (2007) — Based on the true story of 1960s mass murderer Richard Speck.
• El Cantante (2007) — Based on the life of legendary salsa singer, Hector Lavoe. Directed by Leon Ichaso.
• Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007) — A mature Queen Elizabeth endures multiple crises late in her reign including court intrigues, an assassination plot, the Spanish Armada, and romantic disappointments.
• Freedom Writers (2007) — Based on the book, The Freedom Writers Diary, by teacher Erin Gruwell.
• Goodbye Bafana (2007) — Based on the relationship between Nelson Mandela and James Gregory.
• The Hoax (2007) — Story of the fake autobiography Clifford Irving supposedly helped Howard Hughes write.
• I'm Not There. (2007) — Story on the life of Bob Dylan, where six characters embody a different aspect of the musician's life and work.
• In the Valley of Elah (2007) — Based loosely on the homicide of returning Iraq War veteran, Richard T. Davis in 2003 by fellow soldiers from Baker Company. Directed by Paul Haggis.
• Into the Wild (2007) — Based on the 1996 non-fiction book of the same name by Jon Krakauer about the adventures of Christopher McCandless.
• The Killing of John Lennon (2007) — Story of Mark Chapman's plot to kill John Lennon.
• Kuppi (2007) — Indian Tamil film based on the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
• Mongol (2007) — Intended to be the first in a trilogy of films based on the life of Genghis Khan.
• Pride (2007) — Based loosely on the true story of Jim Ellis and his African American swim team in 1974 Philadelphia.
• Primeval (2007) — Based on tales of a real man-eating crocodile named Gustave, still living in Burundi.
• Rescue Dawn (2007) — Based on the story of Dieter Dengler, a US Navy pilot who was shot down in Loas during the Vietnam War.
• Rise of the Footsoldier (2007) — British gangster film based on actual events.
• Rohtenburg (2007) — Based on the "Rotenburg Cannibal" (Armin Meiwes).
• Satham Podathey (2007) — Indian Tamil thriller film based on a true story.
• September Dawn (2007) — Based on the September 7–11, 1857 Mountain Meadows massacre.
• Shootout at Lokhandwala (2007) — Hindi film based on the shootout made by Mumbai police in encounter of gangster Maya Dolas.
• Stuck (2007) — Loosely based on the hit-and-run committed by Chante Jawan Mallard.
• Sybil (2007) — True story based on the life of Shirley Ardell Mason who was diagnosed with Multiple Personality Disorder.
• Talk To Me (2007) — Based on the life of Ralph 'Petey' Greene.
• What We Do Is Secret (2007) — Based on the 1970s Los Angeles punk band, The Germs and their lead singer, Darby Crash.
• Zodiac (2007) — Based on the story of the Zodiac Killer.
• Guru(2007) - Indian Bilanguage Film (Hindi And Tamil) loosely Based On The Life Of Dhirubhai Ambani
• 21 (2008) — Inspired by the story of the MIT Blackjack Team.
• The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008) — Based on German militant group, the Red Army Faction, the film retells the story of the early years of the RAF, concentrating on its beginnings in 1967 (at the time of the German student movement) up to the German Autumn (Deutscher Herbst) of 1977.
• Hunger (2008) - Irish Movie Based On 1981 Irish Hunger Strike
• The Bank Job (2008) — Based on a 1971 London robbery allegedly concocted by MI5.
• Cadillac Records (2008) — Based on the life of influential Chicago-based record company executive Leonard Chess, and the singers who recorded for Chess Records.
• Changeling (2008) — Loosely based upon the real-life Wineville Chicken Murders, involving Christine Collins and the disappearance of her son.
• Che (2008) — Merged version of two films: The Argentine and Guerrilla about the life of Marxist revolutionary, Che Guevara.
• Cape No. 7 (2008) — Story based a report about a Taiwanese postman who successfully delivered a piece of mail addressed in the old Japanese style - the sender was the former Japanese employer of the recipient. Taiwan has been ruled by Japan from 1896 to 1945, and the film depicts the subtly long-lasting relations between the people in Taiwan and Japan.
• The Counterfeiters (2008) — Austrian film based on Operation Bernhard.
• Defiance (2008) — Story of the Bielski partisans.
• The Duchess (2008) — Based on the life of Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire.
• The Express (2008) — Based on the life of "The Elmira Express" Ernie Davis, the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy.
• Flash of Genius (2008) — Story of Robert Kearns, inventor of the intermittent windshield wiper and his claims and lawsuit against Ford Motor Company.
• Forever the Moment (2008) — Based on the achievements of the South Korean women's national handball team at the 2004 Summer Olympics
• Frost/Nixon (2008) — Story of the 1977 televised Frost/Nixon interviews.
• Living Proof (2008) — Based on the true life story of Denny Slamon, who helped develop a breast cancer drug called Herceptin 2.
• Max Manus (2008) — Norwegian film based on a true story of Max Manus who helpes to save his country from the Germans during World War II.
• Jodhaa Akbar (2008) - Indian Epic Film Based On The Life Of Mughal King Akbar The Great
• Milk (2008) — Based on the life of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to public office in California.
• The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) — Based on the lives of Anne and Mary Boleyn, the sisters contend for the affection of King Henry VIII.
• Stone of Destiny (2008) — Story of Ian Hamilton who helped recapture the Stone of Scone for Scotland.
• The Stoning of Soraya M. (2008) - Story of Soraya Manutchehri, a victim of stoning in Iran.
• Stranger (2008) - A young couple staying in an isolated vacation home are terrorized by three unknown assailants.
• Valkyrie (2008) — Story of the 20 July plot of German army officers to assassinate Adolf Hitler.
• Flammen & Citronen (2008) - Danish True Story Film Set During The WWII
• W. (2008) — Based on the life and presidency of George W. Bush.
• Felon (2008) - Based On Incidents Which Took Place In California State Prison, Corcoran
• Accident on Hill Road (2009) — Indian Hindi film based on true story about Chante Mallard
• The Blind Side (2009) — The story of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All American football player and first round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring woman and her family.
• Coco avant Chanel (2009) — About fashion designer Coco Chanel before she was famous.
• Julie & Julia (2009) — Lives of two food writers contrasted: pioneer Julia Child in the 1940s and 21st century Julie.
• Notorious (2009) — The life and career of rapper Biggie Smalls before his death.
• Deadfall Trail (2009) — Based on a three-week survival trip in the Kaibab National Forest.
• Public Enemies (2009) — The FBI tries to take down notorious American gangsters John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd during a booming crime wave in the 1930s.
• Amelia (2009) — A look at the life of legendary American pilot Amelia Earhart, who disappeared while flying over the Pacific Ocean in 1937 in an attempt to make a flight around the world.
• The Young Victoria (2009) — A dramatization of the turbulent first years of Queen Victoria's rule, and her enduring romance with Prince Albert.
• Prayers for Bobby (2009) - True story of Mary Griffith, gay rights crusader, whose teenage son committed suicide due to her religious intolerance. Based on the book of the same title by Leroy Aarons
• Bright Star (2009) — The drama based on the three-year romance between 19th century poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne, which was cut short by Keats' untimely death at age 25.
• Invictus (2009) — Based on the real life story of South Africa president Nelson Mandela and François Pienaar, the captain of the Springboks, the South African rugby union team.
• The Informant! (2009) — Based on the real life story of Mark Whitacre, the highest ranked executive in U.S. history to turn whistleblower.
• The Haunting in Connecticut (2009) — Psychological supernatural film based on true events.
• Mao's Last Dancer (2009) - Based on the autobiography of ballet dancer Li Cunxin.
• Formosa Betrayed (2009) - The film portrays the KMT-government intentionally wiped out the Taiwan people's opposition voices in 1980s, inspired by two actual events, one surrounding the death of Professor Chen Wen-Chen (陳文成) of Carnegie Mellon University in 1981, and the other the 1984 assassination of (American-citizen) journalist Henry Liu in California,
• The Soloist (2009) - True Story Film Based On The Life Nathaniel Ayers
• Everyman's War (2009) - True Story Movie Based On Battle Of Bulge During WWII
• The Damned United (2009) - British Sports Film Based On Brain Clough Tenure As Leeds United Manager
• Taking Woodstock (2009) - American Comedy Film Based On The True Story Of Woodstock Festival Of 1969 Directed By Ang Lee
• Taking Chance (2009) - Based On The Experiences Of Lt.Col.Michael Strobl Escorting The Body Of A Marine Chance Phelps Back To His Hometown From The Iraq War
• Hachiko: A Dog's Story (2009) - Based On The True Story Of The Faithful Akita Hachiko.
• The Stoneman Murders (2009) - Hindi film based on the real life Stoneman serial killings that made headlines in the early 1980s in Mumbai.

2010s

• Letters to God (2010) — based on the true story of Tyler Doughtie. The story took place in Nashville, Tennessee.
• The Silent House (2010) - The Silent House (Spanish: La Casa Muda) is a Uruguayan Spanish-language horror film released in 2010 and directed by Gustavo Hernández. The film is inspired by real events that took place in the 1940s.
• D.C. Sniper (2010) — Story based on the Beltway sniper attacks.
• Temple Grandin (2010) - Temple Grandin is a 2010 biopic directed by Mick Jackson and starring Claire Danes as Temple Grandin, a woman with autism who revolutionized practices for the humane handling of livestock on cattle ranches and slaughterhouses.
• Extraordinary Measures — Based on the story of John Crowley.
• Fair Game (2010) — Based on the outing of former CIA agent Valerie Plame by members of the US government. (See: Plame Affair)
• Green Zone (2010) — The film tells events from the end of the invasion phase of the war until the transfer of power to the Iraqis.
• Lula, o filho do Brasil (2010) — Story based on the life of Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
• Of Gods and Men (2010) — Based on the assassination of the monks of Tibhirine.
• The Runaways (2010) — Based on the '70s girl rock band The Runaways, focusing in particular on the relationship between rockers Cherie Currie and Joan Jett. Adapted from Currie's memoir.
• The Social Network (2010) - Film Based on creation of Facebook and the lawsuits that followed.
• Dear Mr. Gacy (2010)- a true story based on the book The Last Victim by Jason Moss
• 127 Hours — Based on the story of Aron Ralston, the American mountain climber who amputated his own arm to free himself after being trapped by a boulder for six days.
• Unstoppable (2010) - Based on a runaway train carrying hazardous material putting a city in danger.
• The Fighter (2010) - Based on the life of boxer Micky Ward and his half-brother Dicky Eklund.
• The Whistleblower (2010)- Inspired by actual events, the film tells the story of Kathryn Bolkovac.
• Bonded by Blood (2010) - British Movie Based On Drugs.
• Secretariat (2010) - Based on the story of a horse (Secretariat) who won the triple crown in belmont stakes and still has the unbeatable record for 37 yrs,even helped his owner Penny chenery to regain her pride.
• Conviction (2010) - Based on a sister's life who goes to law school so she can become her brother's attorney,as the brother is convicted of murder and is innocent. Betty Anne fights for her brother kenny for his life.
• Nadunissi Naaygal (2010) - Indian Tamil Film Based On True Story
• Rakta Charitra (2010) - Indian trilingual Film (Telugu, Hindi And Tamil) Based On True Story Directed By Ram Gopal Varma
• Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey (2010) - Indian Hindi Movie Based On Chittagong Uprising In 1930
• I Love You Philip Morris (2010) - True Story Based On The Life Of Steven Jay Russell
• The Special Relationship (2010) - American - British Political Film Based On Relationship Between Tony Blair And Bill Clinton
• The King's Speech (2010) - Historical British Drama Film Based On King George VI Who Was Suffering From Stammer
• Striker (2010) - Set in a Mumbai ghetto in the mid '80's and based on true life accounts.
• You Don't Know Jack (2010) - Based in part on the book, Between the Dying and the Dead: Dr. Jack Kevorkian's Life And The Battle To Legalize Euthanasia.
• Bruce Lee, My Brother (2010)- Based on the life of Bruce Lee in his teenage years to part of his adult years.
• No One Killed Jessica (2011) - Based on real life murder case of Jessica Lall.
• Dolphin Tale (2011) - The film is inspired by the true story of a dolphin named Winter who was rescued off the Florida coast and taken in by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
• The Rite (2011)- The film is based on the book The Making of a Modern Exorcist by Rome-based Matt Baglio, which was published in 2009.the film is based on the early life of Father Gary Thomas.
• The Way Back (2011) - A true story of seven men escaping the prison in Siberia, (held by Stalin) walking through the Gobi desert, Himalayas and all the way to the China wall.
• Monica (2011) - An Indian Hindi film based on a true story inspired my the murder case of Shivani Bhatnagar.
• Yugapurushan (2011) - Malayalam film based on the life of the saint Sree Narayana Guru
• Sanctum (2011) - Film inspired by Andrew Wight's near-death experience of leading a diving expedition miles into a system of underwater caves, then having to find a way out after a freak storm collapses the entrance. Produced by James Cameron.
• Soul Surfer (2011) - An American drama about a thirteen-year old surfer who loses her arm in a shark attack but is determined to get back in the water.
• Not a Love Story (2011) - An Indian Bolloywood movie based on the 2008 Neeraj Grover Murder Case .
• 17 Miracles (2011) - Based on the actual experiences of members of the Willie Handcart Company of Mormon Pioneers following their late-season start and subsequent winter journey to Salt Lake City in 1856.
• Moneyball (2011) - Based on Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis.
• Machine Gun Preacher (2011) - Biopic film based on the life of Sam Childers starring Gerard Butler.
• Thambi Vettothi Sundaram (2011) - Indiam tamil film based on true story.
• The Devil's Double (2011) - True story film based on Uday Hussein body double Latif Yahia.
• Puncture (2011) - Based on a true story, Mike Weiss (Chris Evans) is a young Houston lawyer and a drug addict.
• 1911 (film) (2011) - Chinese historical drama based on 1911 Revolution and Xinhai Revolution starring Jackie Chan
• Texas Killing Fields (2011)- Based on based on true events about the murder of women picked up along I-45 and dumped in an old oil field in League City, Texas.
• Blackthorn (2011) - Western film based on the life of Butch Cassidy in bolivia
• Kill the Irishman (2011) - Biopic movie based on the life of Danny Greene
• Margin Call (2011) - American independent film loosely modeled on Lehman Brothers and Financial crisis of 2007 - 2008
• J. Edgar (2011) - Biopic movie based on the life of J.Edgar Hoover directed by Clint Eastwood
• The Dirty Picture (2011) - Indian bollywood biopic movie based on the life of Silk Smitha
• Juan y Eva (2011) - Argentinian movie based on the Argentine president Juan Peron and Eva Peron first meeting during 1944 San Juan earthquake
• William & Kate (2011) - American television film based on the relationship between Price William and Kate Middleton.
• Red Dog (2011) - Australian family film based on a true story from the novel Red Dog
• 50/50 (2011) - Comedy-drama film loosely based on the life of screenwriter Will Reiser
• We Bought a Zoo (2011) - Comedy-drama film based on a memoir by Benjamin Mee.
• Janie Jones (2011) - Based on the story of a young girl who has been abandoned by her former-groupie mother informs a fading rock star that she is his daughter.
• Ragini MMS (2011) - Bollywood horror thriller movie based on true story
• Buddha in a Traffic Jam (2012) - Bollywood movie loosely based on the life of Arundhati Roy

Coming films

• The Fields (2011) — Story based on the life of screenwriter Harrison Smith.
• Non-Disclosure: Haunted (2013) — Story of divorced man and his son who rent a haunted house.

External links

• History at the Movies: Historical and Period Films
• Internet Movie Database list
• Films Based on Historical Events and People

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