1. The Pursuit Of Happyness (Gabriele Muccino, 2006)
The Subject Chris Gardner, homeless man turned stockbroker.
The Story (According To The Film) Medical supply salesman Chris Gardner is abandoned by his wife and left with little money and the guardianship of his five year old son. The two become homeless after being evicted from their home due to unpaid taxes and are forced to resort to sleeping in subway station bathrooms, amongst other places. Chris is accepted on a stockbroker internship after a chance encounter with a manager, dedicating himself to his new unpaid work in an attempt to get the only paid position that he and nineteen others are fighting for whilst desperately trying to provide for his son. He ultimately succeeds in becoming a successful man and respectable father.
The Lies The film differed from actual events in a number of ways, attracting criticism for its predominantly positive portrayal of Gardner when in reality many of his actions were objectionable. Notable omissions from the film include: The fact that for much of the program, Gardner neglected his son (who was two at the time and not five as shown in the film) and had no idea of his whereabouts. The fact that Gardner was involved in both the taking and selling of drugs. The fact that Gardners arrest before an interview was believed to be the result of him being accused of domestic violence, not for unpaid parking tickets as depicted in the film.
Of course, these are just a handful of biopics and historical films that, great and engaging as they may be, have deceived the audience by twisting the truth. There are plenty more of them out there, so feel free to share them and put them forward for inclusion in a sequel article in the comments section.