Top 10 Famous Women Done Dirty By Their Fictional Adaptations
#10: Jenny Lind “The Greatest Showman” (2017)
Its themes of celebrating difference made it a worldwide blockbuster, but “The Greatest Showman” was criticized for playing fast and loose with the details of P.T. Barnum’s life. One particularly false element is the portrayal of Swedish opera singer Jenny Lind. Played by Rebecca Ferguson, Lind is portrayed as a temptress who tries to romance Barnum, despite his marriage to long-suffering wife. Lind’s real-life reputation is markedly different. There was no evidence of any flirtation, let alone that she quit the show because he didn’t reciprocate her feelings. In actuality, she was a charitable woman who was said to have quit Barnum’s troupe because she found his marketing gimmicks exhausting. In other words, “The Greatest Showman”’s depiction is way off.
#9: Amelia Earhart “Amelia” (2009)
Considering Amelia Earhart was a trailblazing adventurer, it’s unforgivable how much of a snoozefest this 2009 biopic is. Starring Hilary Swank, “Amelia” wasn’t criticized for its inaccuracy as much as it was for how conventional it is. Given that Amelia Earhart was known for her ambition, passion, and competitive nature, the movie’s attempts to soften her run counter to the woman herself. Instead of trying to replicate the adrenaline rush, the film opts to go inward, which kind of leaves us wondering what attracts Earhart to the danger of flying in the first place. It seems completely out of step with what her life was all about.
#8: Isabella of France “Braveheart” (1995)
Mel Gibson’s war epic is full of historical inaccuracies. This isn’t a crime in itself. Some history just doesn’t play on screen. But the movie’s treatment of Isabella of France, a princess and later Queen of England, is pretty simplistic given the real woman’s historical record. A romance between Wallace and an adult Isabella was created for the screenplay, although the real Isabella was a kid when Wallace was executed. The movie even suggests that Wallace was father to her son, the future King Edward III. Despite its inaccuracy, it’s one of the few more positive portrayals of the queen. In real life, she was mythologized as a political power player who had a hand in overthrowing her husband, Edward II.
#7: Sacagawea “The Far Horizons” (1955)
Many children first hear the name Sacagawea in elementary school. The Lemhi Shoshone woman was only a teenager when she assisted Meriwether Lewis and William Clark in their expedition in Louisiana. The 1955 movie, “The Far Horizons,” decided to fill in the gaps of the story in poor fashion. Oscar winner Donna Reed was cast as Sacagawea, and donned brownface for the role. The movie also invented a romantic subplot between her and William Clark, played by Charlton Heston. Playing into misogynistic and racist stereotypes of the classic western, Sacagawea unfortunately becomes little more than a naive romantic object in this film.
#6: Winnie Mandela “Winnie Mandela” (2011)
If you’re going to make a biopic about a living historical figure and not consult with them at all, you might have to prepare for some pushback. Winnie Mandela, anti-apartheid activist and former wife of Nelson Mandela, had a life worthy of a miniseries. It’s not all pretty either, and would require more than a conventional story told from behind rose-colored glasses. However, that’s exactly what audiences got in 2011, when Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson starred in a sappy semi-adaptation of Mandela’s life. Centering Mandela’s relationship with her once-husband, the movie doesn’t dig nearly deep enough into the realities of her harassment and torture or even her later criminal activity. Mandela herself, who passed away in 2018, spoke out against the film, calling it disrespectful.
#5: Marilyn Monroe “Blonde” (2022)
How Marilyn Monroe Has Been Portrayed Throughout the Years
Marilyn Monroe has unfortunately been fodder for writers since her early death at the age of 36. One of the most extreme and controversial of these portrayals is Andrew Dominik’s 2022 movie, “Blonde.” Based on Joyce Carol Oates’ novel, which takes liberties of its own, “Blonde” continues to make Monroe seem like a perpetual victim of her own life. Its sole innovations seem to be taking that idea to its extreme. Mental illness, parental neglect, old-fashioned Hollywood sexism, assault, abuse, and even the termination of a pregnancy are treated like hysteria-filled spectacle to be gawked at. It is heartbreaking, but according to many critics, it’s also needlessly exploitative of a figure who’s been exploited enough.
#4: Nina Simone “Nina” (2016)
Afro-Latina actress Zoe Saldaña’s casting as the singer and civil rights activist caused an immediate uproar. When she was cast to replace original star Mary J. Blige in 2012, the Internet was not kind. Saldaña’s capable, but completely different singing voice was one thing, but the issues ran much deeper. Considering how much of Nina Simone’s life, identity, and career were impacted and defined by her appearance, Saldaña’s lighter complexion was seen as an insult. It added fuel to the fire when it was revealed her skin was darkened and prosthetics used to attempt to match Simone’s look. Even the actress herself would later express her regret over agreeing to star in the film.
#3: Diana, Princess of Wales “Diana” (2021)
Top 10 Portrayals of Princess Diana in Movies & TV
The same year Kristen Stewart was impressing audiences with her vulnerable and complex portrayal of the “People’s Princess,” Netflix viewers were given something entirely different. This filmed production of the critically panned and short-lived Broadway musical is as confusing as it is disappointing. Though some of its more memorable missteps are ironically hilarious, its so-bad-it’s-good moments are far outweighed by its just plain bad moments. Critics agreed, whether live or filmed, it was a fairly tasteless attempt to musicalize Diana’s life. She was a deeply important figure, and isn’t treated with nearly the amount of care necessary here. The whopping 5 Razzie “wins” the film picked up speak for themselves.
#2: Cleopatra “Rome” (2005-07)
Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, was a power player in her own right. She was well-educated and had a strategic mind. However, in many fictional accounts, she is often reduced to a woman who happens to rule a kingdom between lovers. Since before Shakespeare, the story of her life has been divided into chapters coinciding with the powerful men she was involved with. The HBO series, “Rome,” plays into this version of Cleopatra. Throughout its episodes, she is a smoldering temptress who volleys between brutality and sexuality in order to get her way. All in all, it’s just not a nuanced or layered depiction of the woman at all. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Marie Antoinette, “Marie Antoinette” (2006) Some Felt That Attempts to Humanize the Queen Downplayed Her Political Savvy Joan Crawford (& Christina Crawford), “Mommie Dearest” (1981) This Melodrama Reduced Its Characters to Caricature & Mishandled Serious Subject Matter Olivia De Havilland, “Feud” (2017-) The Actress Actually Sued FX Networks & Ryan Murphy Over Her Portrayal in the Series Anne Boleyn, “The Other Boleyn Girl” (2008) A Movie So Wildly Inaccurate & Sleazy That It Almost Feels Like Character Assassination Jane Hawking, “The Theory of Everything” (2014) Though Based on Her Memoirs, the Movie Largely Ignores Hawking’s Own Identity
#1: Pocahontas “Pocahontas” (1995)
Top 10 Historically Inaccurate Details in Pocahontas
There really was a Pocahontas. She was taken and converted to Christianity, though the details of that conversion are unclear. She was also known for serving as a go-between for the colonists and her fellow Powhatans. Disney took that story, and, well, Disneyfied it, furry animal friends and all. The real woman’s story was too complex and too rich for this kind of treatment. Also, John Smith was nowhere near as charming as he is in the movie. Notably, there is no proof of romance between them, owing to a substantial age gap in real life. While this may be a kid’s movie, Pocahontas was a real person, and her portrayal here is just one in a long series of Indigenous stories being flattened and robbed of context.