Top 10 Movies That Were Ruined Once We Found Out the Truth
#10: “Captain Phillips” (2013)
Top 10 Ways Captain Marvel Could Change the MCU
Tom Hanks may have portrayed a hero in the movie, but the truth about Captain Richard Phillips is something else entirely. In the movie, Phillips gives himself up to pirates in exchange for saving his crewmates. Yet, according to the real crew, Phillips was no hero. He had ignored multiple emails about staying clear of Somalia and failed to listen to his colleagues who begged him to stay clear. Chief Engineer Mike Perry apparently was a far greater hero as he helped the team lock themselves downstairs while the pirates ransacked the ship. The shipping company Maersk was taken to court over the incident and later settled with the nine crew members included in the suit.
#9: “The Blind Side” (2009)
10 MoviesThat RUINED People's Lives
Sandra Bullock won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy in 2009’s “The Blind Side.” Bullock’s take on Tuohy’s character was pretty close to the original, but the real Michael Oher took issue with his depiction. The movie shows him having little to no knowledge of American football, which couldn’t have been further from the truth. In an NPR interview, Oher made it clear he had been studying the game since he was a kid. The movie also hastened the time it took for him to take residence in Tuohy’s home. He stayed with countless others long before she ever offered to take him in.
#8: “Jimi: All Is by My Side” (2013)
How can a filmmaker possibly make a biopic about a musician without ever using any of their actual music? This was the case for this story about the life of Jimi Hendrix. Since Hendrix's estate refused to license his music, the producers framed the movie prior to his first album, giving them more creative freedom around his sound. They also introduced a fabricated story about Hendrix physically hurting his then-girlfriend, Kathy Etchingham. She went on record to counter the depiction on film, defending Hendrix and claiming he had never laid a hand on her.
#7: “Cinderella Man” (2005)
Top 10 Greatest Cinderella Movies
When most people think of boxing movies, the immediate go-to is “Rocky.” But 2005’s “Cinderella Man” gave us a great comeback story of how James J. Braddock overcame his broken right hand to become a world-renowned boxer. Although Russell Crowe’s depiction is fine, it’s how Max Baer is portrayed that steers this movie in the wrong direction. The film shows Baer as a ruthless boxer who is out for blood, and brags about the intensity of his knockouts. Baer’s son, Max Baer Jr, countered this portrayal by saying his father was nowhere near the animal audiences were led to believe.
#6: “Amadeus” (1984)
When one thinks of notable rivals, Antonio Salieri and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart may not be the first ones to come to mind, but they were the subject of a 1984 film. “Amadeus” tells the story of Salieri confessing to a priest that he had plotted to murder the famous classical musician. The movie goes on to depict a very bitter Salieri who goes to great lengths to undermine his rival Mozart. However, there’s very little evidence to support that these two were ever adversaries. One of Mozart’s own letters even mentions picking up Salieri and his wife on the way to see “The Magic Flute,” which Antonio thoroughly enjoyed. Why be so friendly if they were bitter enemies?
#5: “A Beautiful Mind” (2001)
Top 10 Hauntingly Beautiful Songs in Disney Movies
It has been said that there’s a fine line between genius and insanity. Our second Russell Crowe film on this list has him portraying the brilliant mathematician John Nash. The movie manages to keep the spirit of who Nash was very close to the original, but does have some very obvious omissions. Nash’s sexuality was nowhere near as straight as any math equation for he had been known to seek the attention of men from time to time. The hallucinations too were also off the mark. The real John Nash had minor delusions and would hear the odd voice, but never experienced the full sensory delusions seen on film.
#4: “Argo” (2012)
Sometimes Hollywood wants to take credit for everything. The 2012 movie “Argo” is supposed to give us the story of the “Canadian Caper.” It was a joint CIA and Canadian venture that rescued six US diplomats from Iran, all while pretending to be filming a science fiction movie. The film may have won Best Picture that year, but it left out one very crucial detail: Canada’s role. When watching the film, one might think Canada was just a minor player. The truth is, much of the operation of the plan was thanks to Canadian involvement. Even former president Jimmy Carter, who was in power at the time, commented on Canada’s involvement.
#3: “300” (2006)
Top 10 Terrifying Scenes In Found Footage Movies
For a time it seemed there were countless memes and videos taken from the movie “300.” Who doesn’t remember hearing, “This is Sparta!” As the executive producer, Frank Miller has gone on record saying his depiction of the Spartans was not entirely accurate. In an Entertainment Weekly interview, Miller noted his Spartans were nowhere near as brutal as the real ones. Additionally, the mere title too was a bit misleading as an additional 7,000 Greek soldiers were aligned with the Spartans as well. And let’s not forget the fact that no Spartan soldier would have fought without some kind of body armor.
#2: “Pocahontas” (1995)
Top 10 Historically Inaccurate Details in Pocahontas
We hate to break it to you, but we’re about to poke holes in “Pocahontas.” It may be a beloved Disney classic, but much of the story doesn’t pass the test of historical accuracy. Pocahontas was a real person, but that wasn’t her name. Known as Matoaka, her romance with John Smith was highly unlikely given he was 28 and she was closer to 11. In fact, years after his departure, she was captured by other English settlers and taken to another part of the state. There’s also the question of whether or not Smith may have made up the entire story about being saved by Matoaka herself.
#1: “Flight” (2012)
Real Life Fighter Pilot Reacts to Superhero Flight Scenes!
When you hear that a movie was inspired by real events, you might be tempted to think it’s all based on fact. In reality, it’s a single word that dictates how much truth is actually told. 2012’s “Flight” was “inspired by” the real life crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261. That inspiration came from the actual role the plane performed before crashing, and the cause of the mechanical failure. The rest of the movie, including Denzel Washington’s character, are completely fictitious. The real “flight” had no survivors and there was no evidence that alcohol played a factor in the incident.
