Top 10 Historically Accurate Movie Scenes

“Hidden Figures” (2016)

It was astronaut John Glenn who insisted that mathematician Katherine Johnson calculate his trajectory to orbit the Earth before he would launch, trusting his safety and success to her numbers, rather than those of the NASA computer. This would get Johnson’s career path back on track and change history. “Hidden Figures” does merge some characters together, but in this scene they attributed correctly, and even got Glenn’s wording right, despite his referring to a 44-year-old as “the girl.” In fairness, he did also refer to her as “the smart one.” While this scene was spot-on, it happened in reality between a day and a half and three days before the launch, not mere minutes, as the subsequent scene would imply.

“Gettysburg” (1993)

When it comes to accurate cinematic depictions of war, especially in terms of real strategic considerations, nothing seems to top 1993’s “Gettysburg” and, in particular, the Battle of Little Round Top scene. The set resembled the actual battlefield, and ammunition really was at a premium for both sides, which was not only mentioned, but later shown, and the Union Army did use a wheel strategy, which clearly worked. This wasn’t a long battle, but an effective one, and it garnered a 9 out of 10 historical accuracy rating from historian Garry Adelman.

“Bridge of Spies” (2015)

This may be the first time a Tom Hanks movie appears on this list, but it certainly won’t be the last. This Steven Spielberg suspense drama gets the overall look and feel of Cold War Germany, as well as several key historic events, correct, and earns its historical thriller descriptor. However, the climactic scene of a prisoner exchange on Glienicke Bridge, connecting Potsdam with what was West Berlin, got an 8 on 10 historical accuracy score from Cold War historian James Hershberg. We can see why. The tension, the players involved, and how everyone on both sides behaved, was all very appropriate for 1962, when exchanges like this happened, but weren’t commonplace.

“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” (2019)


When a film takes some liberties with historical fact, it’s nice to know that one of the most heartwarming scenes in it happened as depicted. “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” is based on Tom Junod's "Can You Say… Hero?," an article he wrote for Esquire about the time he spent with Mister Rogers himself, Fred Rogers. The film changes some things, including Junod’s name to Lloyd Vogel, but the subway singing scene wasn’t made up or altered. According to Junod, a group of students recognized Rogers on the New York City Subway, and instead of asking for autographs, started singing. It was a loving tribute that clearly brought a smile to the late icon’s face.

“Titanic” (1997)

We admit it. Most people watch this movie for the Jack and Rose love story, and maybe that Celine Dion song. Aside from the broad strokes of a supposedly unsinkable ship sinking after it hit an iceberg, we’re not really looking for historical accuracy in the minutiae. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some gems to be found. As the Titanic is going down, we see a group of men dressed in tuxedos offered life jackets and a spot on the lifeboats, presumably due to their wealth. One man rejects the offer with a total badass line. According to multiple eyewitnesses, that actually happened, and the man was Benjamin Guggenheim, a wealthy American businessman. The scene is cut in some versions, but really shouldn’t be.

“Milk” (2008)


On November 27th, 1978, former San Francisco City Supervisor Dan White shot and killed Mayor George Moscone. He then walked down the hall and ran into the current Supervisor and gay rights icon Harvey Milk. He calmly asked Milk to follow him to an empty office and then murdered him, too. The 2008 biopic “Milk” shows this sequence of events as it happened, casual brutality intact. It follows this up with actor Sean Penn recreating a real recording Milk had made, essentially predicting his own assassination and urging supporters to rise up. This plays over a re-created scene of the vigil that followed Milk’s assassination.

“Apollo 13” (1995)

When a film gets so much of the big picture stuff true to history, you can forgive it for improvising some of the smaller character moments. But that wasn’t needed here. Not only did Ron Howard nail the sets, period costumes, and details of the space mission itself, he took an anecdote the real Marilyn Lovell told him and put it on screen. On the morning her husband Jim launched into space, she lost her wedding ring down the drain in her hotel room as she was showering, just as we see Kathleen Quinlan do in the movie. While it felt like an omen for what was to come, she did get the ring back after her husband safely returned to Earth.

“Downfall” (2004)

You’re probably familiar with this scene, or at least a version of it, even if you haven’t watched 2004’s “Downfall.” An irate Adolf Hitler yelling at his generals while looking over some maps has been turned into countless parody videos, replacing the English subtitles to make Hitler yell about everything from a sports team losing to reviews of “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” Ironically, these memes are using one of the most accurate depictions of the final days of one of history’s most reviled figures. While there are no eyewitness accounts of the full rant, the dictator’s temperament and the subject matter discussed in the scene are all spot-on according to people who were there and listening from outside the room.

“Saving Private Ryan” (1998)

Steven Spielberg's war epic is a work of historical fiction, setting a story inspired by real events against the backdrop of World War II. So it wouldn’t make any lists for overall historical accuracy. However, the film opens with one of the most accurate depictions of what the landing on Omaha Beach on D-Day was like. The look and feel of the scene were so visceral that it brought real veterans at a screening to tears. It didn’t get everything right, notably the amount of armor that reached the beach. Also, 1975’s “Overlord” has a more accurate depiction of the same event, but that mixed in actual archival footage. For a fully re-created cinematic rendition, this one can’t be beat.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Because Eyewitness and FBI Accounts Match Spike Lee’s Depiction

King George VI’s First Nanny Did Mistreat Him According to His Brother’s Biographer

Tubman’s Pistol Was for Protection & Intimidation, as in the Crossing the River Scene

Reportedly, a Look at Classified Documents Helped in the Authenticity of This Scene

"Tora! Tora! Tora!" (1970)

This 1970 movie showing the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor from both sides is historically accurate pretty much from start to finish. But one scene stands out by paying attention to a seemingly minute detail. A flight instructor on a training run with a trainee is the first to encounter the attacking Japanese aircraft. It plays like a bit of invented comedy mixed into the historical drama, but it really happened. Cornelia Clark Fort did spot and narrowly evade the squadron just before the attack started. She would go on to join the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots and sadly die in a mid-air collision while on duty two years after the near miss depicted in the movie.

What did you think of our list? Are there any other historically accurate scenes you think we should have included? Let us know in the comments.