Commercializing your life story

There are a few films that actors and directors turn to when they want to win an Oscar. There's the big-budget epic, the adaptation of a best-selling book and, of course, the old stand by -- the biopic. It seems this year can be dubbed the Year of the Biopic, with the Oscars potentially being dominated by these biographically-driven films. "Ray," (Ray Charles), "Kinsey" (IU sex researcher Alfred Kinsey) and "Finding Neverland" ("Peter Pan" author J.M. Barrie) all look to grab Best Actor nominations for Jamie Foxx, Liam Neeson and Johnny Depp. Directors will also be looking to grab some gold. "Beyond the Sea" (singer Bobby Darin), "Alexander" (Alexander the Great) and "The Aviator" (media mogul Howard Hughes) all expect to earn Best Director nominations for Kevin Spacey, Oliver Stone and Martin Scorcese. Making a biopic seems like an easy way to make a movie. Just find someone with an interesting life and copy it onto film. But the task of taking some 30 to 80 years of someone's life and squeezing it into two-and-half hours (at the max) can be pretty daunting. Many biopics have been accused of being inaccurate when it comes to what to include in the movie and what to leave out. In 1946, "Night and Day," the story of Indiana's own composer Cole Porter, left out the fact he was homosexual, since it wasn't acceptable at that time. (Recently, "De-Lovely" with Kevin Kline shed more light on Porter's story with an incredibly dull film.) In 2001, "A Beautiful Mind" fell into the same trap, completely leaving out major portions of math-genius John Nash's life. Ron Howard's take on Nash left out his bisexuality, abuse toward his wife and children, his divorce and the fact he actually wasn't as well-liked in the scientific community as the film would lead you to believe. One of the biggest problems for accuracy in biopics comes when there isn't one true version to tell about someone's life. Oliver Stone's "Nixon" certainly had this problem, and the final product is more of Stone's take on his life than a complete documentation. Bill Condon's "Kinsey" faces these problems more than any other film I can think of. Some have accused Kinsey, the IU professor who brought sexual issues to light, of being a pedophile and a homosexual. Famed radio host Dr. Laura has led a boycott of the film for these reasons. Others call him a hero who bravely stood for scientific research when the majority of America was afraid of his findings. I don't see how any version of the film can reconcile both of these images. With no evidence proving or disproving the rumors, Condon had to use some of his interpretation in the screenplay. Overall, I don't see 100 percent accuracy as the goal in making a biopic. In some cases, composite characters, found in films such as "Catch Me if You Can" and "Veronica Guerin," make it much easier for the viewer even if it stretches the truth. I think the cardinal rule of any biopic should be not to glorify the subject, but to tell the story truthfully. "A Beautiful Mind" would have been much more interesting had they left in all of his psychotic tendencies. Without the negative side of their lives, films such as "Ali," "Auto-Focus" and "The Doors" would have been a waste of time. Best Biopic Actors:
1. "Schindler's List" and "Michael Collins" -- Liam Neeson is the man when it comes to biopics. "Kinsey" should solidify his standing. 2. "The Hurricane" and "Malcolm X" -- Denzel Washington can make you cry almost as easily as James Caan in "Brian's Song." 3. "Boycott" and "Basquiat" -- Jeffrey Wright is one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood. It takes some talent to play such differing roles as MLK and avant-garde painter Jean-Michel Basquiat. Other Notable Biopics to Check Out:
"Gandhi," "Ed Wood," "The Miracle Worker," "Man in the Moon," "American Splendor," "The Right Stuff," "Bonnie and Clyde," "Raging Bull," "Monster." Figures Worthy of Biopics:
1. Tupac - Whether or not you like his music, nobody in hip-hop has such an interesting story as him. In high school, I compared his death to Julius Caesar for English class, and he's one tragic figure. 2. Bill Clinton -- I'm sorry but "Primary Colors" just didn't cut it for me. Although there needs to be some time before this can be made, it would definitely be worth it. Nobody has overcome such political rancor and scandal and yet walk away with it with a smile on his face. 3. Ben Franklin -- Not only did he help found the country, harnessed electricity and invented the library and the post office, he was a really wild guy. He loved hookers and even got syphilis. 4. Marlon Brando -- What a weirdo?! He's one of the greatest actors ever and one of the strangest. Among his highlights: sending a Native American to accept his Oscar, walking around his house in a diaper and teaching acting classes in a dress. Other Good Subjects:
Nelson Mandela, Walt Disney, Eleanor Roosevelt, Mike Tyson, Princess Diana, Ray Kroc, Winston Churchill, Edgar Allan Poe.