June 10, 2007

Reel people

A number of new movies are based on the intriguing lives of real folks. But are they more fact -- or fiction?

By Nancy Mills

"Based on a true story" is a compelling Hollywood come-on. But who knows when movie truth squares with the facts?

The History Channel's resident historian Steve Gillon (his series Our Generation returns this Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET) knows, and he is willing to go easy on the movies. "We have to give the studios some leeway," he says. "As long as a movie is faithful to the essence of history, filmmakers can take a certain license. What's important is that a movie ignites the imagination and inspires people to seek the truth."

Training his eye on five upcoming Hollywood films about real people, Gillon explains why we might want to spend 90-plus minutes watching their semi-true adventures. In the chart below, he also ruminates on which facts are likely fudged -- and whether we should let that steer us away from taking in these buzzed-about movies once they hit the big screen.

FILM: "A Mighty Heart"
Stars: Angelina Jolie, Dan Futterman
Movie opens: June 22
OUR HERO
Mariane Pearl, wife of slain "Wall Street Journal" reporter Daniel Pearl.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
Daniel died in Pakistan in 2002. The film "raises difficult questions about how reporters cover war, America's role in the Middle East and the danger of religious fundamentalism."
WHY WE SHOULD CARE
"During the Vietnam War, reporters were out in the field independently verifying or challenging the official government line. Pearl's death highlighted the challenges of reporting a war in [an equally] dangerous region of the world."
CAUTION
"It would be tempting to make it just a tragic love story, but I hope the filmmakers will be able to capture the larger tragedy, the turmoil in the Middle East."

FILM: "Talk to Me"
Star: Don Cheadle
Movie opens: July 13
OUR HERO
Washington, D.C., radio personality Ralph "Petey" Greene, an ex-con who became a popular talk show host and civil rights activist.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
"You won't find Greene's name in any college textbook, but the film uses him to address the emergence of African-American cultural and political power."
WHY WE SHOULD CARE
"It touches on the most significant social movement in U.S. history. Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, but not until 1965 did all blacks have the right to vote. Me covers a period of ferment and tragic violence."
CAUTION
"When you think of the civil rights struggle, you think of Martin Luther King or other well-known political leaders. Greene was one of hundreds, if not thousands, of lesser-known African-Americans who put themselves on the line. Will the film exaggerate his role?"

FILM: "El Cantante"
Stars: Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez
Movie opens: Aug. 1
OUR HERO
Puerto Rican Héctor Lavoe helped lead the salsa movement in 1975. But he struggled with drugs and died of AIDS in 1993.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
"Although Lavoe is best known in the Hispanic community, the film documents one of the most important [recent] cultural trends: the growth of the Latino influence in America."
WHY WE SHOULD CARE
"When I grew up, I never heard of salsa -- the dance or the food. It's topical and important and a way of shedding light on the globalization of culture."
CAUTION
"The challenge here is making a Latino musical trend relevant to a larger audience. Casting two celebrities -- Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez --is smart."

FILM: "Becoming Jane"
Stars: Anne Hathaway, James McAvoy
Movie opens: Aug. 3
OUR HERO
Romantic novelist Jane Austen ("Emma," "Pride & Prejudice"), left, never married.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
"One of England's most admired writers, Austen documented the manners and morals of the turbulent early 19th century. All of her novels have become classics."
WHY WE SHOULD CARE
"Her themes resonate with us today because we're also going through rapid cultural change. We may fantasize about being characters on Desperate Housewives, but we still look to the past, when there was a clearer value structure."
CAUTION
"The film is about a two-week relationship, of which little is documented. Who knows what the couple said to each other? I hope the filmmakers won't try to oversimplify Austen."

FILM: "Charlie Wilson's War"
Stars: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts
Movie opens: Dec. 25
OUR HERO
Twelve-term Texas congressman Charlie Wilson got involved with covert operations in Afghanistan against the Soviets in the 1980s.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
"Few characters in modern politics are better suited for film than Charlie Wilson. He disdained Congress and ignored diplomatic protocol to pursue a higher calling: destroying the Soviet empire."
WHY WE SHOULD CARE
"If he had never existed, Dick Cheney would have invented him."
CAUTION
"Will the filmmakers overlook the consequences of his actions? He seemed like a hero in the '80s and early '90s, when the Soviets retreated from Afghanistan. We now know, however, that the 'holy warriors' Wilson befriended directed their anger and the weapons he supplied toward the U.S."