Guide to Biopics: 3 Characteristics of Biographical Films

A biopic (short for "biographical picture”) is a type of motion picture that tells the life story of a non-fictional, real person. Biopic films typically revolve around a historical figure or a famous person, though they can be about anyone—as long as the person actually exists or existed in real life. Not all historical dramas or films based on a true story are biopics. A biopic film must focus on one protagonist and comprehensively tell that person's life story over the course of many years (as opposed to just one event or period in that person's life).

When watching a biopic, you'll notice the film contains the following characteristics.

1. 1. Focus on one protagonist: Biopics focus on one protagonist, which is why the title of so many biographical films is simply the name of the protagonist. Such examples include Ali, Gandhi, Malcolm X, Patton, and Selena. In some instances, the key protagonist may be a small unit of real people—typically a band. In F. Gary Gray's Straight Outta Compton, the protagonist is the rap group N.W.A.
2. 2. Covers multiple events: A biopic doesn't have to encompass the entire lifespan of its protagonist from birth to death, but it should paint a thorough picture of a significant portion of their life. A film that only tells the story of one event in a real person's life is not considered a biopic. For example, Ron Howard's Apollo 13 tells the true story of the three real astronauts who flew the Apollo 13 mission to the moon. This film is not technically a biopic because it focuses solely on that one event and does not chronicle more of the astronauts’ lives.
3. 3. Subjectiveness: Biopic filmmakers often take creative liberties with the narrative of the subject’s life. They may condense timelines, omit details, and rewrite key conversations to heighten the drama and make for a more compelling film. In some cases, a biopic may use surface-level facts about a person as a framework for a narrative that is somewhat fictional; such is the case in Steve Jobs, which was directed by Danny Boyle and written by Aaron Sorkin.

Familiarize yourself with the biopic film genre by learning about these biopic examples.

1. 1. A Beautiful Mind (2001): Ron Howard's critically acclaimed biopic about the life of American mathematician John Nash (played by Russell Crowe) won four Academy Awards, one of which was Best Picture.
2. 2. Bohemian Rhapsody (2018): In this musical biopic, Rami Malek won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury.
3. 3. I'm Not There (2007): In Todd Haynes' unconventional biopic of Bob Dylan, Haynes cast six different actors to portray Dylan in order to depict his various personalities.
4. 4. Lawrence of Arabia (1962): A historical epic about British archaeologist and army officer T.E. Lawrence, this biopic won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for David Lean.
5. 5. Lincoln (2012): Daniel-Day Lewis won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of former US president Abraham Lincoln in this historical biopic directed by Steven Spielberg.
6. 6. Nixon (1995): Oliver Stone directed this biopic, which features Anthony Hopkins in the title role of former US president Richard Nixon. Nixon was nominated for four Academy Awards.
7. 7. Ray (2004): Taylor Hackford directed this biopic about the legendary blues musician Ray Charles. Jamie Foxx won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance of Charles.
   
8. 8. Selena (1997): Gregory Nava's musical biopic stars Jennifer Lopez in her breakout performance as Mexican-American singer Selena.
9. 9. The Social Network (2010): David Fincher directed this biopic that chronicles the story of how Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook. Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin penned the script and won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
10. 10. The Theory of Everything (2007): Based on a memoir by Stephen Hawking’s ex-wife, Jane Hawking, this biopic chronicles the life and relationships of the famed theoretical physicist. Eddie Redmayne won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Hawking.

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