Browse Movies : Biography (Page #5)

Based on the incredible true story of composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges. The illegitimate son of an African slave and a French plantation owner, Bologne (Kelvin Harrison Jr. in a tour de force performance) rises to improbable heights in French society as a celebrated violinist-composer and fencer, complete with an ill-fated love affair and a falling out with Marie Antoinette (Lucy Boynton) herself and her court.

When Betty Anne Waters' (Hilary Swank) older brother Kenny (Sam Rockwell) is arrested for murder and sentenced to life in 1983, Betty Anne, a Massachusetts wife and mother of two, dedicates her life to overturning the murder conviction. Convinced that her brother is innocent, Betty Anne puts herself through high school, college and, finally, law school in an 18 year quest to free Kenny. With the help of best friend Abra Rice (Minnie Driver), Betty Anne pours through suspicious evidence mounted by small town cop Nancy Taylor (Melissa Leo), meticulously retracing the steps that led to Kenny's arrest. Belief in her brother - and her quest for the truth - pushes Betty Anne and her team to uncover the facts and utilize DNA evidence with the hope of exonerating Kenny.

Adaptation of Jacki Lyden's mother-daughter memoir of growing up with a mother whom everyone labeled as crazy but actually suffered from what is now known to be manic-depression. Lyden's mother often would become convinced she was a woman with power, such as the Queen of Sheba or Marie Antoinette, then act out her delusions. Her mother's escapes from reality inspired Lyden to seek a career in radio journalism, where she could "escape" to exotic places like Baghdad to cover the Persian Gulf War, among other places. Lyden's feelings of helplessness growing up, her mother's refusal to seek treatment and her mother's relationships with the opposite sex -- which, in turn, affected Lyden's relationships -- are among the complex issues explored in the film.

Anita Moorjani battles against cancer for four years. Overwhelmed by malignant cells, her body begins shutting down. As her organs fail, she enters into an extraordinary near-death experience where she realizes her inherent worth and the actual cause of her disease. Upon regaining consciousness, her condition improves. Within three days, 70% of her cancer is gone. Shortly after, she is declared cancer free.

Tells the story of Olympic Gold Medal-winning wrestler Mark Schultz (Tatum), who sees a way out from the shadow of his more celebrated wrestling brother Dave (Ruffalo) and a life of poverty when he is summoned by eccentric multi-millionaire John du Pont (Carell) to move onto his estate and train for the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Desperate to gain the respect of his disapproving mother, du Pont begins "coaching" a world-class athletic team and, in the process, lures Mark into dangerous habits, breaks his confidence and drives him into a self-destructive spiral.

A 1950s-era tale, focusing on the obscenity trial launched to censor Allen Ginsberg's groundbreaking book-length poem.

In 1966, single-mother Helen Reddy (Tilda Cobham-Hervey) leaves her old life in Australia for New York and stardom, only to find that the industry’s male gatekeepers don’t take her seriously. Helen finds an encouraging friend in legendary rock journalist Lillian Roxon (Danielle Macdonald), who becomes her closest confidant. When ambitious aspiring talent manager Jeff Wald (Evan Peters) sweeps Helen off her feet, everything changes as he becomes both her husband and manager and relocates the family to California. With a strong push from Helen, Jeff secures her a recording contract and subsequent string of hit singles, including the iconic megahit “I Am Woman.” Increased fame leads to added pressures on themselves and their relationship, forcing Helen to find the strength to take control of her own destiny.

Before Errol Flynn became one of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood, he was braving cannibals and crocodiles while searching the jungles of Papua New Guinea for gold with his ragtag crew. Flynn is forced to learn what it means to be a master of his own destiny.

Former NASA programmer John McAfee develops the first commercial anti-virus program which is eventually acquired by Intel in 2010 for $7.68 billion. McAfee's personal fortune takes a significant hit in the wake of the financial crisis, forcing him to sell almost everything he owns. While leaving in Belize, Belizean authorities seek him out to question him about the murder of American expatriate and neighbor Gregory Viant Faull in Orange Walk Town. McAfee seeks political asylum in Guatemala, but his plea is denied and he is designated for deportation after allegedly entering the country illegally. While at a detention center, McAfee fakes a heart attack in order to give his attorney time to file a series of appeals that prevents his deportation to Belize, and on December 12, 2012, he was deported to the United States.

The true story of the rise and fall of London’s most notorious gangsters, Reggie and Ron Kray, both portrayed by Tom Hardy in a double performance. Legend is a classic crime thriller taking us into the secret history of the 1960s and the extraordinary events that secured the infamy of the Kray twins.

When Walt Disney’s daughters begged him to make a movie of their favorite book, P.L. Travers’ “Mary Poppins,” he made them a promise—one that he didn’t realize would take 20 years to keep. In his quest to obtain the rights, Walt comes up against a curmudgeonly, uncompromising writer who has absolutely no intention of letting her beloved magical nanny get mauled by the Hollywood machine. But, as the books stop selling and money grows short, Travers reluctantly agrees to go to Los Angeles to hear Disney’s plans for the adaptation.

For those two short weeks in 1961, Walt Disney pulls out all the stops. Armed with imaginative storyboards and chirpy songs from the talented Sherman brothers, Walt launches an all-out onslaught on P.L. Travers, but the prickly author doesn’t budge. He soon begins to watch helplessly as Travers becomes increasingly immovable and the rights begin to move further away from his grasp.

It is only when he reaches into his own childhood that Walt discovers the truth about the ghosts that haunt her, and together they set Mary Poppins free to ultimately make one of the most endearing films in cinematic history.

Follows Eddie Redmayne as theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, world-famous as the author of A Brief History of Time, opposite Felicity Jones. The movie explores the excitement of the 1960s for Stephen as he studies at Cambridge University. At the dawn of a brilliant life’s work, he falls passionately in love with arts student Jane Wilde. Their relationship leads him through personal and scientific challenges and breakthroughs, and as his world opens up he opens up the entire world to new ways of seeing.

In Belle Epoque Paris, 19-year-old kitchen maid Augustine suffers an inexplicable seizure that leaves her partially paralyzed and is shipped off to an all-female psychiatric hospital specializing in the then-fashionable ailment of 'hysteria'. Augustine captures the attention of renowned neurologist Dr. Charcot (Vincent Lindon) after she has another attack that appears to give her intense physical pleasure. Intrigued, he begins using her as his principal subject, hypnotizing her in front of his fellow doctors. As Augustine displays her spectacular fits in lecture halls, the lines between doctor and patient become blurred, radically impacting the course of both of their lives.

Biopic about 19th Century French writer Guy de Maupassant, a young man who scandalously slept his way to the top of Paris' high society in the 1890's with some of the city's most influential women.

Jim Thorpe is a member of the Sac and Fox Nation and his native name, Wa-Tho-Huk, translates as Bright Path. In 1912, he wins two Olympic gold track and field medals, representing the United States while his citizenship goes unrecognized during a period of cultural genocide for Native Americans. Known as one of the most versatile athletes, Thorpe goes on to play Major League Baseball, professional football and eventually founds the organization that becomes the National Football League.

Melissa McCarthy stars in the adaptation of the memoir Can You Ever Forgive Me?, the true story of best-selling celebrity biographer (and friend to cats) Lee Israel (McCarthy) who made her living in the 1970’s and 80’s profiling the likes of Katharine Hepburn, Tallulah Bankhead, Estee Lauder and journalist Dorothy Kilgallen. When Lee is no longer able to get published because she has fallen out of step with current tastes, she turns her art form to deception, abetted by her loyal friend Jack (Richard E. Grant).