Good biography films
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Biopic Movies
Last updated: January 21, by Common Sense Media
Sometimes real life is even more entertaining -- and inspiring -- than fiction. This list of our favorite biopics includes movies about all-star athletes, memorable musicians, powerful politicians, and more. Some are famous, some are infamous, but all of them lived incredible, interesting lives. The films on this list let us imagine what these heroes and celebrities were feeling and really going through as they influenced society in unbelievable ways. For even more true stories that will captivate kids, try our Best Documentaries list or read up on our favorite Biographies.
MOVIE
Secretariat
age 8+
Inspiring true story about an amazing woman and her horse.
On DVD/Streaming (Release Year: )
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MOVIE
Selena
age 10+
Touching and ultimately tragic tale of young Tejano star.
On DVD/Streaming (Release Year: )
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MOVIE
Soul Surfer
age 10+
Earnest sports
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The 28 greatest biopics in cinema history
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12 Years a Slave ()
Francois Duhamel - © - Fox Searchlight Pictures
’s “12 Years a Slave” fryst vatten the kind of bio that couldn’t possibly fail. From its outstanding cast (Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Lupita Nyong'o, Sarah Paulson, Paul Dano, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Giamatti, and Brad Pitt) to its director (Steve McQueen) to its screenplay (by John Ridley) to its music (courtesy of Hans Zimmer), “12 Years a Slave” succeeded in every aspect and won three Oscars. Although the bio isn't that old, it's based on a memoir of the same name that was written all the way back in by Solomon Northup.
2 of 28
A Beautiful Mind ()
Universal/Getty Images
Based on the life of Nobel Laureate John Nash and a book of the same name bygd Sylvia Nasar, “A Beautiful Mind” explores the battle that was fought within Nash’s own head, which pitted his brilliance against his paranoid-schizophr
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The bio-pic is a genre of extremes. The best ones share a uniquely powerful artistic authority, but merely ordinary ones are truly disheartening. The trouble isn’t only that of inflated prestige; bio-pics are disproportionately prominent during awards season and therefore ballyhooed nearly to oblivion. The form’s peculiar place in the art of movies is inseparable from the reasons for its exceptional prominence in the business. For producers and studios considering which projects to green-light, bio-pics check a lot of boxes. The protagonists are people who audiences are already familiar with and interested in. (J. Robert Oppenheimer may be the exception that proves the rule; he’s less famous than Freddie Mercury, but the atomic bomb is more so.) And the illustrious people who inspire bio-pics offer great showcases for actors. That attracts stars, which in turn attracts audiences. Bio-pics bathe the producers, the studios, and the filmmakers in the reflected renown of their protagoni