This year's Academy Awards ceremony will honor movie heroes. And yes, that includes superheroes and real-life film heroes as well. The 2014 Oscars producers made the big announcement earlier today, and I started thinking: Who are my favorite film heroes? I'm only a casual fan of superhero films, so I decided to come up with some of (what I believe) are the best real-life heroes portrayed on the big screen.
The list got long, really fast. I narrowed it down to my all-time favorites. I'm sure we'll see plenty of these covered during the Academy Awards show on March 2. And while we're discussing the Oscars, don't forget that nominations will be announced this week (on Thursday morning, bright and early). I'll likely have plenty to say about that, of course, being the awards nut that I am.
Anyway, here are just a few of my favorite films that feature real-life heroes. I'd love all of these to be included in the Oscar's ceremony, but I'm sure a few will get left out.
Hotel Rwanda (2004): Paul Rusesabagina helped to protect more than 1200 Tutsi and Hutu refugees in his hotel during the Rwandan genocide, at great risk to his own life. Don Cheadle is phenomenal in this film. If you've never seen it, this is a must-see movie.
Schindler's List (1993): Oscar Schindler helped to save more than 1200 Jews from the Nazis during World War II. This is not only one of my favorite real-life hero movies, it's one of my favorite films of all time, in any genre.
Norma Rae (1979): Before there was Erin Brockovich, there was Norma Rae. Sally Field won the Best Actress Academy Award for her portrayal of Crystal Lee Jordan, a North Carolina factory worker who fought for the rights of workers to unionize and get fair wages.
Braveheart (1995): As far as historical dramas go, few are better than Braveheart. Mel Gibson stars as Scottish warrior William Wallace, who led thousands during the First War of Scottish Independence in the 13th Century. Look up "sweeping drama" and chances are, you'll find a reference to Braveheart.
Milk (2008): Sean Penn gives a remarkable performance in this movie as Harvey Milk, a gay rights activist who became the first openly gay elected official in California. Tragically, Milk's career in politics lasted just 10 months, but his impact on the LGBT movement as a whole was enormous.
Honestly, I'm not kidding: I could go on and on about real-life movie heroes who deserve a mention during this year's Oscars show. EW.com has a few excellent suggestions as well. In terms of modern movies made this past year, I'd say it's highly likely we'll see references to Dallas Buyer's Club (Matthew McConaughey as Ron Woodroof), Captain Phillips (Tom Hanks will likely get a Best Actor nomination for it) and certainly Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (Idris Elba as the late South African icon).
What are some of your favorite films about real-life heroes?
Photo courtesy of IGN.com
1 comments