Movies That Claimed to Be True Stories but Were Actually Fabricated For Views

Movies based on real stories capture the attention of many viewers. Viewers connect to the narrative more than they would a fictional story and find a kind of joy in learning about history. Furthermore, when viewers believe that what is being represented could happen to them, their interest in the film increases. This makes true-story films especially attractive.

For more than 20 years, the enigmatic story of Fargo has baffled viewers – until now. It’s been revealed that many of the plot points and people featured in the iconic 1996 movie were fabricated, stretching truth and reality to unprecedented levels.

This acclaimed historical drama about the Canadian Caper from 1979 highlights the gripping intensity of six US diplomats sheltered in the Canadian ambassador’s home as they were being rescued from Iran.

The inspiring story of Daniel Ruettiger, whose ambition to become a Notre Dame football player is depicted in the acclaimed sports biopic Rudy, has captivated audiences for decades. This enduring classic film is widely considered one of the greatest sports movies of all time.

In this movie based on a true story, there is a scene where John Du Pont, a financial supporter of a wrestling team, murders wrestler Dave Schultz. That murder, set in motion a days-long search before the billionaire murderer was finally apprehended. Foxcatcher, a movie based on a true story, diverges from the facts, transforming the ending into a work of fiction.

The Blind Side depicts Michael Oher’s incredible rise in the National Football League, which he was able to achieve despite his challenging upbringing. The movie centers on his life after being taken in by Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, showing how he was able to overcome adversity.

When the film A Beautiful Mind, based on the life of mathematical genius John Nash, was released, it caused a stir of criticism. People questioned why some of the story had been changed, while other events remained factual. In particular, they wondered why the Wheeler Laboratory, which was depicted in the film, had never existed in reality. Despite this discrepancy, one fact was shown accurately – that John Nash eventually became a professor at MIT.

Rush allowed people to indulge in their Formula One fantasies on the big screen, although some details were exaggerated for entertainment. Contrary to what was portrayed in the movie, James Hunt and Niki Lauda had a friendly relationship, even living together for a time.

Instead of simply completing a tightrope walk between the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers, Philippe Petit did it an incredible eight times and even put on a show for the cheering crowd below. Contrary to his biopic, this legendary daredevil didn’t fall into a lake during his practice sessions, despite what the movie might have portrayed.

At the end of the movie, the audience walked out of theaters with a warm feeling of positivity and hope, satisfied with Chris Gardner’s success. His rags-to-riches story is indeed true, but Gardner wasn’t as poor as the film showed. He also didn’t work for free with Dean Witter. He was actually paid $1,000 monthly for ten months.

Adrian Cronauer, the inspiration for the film Good Morning Vietnam, could only wish he was as talented and witty as the radio personality portrayed by Robin Williams. If he had been as kooky as the character Williams portrayed, he might have been kicked out of the role (as was portrayed in the film). 

Chances are you wouldn’t recognize the real blackjack team that inspired the movie 21 if you saw them. That’s because the real team members are Asian. Adding to the fiction is the fact that they were not led by an MIT professor. Instead, the group was founded by John Chang, J.P. Masser, and Bill Kaplan.

James J. Braddock’s unlikely victory over Max Baer in 1935 earned him the nickname “Cinderella Man.” His biopic shared the same title. Although nominated three times for an Academy Award, the film enraged Baer’s family over their patriarch’s vilification. 

Micky Ward beat Shea Neary by TKO in 2000 and was later celebrated in The Fighter as a world boxing champion. The truth is that the title he won from the World Boxing Union as a junior welterweight was not considered a full-fledged title.

It’s not every day that we hear about multiple abductions implicating the involvement of UFOs, so it’s understandable that such a film would attract a lot of people seeking answers. Apparently, these abduction stories have become a nuisance to town officials in Nome, Alaska, where they supposedly took place.

The biographical story about rap group N.W.A. is missing some unsavory details concerning Dr. Dre. Although the latter has issued a general apology about the matter, his violent acts against TV host Dee Barnes were glaringly left out in the story. She was assaulted by Dr. Dre in 1990 for hosting a segment that concerned Ice Cube’s bitter exit from the group.

There is no evidence to back up the idea that frontiersman Hugh Glass had a relationship with a Pawnee woman. He didn’t have a son either, although the movie is driven by his desire to seek revenge for his son’s murder.

When you have two divers accidentally left behind in the ocean, there is so much creative space to make anything up, and this is what happened in the film Open Water. The movie depicts what Tom and Eileen Lonergan went through near the Great Barrier Reef. 

What actually happened to the fishing vessel Andrea Gail when it crashed into a combination of a hurricane and two raging weather fronts? Although clearly depicted in The Perfect Storm, the events will always be a mystery. The story was fictionalized by Sebastian Junger, and his book was later turned into the film of the same name.

Film director Steven Spielberg swore that every scam in this movie was pulled off in real life by con man Frank Abagnale, who began swindling people at the age of fifteen. But Abagnale himself denies he ever posed as a replacement French teacher. This was the first scam shown in the film.

The Israeli government seeks revenge for the killing of its athletes during the 1972 Summer Olympics by sending out a team led by Avner Kaufman code-named Operation: Wrath of God. Contrary to the events shown in the film Munich, the targeting of Black September was actually done by several hit squads, and not just by Kaufman’s. 

In the movie, rodeo cowboy Ron Woodroof smuggles unapproved medicines to treat himself and others suffering from AIDS, leading to the creation of the Dallas Buyers’ Club. The real Woodroof was an electrician and merely a fan of the rodeo. Contrary to his fictionalized character’s misogynistic and homophobic nature, the real Ron was never known to be that way.

In real life, a bunch of bodybuilders, all members of the Sun Gym Gang, dressed up as ninjas in one of their multiple attempts to kidnap a businessman (Marc Schiller). This was the basis of the movie Pain and Gain, but it was filled with many fictional characters – as if the real deal wasn’t funny enough!

Jimi: All Is By My Side, a biopic released in 2013, failed to get the American musician’s fans on its side due to its many inaccuracies. First off, the rock legend wasn’t featured in the film playing his original songs.

Whip Whitaker, a boozy pilot, prevents his aircraft from crashing by deftly maneuvering the aircraft upside-down. He saved all the passengers who couldn’t thank him enough. They would thank him more if they could, except Whip doesn’t exist. 

Frank T. Hidalgo’s autobiography tells of his incredible experiences as an endurance rider in America and describes his friendship with Buffalo Bill and Black Elk. The movie Hidalgo recounts his challenges competing against Bedouins in the Ocean of Fire. It has beautiful scenes and sweeping landscapes – an ideal match for what critics describe as Hopkins’ delusions.

The Disney animated classic, Pocahontas doesn’t go out of its way to claim that it’s an authentic retelling of history; however, the film is riddled with historical inaccuracies. In reality, Pocahontas was the nickname given to the girl named Matoaka. In 1607 when the Virginia Company and John Smith arrived, Matoaka would have only been a 10 or 11 year old child.

For an inspiring Olympic underdog story, look no further than 1993’s Cool Runnings. This film depicts the story of the Jamaican bobsled team of 1988 to a dramatized extent. For example, many of the characters are fictionalized, including Coach Irv. Furthermore, the team itself wasn’t made up of four sprinters from Jamaica. Instead, two Americans selected army recruits in an attempt to put together a bobsled team.

The Greatest Showman became an instant hit with it’s catchy musical numbers and star-studded lineup including Hugh Jackman, Zack Effron, and Zendaya. The film is based on the creation of the Barnum & Bailey Circus and follows the life of P.T. Barnum. However, while the film puts Barnum in a positive light as a supporter of the downtrodden, in real life he was known to expl0it marginalized people for profits.

The Imitation Game tells the story of Alan Turing during World War II as he sets out to crack the Enigma Code of the Germans. However, the true story differs from what you see on screen. The film enjoys giving Turing all the credit for the code-breaking success when in actuality Polish scientists greatly assisted in the feat by cracking earlier codes and helping Alan Turing with his code-breaking machine.

The critically acclaimed classic film, Lawrence of Arabia may be well-known but wasn’t well-researched. For starters, the depiction of Arabs and Arabs soldiers was largely misrepresented. The film depicts them as tribal and undisciplined when in actuality they were considered classy, educated, and well-trained at the time.