Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Best Biopics

Frances Foster Jenkins was a pretty terrific biopic. By the end of the film, you understood each character's motivations and you had respect for a woman who could not sing, but did. You knew enough about her life to fill in any gaps.

What are your favorite biopics? What movie got it right?
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22 comments:

  1. Jeff Meyerson7:24 AM

    Coal Miner's Daughter was just about perfect. Ray was excellent.

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  2. Anonymous7:43 AM

    Very glad you enjoyed this one, Patti. And I agree: Ray was a great film.

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  3. Charles Gramlich7:53 AM

    My two favorites were Origins, about Darwin, and The theory of everything, about Steven Hawkings.

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  4. George8:12 AM

    I enjoyed and admired the film on Erin Brockovich.

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  5. pattinase (abbott)8:32 AM

    All excellent. I also liked MY LEFT FOOT.

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  6. Mathew Paust11:19 AM

    Haven't seen Florence, but you've sold me on it, Patti. Haven't seen Origins or Theory, but have been hoping Theory would come to our little two-screen neighborhood theater (probly too late now, so I'll hafta by the DVD), and loved Daughter and Ray. My contribution: Capote.

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  7. Jeff Meyerson11:52 AM

    Lawrence of Arabia
    Malcolm X
    Raging Bull

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  8. Al Tucher12:32 PM

    A BEAUTIFUL MIND. I remember John Nash from the Princeton campus. Initially I was horrified by the casting of Russell Crowe, but he's brilliant. He got the body language exactly right.

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  9. Mathew Paust2:27 PM

    Walk the Line

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  10. Mathew Paust2:28 PM

    Bugsy

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  11. Mathew Paust2:32 PM

    The Glenn Miller Story
    The Benny Goodman Story


    I know, I know, you wanted our favorites (I think), but I liked all of these. Hate to have to pick the best.

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  12. pattinase (abbott)2:34 PM

    SILKWOOD, WHAT"S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT, RAGING BULL

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  13. Steve Oerkfitz3:00 PM

    Raging Bull
    Sid and Nancy
    Lawrence of Arabia
    Bugsy

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  14. Jeff Meyerson3:10 PM

    I was going to mention Side and Nancy too.

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  15. Jeff Meyerson3:10 PM

    I was going to mention Side and Nancy too.

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  16. Jeff Meyerson4:16 PM

    SID

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  17. Todd Mason2:24 AM

    GODS AND MONSTERS, AMERICAN SPLENDOR, THE SESSIONS, THE ADVENTURES OF MARK TWAIN (as Hollywoodized as it was), MISSING, SERPICO, HEAVEN AND EARTH (the only remotely good Oliver Stone biopic), THOUSAND PIECES OF GOLD, FAREWELL TO MANZANAR, RKO 231, FRIDA, POLLOCK, DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL, EDGE OF AMERICA, NORTH COUNTRY, THE ROSA PARKS STORY, INTRODUCING DOROTHY DANDRIDGE, THE JOSEPHINE BAKER STORY, KILL ME IF YOU CAN, THE MIRACLE WORKER, GIDEON'S TRUMPET, MRS. PARKER AND THE VICIOUS CIRCLE, HEARTBURN, ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN, BOUND FOR GLORY, THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY, LA BAMBA.

    And the biopic lampoon WALK HARD.

    And definitely COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER.

    Also, see this: http://www.onstory.tv/205

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  18. Steve Oerkfitz1:06 PM

    Todd-good list. A couple I would have chosen had I thought of them-Gods and Monsters, American Splendor, La Bamba, Serpico.

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  19. Todd Mason5:09 PM

    Though I think one can make the argument that a "true" biopic has to try to cover at least most of the public life of the subject...though SILKWOOD breaks that mold. And I see I forgot BIRD. (And if we counted the upcoming PBS HAMILTON presentation, what of 1776?).

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  20. Todd Mason5:10 PM

    And then DOG DAY AFTERNOON has a certain relevance...(and thanks, Steve).

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  21. Cap'n Bob5:30 AM

    Patton.

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  22. Anders E7:28 PM

    I'm not a big fan of biopics in general. They tend to detoriate into enumerating-as-history once the big break has happened. Important song there, marriage problems there, substance abuse there. Even COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER is guilty of this. Once Loretta hits the bigtime, the movie turns into a snooze. It's brilliant before that, btw. And sorry, but I found RAY to be a total snorefest.

    My fave is BACKBEAT. It concentrates on a limited time of the band history and focuses on the guy who dropped off early. And AFAIK, it does not mention the band name even once.

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