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.
Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)
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.
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.
Party Monster (2003)
Macaulay Culkin stars in this 2003 biographical drama, about infamous NYC party boy and club promoter, Michael Alig. Alig was known as “king of the Club Kids,” and rose to fame in the underground scene after James St. James (played by Seth Green,) showed him the wonderful and wild world of clubbing. The famed clubber was convicted of killing his roommate and served 17 years in prison.
Unfortunately, the film was a box office flop, grossing less than $750,000, against a $5 million budget. It is based on the memoir of James St. James, titled Disco Bloodbath, which details the relationship between the two men after Alig moved to the city when he was young.
Almost Famous (2000)
Almost Famous is a 2000 dramedy film that stars Kate Hudson and Billy Crudup and tells the tale of a promising young journalist, played by Patrick Fugit, who’s working for Rolling Stone in the 1970s. Roger Ebert called the production, “funny and touching in so many ways.” The film is based on the childhood of the director of the film, Cameron Crowe.
Writer and director Cameron Crowe pulled inspiration from several actual musicians and groupies in the ‘70s to create the film, which was ranked the 79th greatest of all time in a 2014 list put out by the Hollywood Reporter.