Top 10 People Who Hated Their Own Biopics
#10: “The Blind Side” (2009)
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A gooey, feel-good story for the ages, “The Blind Side” follows the uplifting story of football player Michael Oher. Oher suffered a horrible childhood, as his father was frequently imprisoned and his mother was an inattentive alcoholic and drug addict. After suffering bouts of homelessness, Oher was adopted by Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, who helped guide him towards a career in football. Oher was reportedly displeased with his portrayal in “The Blind Side.” He criticized the movie’s depiction of his intelligence, writing in his autobiography, “It portrayed me as dumb.” The movie also falsely depicts Oher’s relationship with football. According to Oher, he had loved and studied the game since he was a child, whereas in the movie he doesn’t really understand it.
#9: “The Fifth Estate” (2013)
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For this film, Benedict Cumberbatch donned white hair to portray Julian Assange, the famous founder of the controversial news-leaking website WikiLeaks. The story of the site’s creation is certainly a fascinating one, but “The Fifth Estate” bungled it with poor writing and an inaccurate portrayal of Assange. Granted, this stemmed from the books on which the movie was based, which WikiLeaks called “inaccurate and libelous.” Assange called the movie “propaganda” because it seemingly took a pro-government stance and depicted Assange in a negative and antagonistic manner. Basically, the movie about WikiLeaks went against everything that WikiLeaks stands for and openly condemned its founder. And as much as he hated the movie, Assange did praise Cumberbatch’s performance.
#8: “The Late Shift” (1996)
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Despite its funny subjects, this HBO film is all about corporate politics and behind-the-scenes power plays. Based on Bill Carter’s book of the same name, “The Late Shift” chronicles the battle between Jay Leno and David Letterman to host “The Tonight Show” following Johnny Carson’s retirement. And despite earning critical praise, the movie was hated by many of its subjects. Letterman humorously called the movie “the biggest waste of film since my wedding photos.” He also bumped actor John Michael Higgins from appearing on his talk show and criticized his portrayal of him. Leno’s agent Helen Kushnick also hated the story and sued author Bill Carter for libel. She was awarded an out-of-court settlement.
#7: “Notorious” (2009)
Directed by George Tillman Jr., “Notorious” follows the life of famous rapper The Notorious B.I.G., real name Christopher Wallace. Naturi Naughton portrays Lil’ Kim, and the famous rapper was not happy with how the movie turned out. Kim was in Wallace’s group Junior M.A.F.I.A. and later had a so-called “love affair” with the famous rapper while making her debut album “Hard Core.” Kim took significant issue with the promiscuous manner in which she was depicted; most of her scenes are tinged in graphic sexuality. She also criticized Naughton’s performance, claiming that Naughton didn’t look a thing like her and that she was the worst possible pick from the audition tapes.
#6: “The Doors” (1991)
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Co-written and directed by Oliver Stone, “The Doors” was an incredibly inaccurate portrayal of both the band and its tragic lead singer, Jim Morrison. Keyboardist Ray Manzarek was hostile from the beginning, which is ironic because Manzarek was the band’s biggest advocate for a biopic. Manzarek reportedly hated what Stone was doing with the movie, how he was portraying the late Morrison, and how the movie was focusing on Morrison rather than the band as a unit. He also refused to meet with Val Kilmer. But when the movie came out, Manzarek’s bandmates went to his side. They all criticized the movie, and specifically the portrayal of Morrison. They claimed that Stone wrote a one-dimensional character and grossly exaggerated the singer’s rage and alcoholism.
#5: “Patch Adams” (1998)
Like “The Blind Side,” “Patch Adams” trades in authenticity for schmaltz. The movie was viciously lambasted, both by critics and Hunter Adams himself. Adams helped found the practice of hospital clowning. It’s obviously a very sensitive subject, and the movie mines the inherent sentimentality for all its worth. Adams has shown nothing but contempt for his movie. He openly criticized the shallowness of the writing, and claimed that none of the box office profits were given to Adams’s Gesundheit! Institute. And while he praised Robin Williams’s performance, Adams was also critical of the actor for not giving to his charity, despite making over $20 million playing its founder.
#4: “Feud” (2017)
A beloved miniseries from Ryan Murphy, “Feud” chronicles the famous rivalry between Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. The series also features British-American actress Olivia de Havilland, who is played by Catherine Zeta-Jones. Just one day before she turned 101 years old, de Havilland filed a lawsuit against FX Networks for her inaccurate and harmful portrayal. According to de Havilland, “Feud” damaged her professional reputation and caused her great emotional distress. However, the case was dismissed because filmmakers are protected under the First Amendment and therefore allowed to embellish history for the purpose of drama.
#3: “Pam & Tommy” (2022)
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Airing on Hulu throughout the winter of 2022, “Pam & Tommy” chronicles the brief marriage between Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee. Their marriage was famously marred by a personal tape that had been stolen and spread online in the early days of the internet. The Hulu project has been hated by Anderson ever since its inception. Her offers to consult with the filmmakers were quickly declined, and a source claims that she adamantly refuses to watch the show. Anderson has also never commented on the performance and physical appearance of Lily James, despite some false reports that she had criticized the actress. Basically, Anderson is just turning a blind eye and pretending that “Pam & Tommy” doesn’t exist.
#2: “House of Gucci” (2021)
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While it contains an interesting story, Ridley Scott’s “House of Gucci” doesn’t really know what it wants to be. The movie’s inconsistent tone has been widely criticized, and many of the involved parties have condemned the film for being inaccurate. Patrizia Gucci spoke for the family and told The Associated Press that they were “truly disappointed” with the movie. Their chief concerns were the many historical inaccuracies and their isolation during the filmmaking process, as no one involved contacted the family for consultation. Even fashion designer Tom Ford criticized the movie’s basis in history, claiming that the toasting scene between him and Maurizio Gucci was inaccurately portrayed.
#1: “Winnie Mandela” (2011)
A Mandela movie deserves the utmost care and academic attention, and “Winnie Mandela” certainly didn’t get it. A glorified made-for-TV movie, “Winnie Mandela” tells the story of its titular heroine, who fought alongside her husband to end apartheid in South Africa. Numerous aspects of the movie’s production were vilified. Before the film was released, vocal critics denounced the casting of Jennifer Hudson, as she was an American playing a South African. Mandela was also displeased with her movie. While she praised Hudson, Mandela criticized the filmmakers for not consulting with her during the writing and filming process. This was made even more egregious owing to the fact that the movie was filmed in South Africa, which is where Mandela resides.
