By Matthew Barnes, Commentary
True stories are in high demand. People desire seeing films about real events, and Hollywood has responded. At the 2019 Oscars, four of the eight best picture nominees were biopics. Three “based on a true story” films were showcased in 2018 as well, and while these films have enjoyable elements, they nearly always face the same negative headlines: inaccurate details and biased themes.
This year’s best picture, “Green Book,” was no exception. The family of Dr. Don Shirley, the heralded African-American pianist portrayed by Mahershala Ali in the movie, called the film a “symphony of lies,” according to IndieWire. They were offended by how the film depicted Shirley as a man estranged from the black community and claimed the writers fabricated many elements of the relationship between the two leads.
Director Spike Lee has not hidden his disdain for “Green Book,” yet his 2019 movie, “BlacKkKlansman,” is littered with fictional plot points. Let’s not forget “Vice,” the Cheney film that does not pull any punches in its political commentary. Its director, Adam McKay, is an outspoken hater of the Bush administration and is certainly no Washington insider. Slate magazine wrote that the film paints its characters much like “cartoon stick figures,” not showing the nuances of their decision-making.
The current cultural climate has added to skewed storytelling, but this phenomenon is nothing new. It’s not just modern blockbusters that forget to fact-check; older films have made the same mistakes. “Pearl Harbor” was frowned upon by history buffs, with historian Lawrence Suid saying the film barely offers a “remote resemblance” to the real event. Even Mel Gibson’s “Braveheart” walks the thin line of truth and fiction, with the relationship between William Wallace and Isabella being nothing but a plot device.
What’s the big deal? Shouldn’t filmmakers have the creative freedom to make their films however they want? The answer to that is “yes” if their movies are based on fictional stories. But when your characters are real people with real families and there are real implications to a director’s political statement, a line is crossed.
Filmmakers usually get away with bending the truth. A lot of times, the subjects of films have passed away, so they can’t really defend their honor. Other times the subject simply doesn’t care enough to start drama. Just like with modern journalism, sometimes the viewing audience is numb to the bias and has accepted the fact that objectivity is a dying art. While a few publications might expose some lies these films told, the movies will still haul in loads of money and are typically well-received during awards season.
I get it. Sometimes there are limitations to being 100 percent factual. What if a movie is on a tight budget and a character’s plot point costs too much to execute? What if the real person being featured asks the writers to embellish certain dark parts of his or her life? The urge to bend a little would have to be significant. So when I fact-check a movie, minor tweaks here and there are passable. Filmmaking is complex, and sometimes movie-makers get dealt a bad hand and work with what they have. I do not want to be overly cynical and blast every movie that does not quote the truth verbatim because those films do not exist.
However, Hollywood needs to evaluate the weight of its actions. Film is a powerful tool that can start riots, sway public opinion or even force people to question their beliefs. When you wield that much power, be careful with it. You can cause a lot of damage when you disregard truth.
Some would counter by saying, “If I don’t add things to spice the film up a bit, it won’t be very interesting.” Then maybe you should dig deeper for interesting stories before you pour millions into developing a snooze-fest. There is plenty of captivating content that is stranger than fiction; you just have to find it, and consumers will fall in love with it.
Some of my favorite movies of all time are true stories. But I shouldn’t have to fact-check every single film I see due to the lack of faith I have in Hollywood’s intentions. As Christians, God calls us to seek out truth. It is the most valuable currency there is. As a viewer, the only option is to hold our artists accountable by spreading the word about their faulty storytelling and to be wary of believing everything we see. The genre may be flourishing, but the ugly morals behind it have been unveiled.
