Top 10 Biopics That Left Out The Real Ending
#10: “The Motorcycle Diaries” (2004)
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Based on the memoir of the same name, “The Motorcycle Diaries” concerns Ernesto Guevara’s motorcycle trip across South America in which he encounters various social and political injustices. A coming-of-age film, the events shape Guevara’s outlook and turn him into a political revolutionary. By its nature as a coming-of-age film, the movie leaves out most of Guevara’s later life. He would come to be known as Che Guevara, and he became a guerilla leader who helped spearhead the Cuban Revolution of the 1950s. He later held several important positions within the new Cuban government, and his actions helped lead to the infamous Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. He was eventually assassinated by Bolivian Army sergeant Mario Terán, leaving behind a divisive legacy.
#9: “Ray” (2004)
Top 10 Movies That Left Out the Real Horrific Ending
Unlike many biopics, “Ray” ends in the middle of the story. The film spans from Ray Charles’s childhood to 1979, ending the film on a redemptive note. Charles quits heroin and the state of Georgia apologizes for their racist ideologies, turning “Georgia on My Mind” into their state song. However, Charles died in 2004 - a full 25 years after the movie concludes. The film cut a lot of important stuff, including the controversy of his 1981 South Africa performance, his contribution to “We Are the World”, his return to chart success with singles like “Baby Grand”, and of course his passing in 2004. These events aren’t really important to the story, but they are further defining moments in a long and legendary life.
#8: “Straight Outta Compton” (2015)
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While this film mostly remains true to the real story, a few events were fabricated near the end to make for a more emotional conclusion. For example, Eazy-E is left destitute from the collapse of N.W.A. and the feud with Jerry Heller. According to publicist Phyllis Pollack and his own son, Eazy died a multi-millionaire. And speaking of Eazy’s death, the movie depicts him suffering a seizure and collapsing during the band’s reunion, resulting in his HIV diagnosis. In reality, Eazy went to the hospital because of a persistent cough. And as for the brief reunion, Dre reportedly never committed to one before Eazy’s passing in 1995.
#7: “Kinsey” (2004)
This is a biopic of Alfred Kinsey, an academic sexologist who controversially studied sexual behavior. The movie ends on a bittersweet note, as Kinsey falls into drugs and suffers a heart attack while losing financial backing for his research. However, he continues to enjoy a strong personal relationship with Clara McMillen. The movie ends without delving into the turbulent final years of Kinsey’s life. Unfortunately, he was never able to recover from the intense controversy surrounding the 1953 publication “Sexual Behavior in the Human Female”. Both the drugs and the stresses of his collapsing reputation quickly took their toll, and he passed away from a heart ailment in 1956 - just three years after the publication of his contentious book.
#6: “The Greatest Showman” (2017)
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It’s no secret that “The Greatest Showman” is a very sanitized version of the P.T. Barnum story. The feel good ending that sees Barnum reuniting with Charity was completely made up for the movie, as they remained happily married until her death in 1873. And they remained happily married because the real Jenny Lind did not have a romantic attraction to Barnum, and therefore did not kiss him on stage. Furthermore, playwright Phillip Carlyle did not selflessly give Barnum his money to open a new circus, as Phillip was completely made up for the movie. Following Charity’s death, Barnum married a woman 40 years younger than him, and he eventually died of a stroke in 1891.
#5: “The Imitation Game” (2014)
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The ending to “The Imitation Game” is a tragic one, indeed. Alan Turing is convicted of gross indecency and is both chemically castrated and forced to undergo hormonal therapy. This leaves him mentally devastated, and he takes his own life in 1954. However, this supposed fact has long been questioned. Turing reportedly had little problem with his hormone treatments, which greatly contrasts with his depressive state in the film. Furthermore, Turing expert Jack Copeland of the University of Canterbury posits that Turing’s death was accidental, having inadvertently inhaled potassium cyanide while melting gold. But even this thesis has its detractors, including Turing biographer Andrew Hodges, who argues that Turing staged the scene to appear accidental in order to placate his mother. Unfortunately, the truth remains ambiguous.
#4: “The Social Network” (2010)
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The primary theme of “The Social Network” is loneliness. While Mark Zuckerberg creates the most popular social media site in the world, he simultaneously and ironically suffers from loneliness and isolation. In the end, he is seen repeatedly refreshing a friend request sent to his ex-girlfriend, desperate for any sort of human contact. This makes for a great and meaningful ending, but it’s totally fabricated for storytelling purposes. The real Zuckerberg has been with his now-wife Priscilla Chan since 2003. This was the same year that he created the rating site Facemash, a crude precursor to the now iconic social media site. By the time Facebook went public in 2006, Zuckerberg and Chan had been happily dating for years.
#3: “Finding Neverland” (2004)
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A beautiful movie about family, “Finding Neverland” follows the relationship between author J.M. Barrie and the Davies boys. Understandably, the movie ends before the tragic fates of the Davies boys could be revealed. The story concludes with the death of Sylvia Davies, which occurred in 1910. Five years later, George was killed during World War I. In 1921, Michael drowned with his friend and possible lover, Rupert Buxton. Barrie believed it was a pact and called Michael’s death “the end of [him]”. Jack died from a lung disease in 1959, and his younger brother Peter threw himself in front of a train just seven months later after his entire family contracted Huntington’s disease. So much for childhood innocence.
#2: “Braveheart” (1995)
A thrilling and epic piece of cinema, “Braveheart” is nevertheless a travesty of history. While quite a brutal film, it downplays the severity of William Wallace’s grotesque demise. Wallace suffers a degree of torture before famously yelling “Freedom!” and getting the axe. In reality, Wallace received a particularly hideous method of execution reserved for cases of high treason. Wallace was dragged naked through the streets of London before he was tortured and executed in Smithfield. We won’t go into details, but suffice to say it was significantly nastier than what is depicted in the film. In a film known for its graphic violence, it’s odd that they would soften the realities of Braveheart’s demise.
#1: “Pocahontas” (1995)
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Unlike many Disney films, “Pocahontas” ends on a somewhat somber note, as John Smith returns to England without Pocahontas. This went down a little differently in real life. Smith was actually hurt in a gunpowder explosion, not by taking a bullet. He left for England to receive medical treatment, and the colonists told the Powhatans that Smith had died. Pocahontas later visited England with John Rolfe and was shocked to learn that Smith was still alive. Furthermore, Ratcliffe was not taken back to England to face legal punishment. In reality, he suffered a horrible death at the hands of the Powhatans. Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t recreated for a children’s movie.
