10 MoviesThat RUINED People's Lives
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VOICE OVER: Patrick Mealey
WRITTEN BY: Cameron Johnson
Movies have a LOT of influence! For this list, we'll be looking at the most detrimental effects a film production had on one or more people. Our countdown includes movies "The Goonies", "The Conjuring", "WarGames" and more!
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Movies That Ruined People’s Lives. For this list, we’ll be looking at the most detrimental effects a film production had on one or more people. What other stories of ruinous motion pictures have you heard? Join the discussion in the comments.
Alexander Payne's dramedy about two wine connoisseurs touring Santa Barbara County had a surprising ripple effect. Audiences seemed to have been paying close attention to the wine preferences of Paul Giamatti’s character, Miles. While sales of pinot noir, which he loved, saw a significant bump, those of merlot, which he detested, fell by two percent. This proved financially disastrous in California’s wine country, where merlot accounted for around 20% of sales. It took nearly two decades for the market to bounce back. In that time, many winemakers found their livelihoods compromised by one single movie. "Sideways" may be widely acclaimed, but it doesn't have as many fans in the wine industry as you'd think.
The Walsh house in Astoria, Oregon is the treasure of adventurous “Goonies” fans around the world. One such fan, a woman named Sandi Preston, bought the property in 2001 but realized that her dream was actually a nightmare. The house soon became overwhelmed with visitors, some of whom even stole her wallpaper. Preston subsequently became much less welcoming, thankfully without resorting to the Fratellis' attitude toward trespassers. She just briefly forbade visitors following the film’s 30th anniversary event. In 2022, Preston listed the house for $1.65 million and it was sold in just six days! While that might not make up for over 20 years of intrusion, we hope the new owners get a better return on their investment.
The groundbreaking thriller "Deliverance" practically made Georgia a highly sought after film production destination. However, the movie still has a more mixed reputation among the residents of Rabun County, where it was shot. Sure, the economy flourished from tourism along the Chattooga River. But the local population has had to suffer overcrowding in their community and ruinous stigma beyond. "Deliverance" has been credited with widely popularizing degrading, frightening stereotypes about the Deep South that persist today. The people of Rabun County are, of course, facing this fallout more directly. Banjo boy Billy Redden may still encourage his community to embrace their place in film history. For many of his neighbors, though, that's not worth decades of negative perceptions.
For every fan of the sports biopic "The Blind Side", there's a critic of its questionable racial representation. One of them is Michael Oher himself, whose life the film is based on. The former NFL lineman felt that the movie belittled his intelligence and agency in his athletic career. He also alleged that this negatively affected his status on the field. Oher tried to set the record straight with an autobiography that elaborated on his disappointment in "The Blind Side" and its offensive liberties. But by then, the damage was seemingly already done. Just goes to show that even an underdog story with the best of intentions can apparently blindside its subject.
The Perron family may have dealt with supernatural intruders in 1971, but Gerald Helfrich and Norma Sutcliffe were later haunted by many physical ones. Ed and Lorraine Warren's paranormal investigation into the Perrons' farmhouse was the basis for the 2013 smash-hit "The Conjuring". This launched a film franchise and horror fan pilgrimages to the Rhode Island plot, then owned by Helrich and Sutcliffe. The couple not only dealt with trespassers, but vandalism and threats of violence. Naming some 500 incidents, they sued the film’s producers for damages in 2015. Four years later, Helrich and Sutcliffe finally sold the house to paranormal investigators who converted it into a museum. The nightmare was over, but with a family driven out of their home of 32 years.
Single mother and paralegal Erin Brockovich saved a lot of lives by exposing groundwater contamination in Hinkley, California. The Julia Roberts-led film about her crusade was a massive success, and made Brockovich a celebrity environmental activist. This newfound status, however, came to be a major burden. Exhausting public pressure and professional obligations frequently tore Brockovich away from her children. She even struggled to find time to support her daughter Elizabeth through struggles with substance use disorder. More than 20 years later, Brockovich is still fighting the good fight in the public eye. Her family is also in good health. But as tough as their lives were before they became movie stars, fame apparently didn't bring much fortune.
By the 1970s, misrepresentation of Islam was becoming widespread in Western media. Syrian-American filmmaker Moustapha Akkad responded with an epic dramatization of the religion’s founding. "The Message" was both critically acclaimed and controversial. Though Akkad was careful to avoid directly depicting the Prophet Muhammad, the extremist Hanafi Movement mistakenly believed that Hollywood star Anthony Quinn was cast in the part. They retaliated with an armed siege of the Washington D.C. chapter of the Jewish service group B'nai B'rith. This resulted in "The Message" being temporarily pulled from theaters and failing at the box office. Worse, the hostage crisis ended in the loss of two lives and unimaginable trauma. Despite Akkad's noble intentions, this tragedy shows the consequences of any movie's message being misconstrued.
As an avid motorsports enthusiast, Steve McQueen was heavily invested in the production of his 1971 film about the racing tournament 24 Hours of Le Mans. The project was plagued by multiple difficulties and eventually bombed at the box office, with polarized reviews. This was by no means its only tragedy. Veteran driver David Piper participated in one of the racing sequences and crashed his signature Porsche 917 in the process. The resulting injuries were so severe that one of his legs had to be partly amputated. Piper would go on to race again years later, but what should have been a small movie part essentially turned out to be a life-changing tragedy.
The dangers of computer hacking went mainstream with the '80s cult classic "WarGames". It even influenced the United States' Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. The punitive measures the bill outlines might not be unreasonable for a hacker who nearly triggers a nuclear war. Alas, its broad definition of unauthorized computer access meant tragedy for internet activist Aaron Swartz. In 2011, Swartz was charged with hacking into MIT's network to download academic articles. The university didn't want to file charges, but with federal prosecutors taking over, Swartz was likely to face devastating fines and prison time. Just before his trial, he took his own life. Hacking may be no game, but this was just the most high-profile of many extreme legacies of the so-called "WarGames scare".
Newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst was considered one of the most powerful Americans of his day. Few of his yellow journalism stories were as sensationalist as tales of his own corruption and villainy. This was the main influence for the tragic lead in "Citizen Kane". Hearst was highly offended by this project, particularly Charles Foster Kane's lonely demise, as he reportedly had an acute fear of death. Despite his best efforts to suppress its release, "Citizen Kane" has become recognized as one of the greatest films ever made. Just as its source feared, the high society secret about his true character had been published. Hearst lived the rest of his life in luxury, but "Citizen Kane" sealed a negative spin on his fate and legacy.
#10: "Sideways" (2004)
Merlot GrowersAlexander Payne's dramedy about two wine connoisseurs touring Santa Barbara County had a surprising ripple effect. Audiences seemed to have been paying close attention to the wine preferences of Paul Giamatti’s character, Miles. While sales of pinot noir, which he loved, saw a significant bump, those of merlot, which he detested, fell by two percent. This proved financially disastrous in California’s wine country, where merlot accounted for around 20% of sales. It took nearly two decades for the market to bounce back. In that time, many winemakers found their livelihoods compromised by one single movie. "Sideways" may be widely acclaimed, but it doesn't have as many fans in the wine industry as you'd think.
#9: “The Goonies” (1985)
Sandi PrestonThe Walsh house in Astoria, Oregon is the treasure of adventurous “Goonies” fans around the world. One such fan, a woman named Sandi Preston, bought the property in 2001 but realized that her dream was actually a nightmare. The house soon became overwhelmed with visitors, some of whom even stole her wallpaper. Preston subsequently became much less welcoming, thankfully without resorting to the Fratellis' attitude toward trespassers. She just briefly forbade visitors following the film’s 30th anniversary event. In 2022, Preston listed the house for $1.65 million and it was sold in just six days! While that might not make up for over 20 years of intrusion, we hope the new owners get a better return on their investment.
#8: "Deliverance" (1972)
The People of Rabun CountyThe groundbreaking thriller "Deliverance" practically made Georgia a highly sought after film production destination. However, the movie still has a more mixed reputation among the residents of Rabun County, where it was shot. Sure, the economy flourished from tourism along the Chattooga River. But the local population has had to suffer overcrowding in their community and ruinous stigma beyond. "Deliverance" has been credited with widely popularizing degrading, frightening stereotypes about the Deep South that persist today. The people of Rabun County are, of course, facing this fallout more directly. Banjo boy Billy Redden may still encourage his community to embrace their place in film history. For many of his neighbors, though, that's not worth decades of negative perceptions.
#7: "The Blind Side" (2009)
Michael OherFor every fan of the sports biopic "The Blind Side", there's a critic of its questionable racial representation. One of them is Michael Oher himself, whose life the film is based on. The former NFL lineman felt that the movie belittled his intelligence and agency in his athletic career. He also alleged that this negatively affected his status on the field. Oher tried to set the record straight with an autobiography that elaborated on his disappointment in "The Blind Side" and its offensive liberties. But by then, the damage was seemingly already done. Just goes to show that even an underdog story with the best of intentions can apparently blindside its subject.
#6: "The Conjuring" (2013)
Gerald Helfrich & Norma SutcliffeThe Perron family may have dealt with supernatural intruders in 1971, but Gerald Helfrich and Norma Sutcliffe were later haunted by many physical ones. Ed and Lorraine Warren's paranormal investigation into the Perrons' farmhouse was the basis for the 2013 smash-hit "The Conjuring". This launched a film franchise and horror fan pilgrimages to the Rhode Island plot, then owned by Helrich and Sutcliffe. The couple not only dealt with trespassers, but vandalism and threats of violence. Naming some 500 incidents, they sued the film’s producers for damages in 2015. Four years later, Helrich and Sutcliffe finally sold the house to paranormal investigators who converted it into a museum. The nightmare was over, but with a family driven out of their home of 32 years.
#5: “Erin Brockovich” (2000)
Erin BrockovichSingle mother and paralegal Erin Brockovich saved a lot of lives by exposing groundwater contamination in Hinkley, California. The Julia Roberts-led film about her crusade was a massive success, and made Brockovich a celebrity environmental activist. This newfound status, however, came to be a major burden. Exhausting public pressure and professional obligations frequently tore Brockovich away from her children. She even struggled to find time to support her daughter Elizabeth through struggles with substance use disorder. More than 20 years later, Brockovich is still fighting the good fight in the public eye. Her family is also in good health. But as tough as their lives were before they became movie stars, fame apparently didn't bring much fortune.
#4: "The Message" (1976)
B'nai B'rith HostagesBy the 1970s, misrepresentation of Islam was becoming widespread in Western media. Syrian-American filmmaker Moustapha Akkad responded with an epic dramatization of the religion’s founding. "The Message" was both critically acclaimed and controversial. Though Akkad was careful to avoid directly depicting the Prophet Muhammad, the extremist Hanafi Movement mistakenly believed that Hollywood star Anthony Quinn was cast in the part. They retaliated with an armed siege of the Washington D.C. chapter of the Jewish service group B'nai B'rith. This resulted in "The Message" being temporarily pulled from theaters and failing at the box office. Worse, the hostage crisis ended in the loss of two lives and unimaginable trauma. Despite Akkad's noble intentions, this tragedy shows the consequences of any movie's message being misconstrued.
#3: “Le Mans” (1971)
David PiperAs an avid motorsports enthusiast, Steve McQueen was heavily invested in the production of his 1971 film about the racing tournament 24 Hours of Le Mans. The project was plagued by multiple difficulties and eventually bombed at the box office, with polarized reviews. This was by no means its only tragedy. Veteran driver David Piper participated in one of the racing sequences and crashed his signature Porsche 917 in the process. The resulting injuries were so severe that one of his legs had to be partly amputated. Piper would go on to race again years later, but what should have been a small movie part essentially turned out to be a life-changing tragedy.
#2: "WarGames" (1983)
Aaron SwartzThe dangers of computer hacking went mainstream with the '80s cult classic "WarGames". It even influenced the United States' Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. The punitive measures the bill outlines might not be unreasonable for a hacker who nearly triggers a nuclear war. Alas, its broad definition of unauthorized computer access meant tragedy for internet activist Aaron Swartz. In 2011, Swartz was charged with hacking into MIT's network to download academic articles. The university didn't want to file charges, but with federal prosecutors taking over, Swartz was likely to face devastating fines and prison time. Just before his trial, he took his own life. Hacking may be no game, but this was just the most high-profile of many extreme legacies of the so-called "WarGames scare".
#1: "Citizen Kane" (1941)
William Randolph HearstNewspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst was considered one of the most powerful Americans of his day. Few of his yellow journalism stories were as sensationalist as tales of his own corruption and villainy. This was the main influence for the tragic lead in "Citizen Kane". Hearst was highly offended by this project, particularly Charles Foster Kane's lonely demise, as he reportedly had an acute fear of death. Despite his best efforts to suppress its release, "Citizen Kane" has become recognized as one of the greatest films ever made. Just as its source feared, the high society secret about his true character had been published. Hearst lived the rest of his life in luxury, but "Citizen Kane" sealed a negative spin on his fate and legacy.
