Talk:List of films based on actual events (before 1990)

The Patriot?
Does anybody have proof that The Patriot (2000 film) is based on a true story? --GHcool 06:10, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

It was originally based on a guy called the swamp fox but after they researched and discovered he was a rapist and slave owner they changed it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.27.171.61 (talk) 05:18, 9 October 2008 (UTC)

The Perfect Man?
Does anyone have proof that The Perfect Man is based on a true story? --Gmogi11 10:34, 27 April 2007 (UTC)

Vandalism
I noticed this article was vandalized. Not knowing how to simply restore the older version of the article I copy and pasted the old version.Johnnyeagleisrocker 13:50, 24 October 2007 (UTC)

incomplete
there's an awful lot of missing films particularly biopics and war movies, particularly from the 40s and 50s —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.27.171.61 (talk) 05:19, 9 October 2008 (UTC)

Shakespeare
do the adaptions of shakespeare's histories count? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.27.171.61 (talk) 05:19, 9 October 2008 (UTC)

The Entity? Am I reading this right?
Are we all holding still for this title — The Entity — to be on the List of films based on actual events? The only book about it is self-described as a novel, and the rest is just the claims of the woman. Are you satisfied that an unsubstantiated claim of paranormal assault — rape by a ghost — qualifies as an "actual event?" I am not. --HarringtonSmith (talk) 18:37, 3 December 2009 (UTC)
 * Looking for someone to speak up for this film; if not, I'll remove it before too long. --HarringtonSmith (talk) 21:35, 8 December 2009 (UTC)
 * Last call for keeping The Entity — if no one speaks up for it, I'll remove it. --HarringtonSmith (talk) 02:05, 31 December 2009 (UTC)
 * The Entity sleeps with the squishes --HarringtonSmith (talk) 13:09, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Sorting, formatting, and garbage entries...
This page is plagued by rude posters who tack unsequenced entries onto the tail end of the 2000s section. These same entries also often ignore the formatting standards of the earlier entries. Without some regard for proper sequencing and proper formatting, the page will quickly devolve into chaos.

It's unfair of these "garbage" posters to expect the rest of us editors to tend to their careless posts, put them in their proper sequence, and edit them so they conform to the format; I myself am tired of doing the housekeeping for these rude people.

I'd like consensus from the editors who do play by the rules that when garbage entries are posted, they just be deleted. Thank you. — HarringtonSmith (talk) 12:54, 29 January 2010 (UTC)
 * Agree... it's not hard to slot them in correctly. What about sorting them alphabetically, too? -- LaNaranja (talk) 16:50, 29 January 2010 (UTC)

Please dont include made-for-TV movies
Removed made-for-TV movie The Perfect Husband: The Laci Petersen Story (2004) -- LaNaranja (talk) 13:43, 30 January 2010 (UTC)

Passion of the Christ
Should we truly have this film listed as based on a true event, whereas is has revived much skepticism in the past few hundred years? I see no reason for this but will give time for discussion.... not looking for a religious debate just a true list of films rather than an implied one. --Palijer (talk) 01:25, 2 May 2010 (UTC)

Hidalgo
It's based upon a ledgend sprung from the tall tales of Hopkins himself rather than upon acctual events, the stories are today proven to be false (at least the one the film is based upon). For further info look up Hidalgo (film) on wikipedia. Delete? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 83.253.6.131 (talk) 13:05, 9 October 2010 (UTC)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bal_Gandharva bal gandharva is a marathi movie based on the great marathi stage singer who dressed up as a wamen for his shows —Preceding unsigned comment added by 120.62.15.107 (talk) 11:06, 22 October 2011 (UTC)

Assessment: Horribly cruftulent article
I highly doubt that only 211 films were based on true events before 2000, and 221 after. There's no citation to support that claim at all, and the artistic license on what is based on true events adds more dubiousness. MMetro (talk) 14:54, 1 November 2012 (UTC)

It is hard to see the article as having any academic value based on the impossibility of compiling a complete list of all films ever made along with the absence of stated objective criteria for determining if a film is based on actual events. The blatant ignoring of foreign language films further weakens the article whilst underlining the impossibility of the project behind it.PaulJCompton (talk) 22:59, 11 July 2013 (UTC)PaulJCompton

This page is ridiculous. As a list it is partial to point of detraction from its intended aim and has entries that are facile and unhelpful ('Jaws' is here because it is based on shark attacks that happened! So then why not list James Bond because those novels were based on experiences in British Intelligence, or 'Apocalypse Now' because there are references to the My Lai massacre). It is my contention that the only way such a page could be of any use is if the film begins or ends with the phrase 'based on true story/event/facts'. Otherwise it may as well include just about every film ever made outside of fantasy genres. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Adamhh (talk • contribs) 18:03, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

RfC: Are The Conjuring (film series) real??

 * The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Okay, this is going to be a big discussion, but it needs to be done. I can see no consensus at any of the talk pages (1,2,3,...), so I think we need to create some.Are The Conjuring (film series) real?? I'm slamming my first ever RFC tag on this, so just shout it out if I'm misusing anything. I'll hope we can cook some consensus.Gaioa (talk) 22:59, 14 September 2017 (UTC)
 * Not real. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia based on vertifiability and truth. And since there is a scientific consensus that "there are no ghosts", WP should reflect this fact and not declare that these movies are based on real events. Many fans and belivers out there might complain, but we academics need to do this by the book. I have watched two of the movies in the series, and I am considering now that they are 1) feauturing ghost experts and haunted houses 2) which is based on the anecdotes of a couple which we sourcelessly describe as  and quote commentors that   and that the events of the movies  . These quotes were from the lead section of Ed and Lorraine Warren, so I assume they can be considered a "Wikipedia stated position" if the need arises. Thus, their experiences are untrue to various degree(s) and the film adaptions are too. Don't get me wrong: I recognize that all related articles are notable and that the films' inspiration are undeniable. But they are not based on actual events, by reasons stated above. Gaioa (talk) 22:59, 14 September 2017 (UTC)
 * Somewhat User:Gaioa - Warren and Perron family both wrote books saying supernatural did happen, so yes there is something the movie was based on. The novelization to a good telling or "good ghost story" would mean some factual edits and some presentation tricks.   Both also noted that the filmography took some artistic licenses, so it's a tapestry with many elements of truth to it and some moments of fiction. (Beyond just adaptation tweaks.) So phrasing would be 'based on' -- Based on actual book yes, or based on purported haunting yes, but not conveys the book or conveys the reports.  Markbassett (talk) 19:19, 16 September 2017 (UTC)
 * Comment But are they not simply "based on a book" in the terms of "based on an anecdote which two pseudoscientists claim is real" and thus "based on a book considered fiction"? Even if an infinite of storytelling was added in both books and movies, the core claim of the story stands still: "ghosts are real". No matter how you look at it, the film directly portrays supernatural entities, and saying that the movie is/was based on reality would be saying that there are ghost out in reality.Gaioa (talk) 19:43, 16 September 2017 (UTC)


 * Not real. Wikipedia does not accept something as real based on a couple of anecdotes. It requires reliable independent published sources, as we all know. Maproom (talk) 09:47, 20 September 2017 (UTC)
 * Do not include in List_of_films_based_on_actual_events. While there are claims that the series is based on actual events, those claims all appear to come from WP:Primary sources. WP:Secondary reliable sources clearly dispute those claims. Primary sources must be used with due care, and only when reasonably uncontroversial for the intended purpose. Given that the claims are clearly disputed, any attempt to include the series in this list would need to be supported by a WP:Due weight of WP:Reliable WP:Secondary sources. To the extent the series is a fictionalized version based loosely on actual events, I believe most readers and most reliable sources would consider that connection to be too tenuous and too disputed to include in this sort of list. Alsee (talk) 05:14, 1 October 2017 (UTC)
 * Given that the only opposition to removal so far is a single "Somewhat" !vote, I am provisionally removing The Conjuring from the list. I won't edit war if a firm 'include' shows up and they insist on restoring it pending a final outcome of the RFC. Alsee (talk) 05:29, 1 October 2017 (UTC)
 * I am removing Fire in the Sky, which faces the same issue addressed in this RFC. It is a movie about an alleged encounter with aliens. Alsee (talk) 05:42, 1 October 2017 (UTC)
 * Removed The Exorcism of Emily Rose. While loosely based on an actual manslaughter conviction in an exorcism death, the core portrayal of supernatural events is not commonly accepted as actual events. Alsee (talk) 06:51, 1 October 2017 (UTC)
 * Removed supernatural movies The Possession and When the Lights Went Out. Alsee (talk) 09:43, 1 October 2017 (UTC)
 * Removed Annabelle (film) and The Conjuring 2 per original Conjuring removal. Also removed supernatural The Amityville Haunting. Alsee (talk) 11:17, 1 October 2017 (UTC)
 * No. Fictional films (according to the article lede) about dubious (at best) events. Attic Salt (talk) 13:04, 10 October 2017 (UTC)


 * The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Inclusion criteria
I propose some inclusion criteria: I (unhappily) think it's acceptable if a faith-based movie tries to describe credible actual events as 'miraculous', or if it includes a subjective-experience of a near death experience. That's an actual event, even if the near death experience itself was a hallucination. Alsee (talk) 12:07, 1 October 2017 (UTC)
 * Films with theatrical release. Excludes things like made for TV movies or direct to video.
 * Secondary sources describe the film as based on actual events.
 * Based on specific actual events, and significantly depicting those specific events. Excludes things like Jaws (film) based on the generic existence shark attacks, or crime flicks based on assorted crimes of that type.
 * No films including depictions of alien encounters, supernatural events, or other things not commonly accepted as plausible and natural actual events. Excludes horror and other films with depicting supernatural events, no matter how strongly some people claim that they actually happened.

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I, Tonya
Does I, Tonya fit the criteria to be on this list? ParadiseDesertOasis8888 (talk) 11:26, 27 February 2018 (UTC)

Merge with "List of historical period drama films and series..." pages?
This page seems much more extensive. Why not merge the two? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Aerlenbach (talk • contribs) 02:21, 24 April 2018 (UTC)

Chaar Sahibzaade? (2014)
This seems to be an animated film based on the true events. Should this be on this list? Aquatic Ambiance (talk) 16:24, 23 March 2020 (UTC)

Idea to include series
Maybe it's an idea to include series and mini-series? Because I haven't seen a list of them on Wikipedia. We might as well include them here and alter the article title to "List of films and series based on actual events". Anyone agree? Aquatic Ambiance (talk) 10:06, 9 November 2020 (UTC)

I'd say not to include them here as the list could get very long.Spinney Hill (talk) 13:13, 9 November 2020 (UTC)

I have restored this because of the next paragraph. Removing series would be one way to cut the size down although maybe not enough.Spinney Hill (talk) 09:43, 8 December 2020 (UTC)

Animated films
Balto (1995), Grave of the Fireflies (1988) (not on list) and Chaar Sahibzaade (2014) are animated films based on a true story. Should these be on this list? There's probably more. Aquatic Ambiance (talk) 11:28, 18 November 2020 (UTC)

Yes, there are within the article scope. Dimadick (talk) 11:30, 18 December 2020 (UTC)

Page size
This article has 511,886 bytes of markup; that's far too large. The page should be split into several parts. Andy Mabbett ( Pigsonthewing ); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 13:56, 25 November 2020 (UTC)
 * Proposal: split the page into List of films based on actual events of 20th century and List of films based on actual events of 21st Century? Aquatic Ambiance (talk) 16:03, 25 November 2020 (UTC)
 * Several parts; more than two. Andy Mabbett ( Pigsonthewing ); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 22:07, 25 November 2020 (UTC)
 * I agree—split by century "Films based on actual events released in the Xth century". Also, in the interests of making these international lists, all care should be given to including the country(ies) of production. bobdog54 (talk) 22:21, 25 November 2020 (UTC)
 * Is there a good reason not to delete this article? Onetwothreeip (talk) 08:37, 28 November 2020 (UTC)

Requested move 18 April 2022

 * The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this discussion. 

The result of the move request was: moved. (non-admin closure) NW1223&lt;Howl at me&bull;My hunts&gt; 00:15, 26 April 2022 (UTC)

List of films based on actual events → List of films based on actual events (before 2000) – This list only covers films from before 2000. Blubabluba9990 (talk) (contribs) 22:23, 18 April 2022 (UTC) The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.
 * Support per nomination. This article was split into List of films based on actual events and List of films based on actual events (2000–present) at 02:58, 21 December 2020. —Roman Spinner (talk • contribs) 23:41, 18 April 2022 (UTC)
 * Support to "List of pre-2000 films based on actual events", per nom and WP:NATURAL. BilledMammal (talk) 00:09, 19 April 2022 (UTC)