Historic alterations in films that're supposed to

[OGBoardPoster2005]

be a true story? I'm referring to when for some strange reason a movie thats supposed to tell the true story of someone decides to change real events that are either related or unrelated to the person they based it on. The Blind Side, watching it now seems like a major offender of this. They completely changed Michael Oher's story and make him come off as a total oathy idiot rather than the great player he was in High School. I also question just why do they alter the Clemson/Tennessee Peach Bowl? I know its to establish Leigh Anne's hatred for Tennessee but they could've just kept the original game and score (27-14 Clemson) in there rather than tell us that Tennessee blew out Clemson (which is the exact opposite of what really happened).

The whole thing just seemed like a pointless alteration to me and one reason I don't like "The Blind Side" very much. Any other movies that do this for some odd reason?

[JIMBOB]

I just recently watched The Ghost and the Darkness with Val Kilmer & Michael Douglas. Then find out doing my usual IMDB search find out Douglas' character was completely fictional! Guess they figured that people wouldn't buy that Kilmer's character really killed both lions himself. I hate the idea of doing that kind of thing too.

[Red Impact]

Every sports film based off a true story is guilt of changing history for plot convenience.

[mattperiolat]

Rudy and The Rookie are probably the least offensive in this case. Although, my family is biased as having an undying hatred for Dan Devine. As for The Rookie, well... can't stage a foul pitch too well, so it had to be a three strike burn down at the end.

[CMWaters]

Oct 12, 2011 0:01:13 GMT -5 Red Impact said:

Every sports film based off a true story is guilt of changing history for plot convenience.

Even Cool Runnings?

[The Line]

Remember the Titans is also pretty guilty of this, in an effort to make the season much more dramatic, despite it being a fun movie. Some of 'em:

-Gerry Bertier's accident came after the season was complete. He did play in the state Championship game.
-T.C. Williams was not the first school in Alexandria to be integrated. George Washington was. TC was the first integrated football team.
-T.C. Williams High School had actually been integrated since 1963. The successful 1971 football season was not credited to integration but to consolidation of two other high schools; the tripling of the class sizes gave them a larger talent pool to choose from. There was racial violence at that time in Alexandria but not over the football team; instead it was over an unrelated incident where a white convenience store clerk killed a black student in a struggle.
-There was not a huge brawl started by Julius and Gary at camp.
-The team did not "dance" its way onto the field or dance during stretching at any point in the season
-No opposing coaches called Coach Boone a monkey during the season. Therefore, he did not give any opposing coaches a banana following a game. The scene sproouted from one opposing coach saying all Titan players were dogs in a pregame speech to get his own players fired up.
-The state final wasn't won on the last play of the game. (Titans won 27-0 while the defense held Andrew Lewis High to -5 yards total offense.)
-The characters of Emma Hoyt (Gerry's girlfriend), Coach Tyrell, Alan Bosley and Ray Boggs were fictitious.
-

[Stu]

Oct 12, 2011 3:23:17 GMT -5 CMWaters said:

Oct 12, 2011 0:01:13 GMT -5 Red Impact said:

Every sports film based off a true story is guilt of changing history for plot convenience.

Even Cool Runnings?

When it comes to the Jamaican team's reception, yes. In the movie, no one wanted them around. In real life, they were embraced and encouraged to do their best.

[mattperiolat]

Oct 12, 2011 3:30:50 GMT -5 Stu said:

Oct 12, 2011 3:23:17 GMT -5 CMWaters said:

Even Cool Runnings?

When it comes to the Jamaican team's reception, yes. In the movie, no one wanted them around. In real life, they were embraced and encouraged to do their best.

And the IOC could not change their qualification rules fast enough after Calgary. For some reason, although they claim to represent amateur sport in its pure form, the Jamaicans and Eddie Edwards, the British ski jumper who managed to go 73 meters of the 70 meter normal hill in ski jumping had them set stricter qualifying standards.

[Cela]

People complain about Braveheart from time to time.

[Throwback]

Oct 12, 2011 3:30:50 GMT -5 Stu said:

Oct 12, 2011 3:23:17 GMT -5 CMWaters said:

Even Cool Runnings?

When it comes to the Jamaican team's reception, yes. In the movie, no one wanted them around. In real life, they were embraced and encouraged to do their best.

They also didn't really carry the sled across the finish line.

my contribution to the thread. Inglorious basterds

[noleafclover1980]

Oct 12, 2011 3:28:08 GMT -5 The Line said:

Remember the Titans is also pretty guilty of this, in an effort to make the season much more dramatic, despite it being a fun movie. Some of 'em:

-Gerry Bertier's accident came after the season was complete. He did play in the state Championship game.
-T.C. Williams was not the first school in Alexandria to be integrated. George Washington was. TC was the first integrated football team.
-T.C. Williams High School had actually been integrated since 1963. The successful 1971 football season was not credited to integration but to consolidation of two other high schools; the tripling of the class sizes gave them a larger talent pool to choose from. There was racial violence at that time in Alexandria but not over the football team; instead it was over an unrelated incident where a white convenience store clerk killed a black student in a struggle.
-There was not a huge brawl started by Julius and Gary at camp.
-The team did not "dance" its way onto the field or dance during stretching at any point in the season
-No opposing coaches called Coach Boone a monkey during the season. Therefore, he did not give any opposing coaches a banana following a game. The scene sproouted from one opposing coach saying all Titan players were dogs in a pregame speech to get his own players fired up.
-The state final wasn't won on the last play of the game. (Titans won 27-0 while the defense held Andrew Lewis High to -5 yards total offense.)
-The characters of Emma Hoyt (Gerry's girlfriend), Coach Tyrell, Alan Bosley and Ray Boggs were fictitious.
-

I guess it's not dramatic enough when the team that's supposedly fighting adversity yet overcomes just totally whips the other ones ass.

[mattperiolat]

Oct 12, 2011 3:56:39 GMT -5 Cela said:

People complain about Braveheart from time to time.

And, gee, pray tell, why would that be?

He says with a knowing smile, you understand. I love the movie to bits and pieces, but it is NOT historically accurate and that's especially unfortunate given it gave a big resurgence to Scottish patriotism and individualism, but the new statues of Wallace all look like Mel Gibson. It's good to be inspired by a legend, but make sure it IS the legend, not a bastardization of it.

[noleafclover1980]

Oct 12, 2011 5:00:11 GMT -5 mattperiolat said:

Oct 12, 2011 3:56:39 GMT -5 Cela said:

People complain about Braveheart from time to time.

And, gee, pray tell, why would that be?

He says with a knowing smile, you understand. I love the movie to bits and pieces, but it is NOT historically accurate and that's especially unfortunate given it gave a big resurgence to Scottish patriotism and individualism, but the new statues of Wallace all look like Mel Gibson. It's good to be inspired by a legend, but make sure it IS the legend, not a bastardization of it.

I'm just glad Americans didn't jump on the bandwagon when he made Braveheart 2 The Patriot.

[BorneAgain]

I remember the producers of "King Arthur" claiming their film of Arthur was more historically accurate. Now anyone who's seen the film knows how true that fluff claim was, but going for a realistic version of the Arthur story seems counterproductive anyway. Its English legend, telling the true story (even if there was an actual King Arthur) is just unnecessary to me.

Its pretty telling that the most well known and successful movie versions of the story go with light hearted magical whimsy (Disney's Sword in the Stone), mythical silliness (Monty Python's Holy Grail), and dark fantasy (Excalibur). And the less successful ones just go for pop culture garbage (Quest for Camelot and Kid in King Arthur's Court)

[mattperiolat]

Oct 12, 2011 5:08:36 GMT -5 noleafclover1980 said:

Oct 12, 2011 5:00:11 GMT -5 mattperiolat said:

And, gee, pray tell, why would that be?

He says with a knowing smile, you understand. I love the movie to bits and pieces, but it is NOT historically accurate and that's especially unfortunate given it gave a big resurgence to Scottish patriotism and individualism, but the new statues of Wallace all look like Mel Gibson. It's good to be inspired by a legend, but make sure it IS the legend, not a bastardization of it.

I'm just glad Americans didn't jump on the bandwagon when he made Braveheart 2 The Patriot.

You mean General Howe isn't really Lucius Malfoy? My entire image of the Revolution is shattered!

[Citizen Snips Has Left]

Windtalkers and U-571.

[diegorivera]

Ip Man. Just, Ip Man. Every film about the man makes itself out as a biography but is basically anti-Japanese propaganda.
The real life Ip Man was a police officer who made out fairly well during the Japanese occupation of China. His wealth was never ceased by the Japanese, rather it and his political affluence caused him strife with the Chinese government and forced him to flee to Hong Kong after the World War 2. His turning down an offer to train Japanese soldiers in Wing Chun did force him to flee his home town of Foshan, but he returned after the war. His ultimate exile was actually caused by his own government, which, naturally, isn't in the film. He never fought any Japanese spies, generals or British boxers and hardly had a perfect record when fighting fellow Chinese practitioners.

I can understand China's desire to elevate a person considered a national hero, especially in light of Japan's tendency to ignore or disavow the crimes their soldiers and government committed during their occupation of China, but these films are basically outright lies.

[The Line]

Oct 12, 2011 4:47:31 GMT -5 noleafclover1980 said:

Oct 12, 2011 3:28:08 GMT -5 The Line said:

Remember the Titans is also pretty guilty of this, in an effort to make the season much more dramatic, despite it being a fun movie. Some of 'em:

-Gerry Bertier's accident came after the season was complete. He did play in the state Championship game.
-T.C. Williams was not the first school in Alexandria to be integrated. George Washington was. TC was the first integrated football team.
-T.C. Williams High School had actually been integrated since 1963. The successful 1971 football season was not credited to integration but to consolidation of two other high schools; the tripling of the class sizes gave them a larger talent pool to choose from. There was racial violence at that time in Alexandria but not over the football team; instead it was over an unrelated incident where a white convenience store clerk killed a black student in a struggle.
-There was not a huge brawl started by Julius and Gary at camp.
-The team did not "dance" its way onto the field or dance during stretching at any point in the season
-No opposing coaches called Coach Boone a monkey during the season. Therefore, he did not give any opposing coaches a banana following a game. The scene sproouted from one opposing coach saying all Titan players were dogs in a pregame speech to get his own players fired up.
-The state final wasn't won on the last play of the game. (Titans won 27-0 while the defense held Andrew Lewis High to -5 yards total offense.)
-The characters of Emma Hoyt (Gerry's girlfriend), Coach Tyrell, Alan Bosley and Ray Boggs were fictitious.
-

I guess it's not dramatic enough when the team that's supposedly fighting adversity yet overcomes just totally whips the other ones ass.

I know, man. It's like, they really, really wanted the underdog story, but in reality, it was more the other teams in the league were the underdogs. But I guess a movie about a bunch of white kids overcoming the adversity of playing against a way bigger and better integrated school would be kind of...uncomfortable.

[The Summer of Muskrat XVII]

How have gone this far without 300 being mentioned?

[Turd Ferguson]

Oct 12, 2011 6:31:18 GMT -5 diegorivera said:

Ip Man. Just, Ip Man. Every film about the man makes itself out as a biography but is basically anti-Japanese propaganda.
The real life Ip Man was a police officer who made out fairly well during the Japanese occupation of China. His wealth was never ceased by the Japanese, rather it and his political affluence caused him strife with the Chinese government and forced him to flee to Hong Kong after the World War 2. His turning down an offer to train Japanese soldiers in Wing Chun did force him to flee his home town of Foshan, but he returned after the war. His ultimate exile was actually caused by his own government, which, naturally, isn't in the film. He never fought any Japanese spies, generals or British boxers and hardly had a perfect record when fighting fellow Chinese practitioners.

I can understand China's desire to elevate a person considered a national hero, especially in light of Japan's tendency to ignore or disavow the crimes their soldiers and government committed during their occupation of China, but these films are basically outright lies.

Came in to post this. But I'm torn because the movies are so awesome, but yeah, it turns into an anti-foreigner propaganda. Most movies are like that, with Wong Fei-Hung's involvement in expelling all foreigners, or Huo Yuanjia's "life story."