Taking Chance is a tender little movie that most people have probably never heard of, let alone given the inclination to give it a watch. Quietly released by HBO in early 2009, first-time director Ross Katz debuts a gem of a based on actual events movie about a high-ranking marine officer escorting the slain body of a soldier home to his final resting place after the young man was killed in action during Operation: Iraqi Freedom.
Category Archives: Inspired by True Events
Ammonite (2020)
Ammonite, Francis Lee’s (God’s Own Country) tells the familiar of something uniting us all: the internal need to find human connection, even when we externally live a life that suggests otherwise. We often seek out other humans to fulfill some of our needs inside of us, though we often have different capacities. As I write this review during the Coronavirus pandemic, this innate truth could not be more evident. The main difference between now and the past is that we can connect with others through face-to-face video technology, phone calls, text messages, email, social media, and other platforms. But in 1840 Europe (the time and setting of Ammonite), the person had to be physically near you, outside of the occasional letter that might or may not arrive in the mail. There certainly is real-time interaction if you and the other person are in the exact location. Our connections also aren’t authentic, and we live a fabricated existence because it beats being alone. So when we can connect with someone (on whatever mutually agreed upon level), it quickly becomes something we don’t want to let go of. And that is essentially the story of Ammonite.
Bombshell (2019)
Based on the real-life scandal at the Fox News Channel, Jay Roach’s (Trumbo, Meet the Parents) Bombshell tells the story of the eruption that occurred when many women were exposed to a sexually harassing environment due to its chairman at the time, Roger Ailes (John Lithgow- Late Night, The Accountant). Bringing to the surface the accusations of numerous females by the head of the company, Bombshell made, at times, an uncomfortable watch. It felt unfathomable that so much of this could have occurred. However, it also seemed as if you couldn’t make up a story like this had it not been proven true.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, the much-anticipated biopic about Mister Rogers and his television show, isn’t so much about the man as it is about a story about a man coming to terms with the life he has, letting go of the anger he carries, and becoming the husband and father that he knows he can and wants to be. It’s an interesting take on a trailer that makes you think that this film will be all about Fred Rogers’ (Tom Hanks – Cast Away, Captain Phillips) life on and off the camera. And to an extent, that’s true, but that is not the focal point of A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.
Honey Boy (2019)
Ruthless, raw, and honest. That describes to a tee Alma Har’el (LoveTrue, 11/8/16) Honey Boy, the film based on writer Shai LaBeouf’s (The Peanut Butter Falcon, Borg Vs. McEnroe) own childhood experiences with his father. Showcasing events over two time periods, the 2005 version of Otis Lort (Lucas Hedges – Manchester by the Sea, Ben Is Back) is a 22-year-old, rising movie star who has had violent, alcohol-induced brushes with the law. His latest DUI has landed him in a court-ordered rehab, where he is diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), something which he steadily denies. As part of his therapy, he is pressed by his counselor (Laura San Giacomo – Havoc, Sex, Lies, and Videotape) to dig deeper and pen out the events in his life that have led him to this point. At this point, we continually go back and forth between the 1995 and 2005 timelines.