21 'True Story' Oscar Movies That Ignored The Truth
![21 'True Story' Oscar Movies That Ignored The Truth](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/9/6/765496_320x180.jpg)
Due to a film schedule that is a wasteland, the upcoming Academy Awards will mostly be awarding films that never saw wide popularity, films that were quietly shot and then sent directly to judges via screeners. So, it's the same as it has been for the past few years. When you add up all the years of Oscar films, you get a fair number of films that did leave their mark on cultural consciousness, including a number based on true stories. Think again if you thought these taught you anything about actual events.
Which would be bad enough if they made these changes in order to make a better story. But nearly always, we find that the true events make for the better story. The altered version instead just makes for the more Hollywood story—more generic, more simple, more easily fitting into how everyone already things these stories are supposed to go.
![Gladiator CRACKED CON Movie Maximus duels and kills Emperor Commodus in the arena. The real Commodus was killed in the bath by a wrestler named Narcissus. And unlike the brief term shown in the film, Commodus served as Roman emperor for a successful 13 years. Commodus was not rejected by his](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/5/9/765459.jpg)
For details, read 5 Hollywood Happy Endings That Weren't So Happy In Real Life
![Dallas Buyers Club CRACKED COM In the movie, cowboy Ron Woodroof smuggles safe but non-FDA-approved AIDS medications, like Peptide T, DDC, and Compound Q. In real life, the drugs Woodroof got his hands on simply didn't work. We know now Peptide T is useless at fighting HIV, while DDC can](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/9/8/7/766987.jpg)
For details, read 5 Real People Screwed By 'True-Story' Movies Based On Them
![Hotel Rwanda CRACKED0O Hotel Rwanda tells of hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina's frantic efforts to harbor and save refugees during the Rwandan genocide. However, survivors say he exaggerated his heroism, and was in fact charging his guests for safe haven in the hotel. One of the employees of the hotel, Pasa](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/9/8/8/766988.jpg)
For details, read 5 Movies Based on a True Story (That Are Complete BS)
![Hoosiers CRACKEDCO Hoosiers is based on Milan High School and their 1954 championship run. In reality, the team surprised no one with their performance in the state tournament. They were a small school, sure, but they'd been on the big stage before- -the previous year. In Marvin Wood's first season](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/9/8/9/766989.jpg)
For details, read 6 Movies Based on a True Story (That Are Also Full of Shit)
![Catch Me If You Can CRACKED.COM Frank Abagnale's biggest con wasn't impersonating a professor, an attorney or a pilot. It was fooling us into thinking he was an impersonator. Не never successfully infiltrated various professions, like the book and movie say. In real life, his chief crimes were car theft and check fraud, and he invented the more outandish claims just for his autobiography.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/0/5/900105.jpg)
![Amadeus In Amadeus, Mozart is a goof who is fiercely envied (and probably killed) by Salieri. But most historians agree that their relationship was one of friendly rivalry, marked by mutual respect and admiration. Mozart likely drank himself to death -and yet he was far from the potty-mouthed, giggling](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/5/8/765458.jpg)
For details, read 6 Historical Villains Who Were Actually OK Guys
![The Last King Of Scotland CRACKEDC The Last King Of Scotland chronicles the relationship between ldi Amin and a young Scottish doctor, who ends up fleeing the country to alert the world to Amin's insanity. Unlike the movie's depiction of the doctor trying to take Amin down, Astles remained by](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/7/2/765472.jpg)
For details, read 6 Movies Based on a True Story (That Are Also Full of Shit)
![Argo CRACKEDG COM In Argo the Americans save the day. In reality, it was Canada that pulled off the rescue. The plot involved getting Americans out of Iran by disguising them as a film crew scouting a location. The movie makes it seem like it was all the CIA's idea,](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/6/9/765469.jpg)
For details, read 7 Movies Based on a True Story (Are Shockingly Full of Crap)
![The Blind Side CRACKED.COM When this movie came out, we already knew the story was fictionalized. Oher had been on track for success without the adopted family, and the subplot about him being a gentle giant reluctant to tackle opponents was totally invented for the film. Later, far more serious lies came out. The family never adopted him at all. They just created a conservatorship over him to control his money and exploit him.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/0/9/1/939091.jpg)
![A Beautiful Mind CRACKEDO COM In A Beautiful Mind, John Nash uses his Nobel acceptance speech to thank his wife. Nash was not invited to give a Nobel speech because of his instability. According to an observer, Nash said that he hoped winning the Nobel would improve his credit rating,](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/5/7/765457.jpg)
For details, read 6 Movies Based on a True Story (That Are Also Full of Shit)
![The Danish Girl CRACKED co Eddie Redmayne was nominated for Best Actor for his portrayal of Einar Wegener (known later as Lili Elbe). But the movie misrepresents Lili's wife Gerda's sexuality. Elbe's transition is portrayed in the film as a game of cross-dressing that drives Gerda into the arms of a](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/5/4/765454.jpg)
For details, read 7 Oscar-Nominated 'True Story' Movies (Are Based On Lies)
![Sully CRACKED CONT Sully quickly ran out of things to do after that whole landing a plane in a river thing wrapped up, So they threw in a phony conflict with the National Transportation Safety Board investigating the crash. The NTSB is required to investigate ANY crash, and wasn't on](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/9/8/5/766985.jpg)
For details, read 5 'Underdog' Movies About Real People Who Weren't Underdogs
![Erin Brockovich CRACKEDCOR In the movie, everyone's delighted at the end of the trial. But the actual plaintiffs were far from satisfied. Brockovich's firm delayed sharing any of the settlement, took an unusually large share of the children's compensation, and charged eight figures in expenses beyond what was originally agreed.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/6/2/765462.jpg)
For details, read 6 'Based on a True Story' Movies with Unpleasant Epilogues
![The Sound Of Music CRACKED COM In The Sound Of Music, the grumpy, -nosed captain learns to enjoy music. But the real Georg von Trapp was a sweet man who loved music. His children were never happy about the way their kind father was portrayed on film. On the other](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/6/3/765463.jpg)
For details, read 7 Movies Based on a True Story (Are Shockingly Full of Crap)
![Bridge Of Spies CRACKED.C COM In Best Picture nominee Bridge Of Spies, spy plane pilot Gary Powers is captured and tortured by the Soviets. The real Powers was treated well. He spent most of his time in jail wondering whether his wife was having an affair. And knitting. Seriously. He](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/6/1/765461.jpg)
For details, read 7 Oscar-Nominated 'True Story' Movies (Are Based On Lies)
![12 Years A Slave 12 Years A Slave ends by saying that details about Solomon Northup's death are unknown. That's technically true. But it's not just that we lack historical record of him- -he straight-up disappeared. Given that the last time he disappeared, he was kidnapped into slavery and](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/7/0/765470.jpg)
For details, read 6 Horrifying Endings That 'True Story' Movies Left Out
![Steve Jobs CRACKED CO In Steve Jobs, the titular character is portrayed as the savior of Apple. But Jobs almost sank the company. As part of his return to Apple, Jobs was awarded $1.5 million in shares of stock. As soon as it was legally possible to do so, he sold](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/6/0/765460.jpg)
For details, read 5 "Geniuses" Who Drove Their Legacies Into the Ground
![Titanic CRACKED.c COM Rose survives Titanic despite the crew's bungling efforts. In the film, William Murdoch sends off half-filled lifeboats, panics, and even murders passengers. In reality, he filled boats to capacity and sacrificed himself So others could survive. The portrayal was SO insulting, studio executives flew to his hometown](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/0/7/7/767077.jpg)
For details, read 5 Real People Who Got Screwed by Famous Movies Based on Them
![ThE Theory Of Everything CRACKEDc COM In The Theory Of Everything, Stephen and Jane Hawking drift apart but remain friends. In truth, Hawking's divorce was bitter, and his second wife was abusive. His relationship with Jane and the children was distant and strained, and things with new wife Elaine were](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/7/3/765473.jpg)
For details, read 6 Horrifying Endings That 'True Story' Movies Left Out
![The Revenant CRACKED.C COM The Revenant is the story of Hugh Glass' quest for revenge against the men who killed his son and left him for dead. In reality, Glass never had a son. And while he was indeed left for dead, the pair who buried him did SO because](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/6/6/765466.jpg)
For details, read 7 Oscar-Nominated 'True Story' Movies (Are Based On Lies)
![Frost/ Nixon CRACKED.cO COM If Frost/Nixon is to be believed, British journalist David Frost, through a series of televised interviews, got former president Nixon tO admit his guilt regarding various illegal activities. In reality, the apology was carefully scripted by Nixon and his people well ahead of time. The movie](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/5/5/765455.jpg)
For details, read 6 Movies Based on a True Story (That Are Also Full of Shit)