Autobiographical Movies?

[Jason Work]

I was flipping through the channels the other night and ran across a movie called "Life Is Not a Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story." It's a true story (aren't they all, on Lifetime?) about the girl who won "American Idol" in 2004 and it stars...Fantasia Barrino as herself! That got me thinking--how many other movies have been made where the star of the movie is also the subject of the movie? You know, someone starring in the actual movie of his/her life? The only one that I can think of without researching the matter is "To Hell and Back," the WWII movie about, and starring, war hero Audie Murphy. There's also "Pride of the Yankees," in which Babe Ruth plays himself, but the movie is actually about Lou Gehrig, so I don't think it counts.

Can anyone think of any others?

[TheConfessor]

Can anyone think of any others?

Sure, there are lots of them, such as:

When Justin Met Kelly
Spice World
Help!
A Hard Day's Night
My Dinner With Andre
Being John Malkovich
The Greatest

If you include documentaries, the list grows exponentially.

[missbitesalot]

8 mile was based on eminem--does that count?

[WendellWit]

I'm ashamed of the fact that the first one that came to my mind was Howard Stern's "Private Parts".

Of course, there should be a distinction between just "playing yourself" in a movie and being in an Autobiographical movie. Unless somebody can prove otherwise, I don't think "Being John Malcovich" was supposed to be autobiographical. And when you include just "playing yourself", it opens the doors to a LOT of cameo appearances... Just sayin'.

[TheConfessor]

Unless somebody can prove otherwise, I don't think "Being John Malcovich" was supposed to be autobiographical. And when you include just "playing yourself", it opens the doors to a LOT of cameo appearances... Just sayin'.

True, although most cameo roles aren't the title character of the movie. Feel free to replace it with Viva Knievel!, Mister Rock And Roll, Alice's Restaurant, Linda Lovelace For President, Head, many Laurel and Hardy films, and perhaps Marjoe.

[justlikeu]

TC, i think you mean FROM Justin to Kelly, but they dont actually play themselves, they play characters with the same name who happen to sing amazingly well for average 20-somethings.

[Jason Work]

Excellent! "The Greatest" and "Private Parts" are exactly what I had in mind. Movies where a famous person stars in the story of their own life.

[Ken Jennings]

Isn't there a Jackie Robinson one of these?

[Ken Jennings]

Oh, and in elementary school we had to watch something called Joni. If there's a reason not to send your kids to an otherwise great Protestant private school, it's that they might have to see Joni. Or The Cross and the Switchblade.

Or read Jack T. Chick comics. "Haw Haw Haw!"

[Jason Work]

Good call! "The Jackie Robinson Story" from 1950. And wow, the tagline alone from Joni--"Sometimes where the body is held captive the Spirit is set free"--sends chills down my spine. Never heard of the movie before, and I think that's probably a good thing.

As for some of the earlier suggestions, I guess there are a lot of movies where an actor plays someone of the same name, but they don't all qualify in my mind as autobiographical movies. I mean, the John Malkovich in "Being John Malkovich" is clearly not meant to represent the real life individual. And movies like "Spice World" and "Hard Day's Night" are just fictional adventures where the respective bands play versions of themselves. "The Greatest," on the other hand, is a biopic about the life of Muhammad Ali and the role just happens to be played by...Muhammad Ali.

I keep thinking that I've heard of a movie about Pele, the soccer star, where he played himself, but maybe I'm imagining things.

[themanwho]

Oh, and in elementary school we had to watch something called Joni. If there's a reason not to send your kids to an otherwise great Protestant private school, it's that they might have to see Joni.

Dude. She's crippled. Be nice.

-M

[Ken Jennings]

Oh, and in elementary school we had to watch something called Joni. If there's a reason not to send your kids to an otherwise great Protestant private school, it's that they might have to see Joni.

Dude. She's crippled. Be nice.

-M

Bad movies starring the handicapped are above criticism?

[TheConfessor]

If Ken's agent is on the ball, you'll soon be able to add one more film to the list. Who else could plausibly play the lead role in Brainiac: The Ken Jennings Story?

[Tom1969ca]

Oh, and in elementary school we had to watch something called Joni. If there's a reason not to send your kids to an otherwise great Protestant private school, it's that they might have to see Joni. Or The Cross and the Switchblade.

Or read Jack T. Chick comics. "Haw Haw Haw!"

You don't want me getting started on the Chick Tracts, so I'll just try to add to the list...

How about:

The Ann Jillian Story - details the actress' battle with breast cancer.

I'm Bout It - rapper Master P stars in the story of a rapper's rise from the ghetto. (While the rapper's name is different from Master P's, it is generally acknowledged that the film is essentially autobiographical.)

Saved from the Titanic - this film, staring Titanic survivor Dorothy Gibson, actually premiered just 29 days after the liner sank. And some people complain that the makers of contemporary movies-of-the-week are vultures...

Also, at one point in time there was talk of Ronald Reagan playing himself in a movie-of-the-week about the 1981 attempt on his life (since he had apparently kept his SAG card paid up). The plans, which were to make the film after Reagan left office, never came to fruition.

[Ken Jennings]

Saved from the Titanic - this film, staring Titanic survivor Dorothy Gibson, actually premiered just 29 days after the liner sank.

Too soon!

These are great. There must be more disease-of-the-week TV movies like the Ann Jillian one, but I can't think of any.

[Xenkylm]

I realize it's borderline (since technically the movie is about global warming), but what about "An Inconvenient Truth"? At least a third of the movie is about Al's life, narrated by Mr. Gore himself.

/also, the scene where Al Gore "has a totally spontanious and important phone call" is beyond hilarious.

[Jason Work]

I wonder if any of these movies actually follow the subject's life up through the making of the movie itself! Charlie Kaufman would probably have to be the screenwriter for that to happen. Oh, and I would have paid to have seen Ronald Reagan as an actor/ex-President playing Ronald Reagan the President/ex-actor. I think he would have been phenomenal. Ooh, and they could have mixed things up by having Jane Wyman play Nancy! Ah, to think what might have been.

[Xenkylm]

I wonder if any of these movies actually follow the subject's life up through the making of the movie itself! Charlie Kaufman would probably have to be the screenwriter for that to happen. Oh, and I would have paid to have seen Ronald Reagan as an actor/ex-President playing Ronald Reagan the President/ex-actor. I think he would have been phenomenal. Ooh, and they could have mixed things up by having Jane Wyman play Nancy! Ah, to think what might have been.

That's an interesting subset/aspect of this genre... autobiographical movies with the subject playing the lead role, but with the supporting cast played by other actors.

/spaceballs is the only film I can think of whose timeline includes the film itself.

[justlikeu]

That's an interesting subset/aspect of this genre... autobiographical movies with the subject playing the lead role, but with the supporting cast played by other actors.

/spaceballs is the only film I can think of whose timeline includes the film itself.

i believe blazing saddles does too, but i cant be certain.

[missbitesalot]

oh, i was thinking of something else, nevermind.

[Poquelin]

Bob Mathias, the first athlete to win gold medals in the Decathlon 1948 and 1952 Olympics, played himself in the auto-biopic The Bob Mathias Story (1954)

[colonial]

On the TV movie front...former *American Idol* winner Fantasia Barrino played herself in a Lifetime TV movie about her life.

And, IIRC, Deidre Hall (Marlena on *Days of Our Lives* -- thank my wife for teaching me that ) played herself in a TV movie about 10-15 years ago about her struggle with infertility.

James

[jafitzs]

Right off hand I can think of 50 Cent playing himself in Get Rich or Die Trying, an autobiographical movie based on his life before he became famous.
Im not sure if Eminem staring in 8 Mile should be considered, its supposed to be based losely on his life.

[justlikeu]

On the TV movie front...former *American Idol* winner Fantasia Barrino played herself in a Lifetime TV movie about her life.
James

haha, thats kind of what this topic is about, or at least, how it got started.

[Xenkylm]

Right off hand I can think of 50 Cent playing himself in Get Rich or Die Trying, an autobiographical movie based on his life before he became famous.
Im not sure if Eminem staring in 8 Mile should be considered, its supposed to be based losely on his life.

By that standard, then, I suppose UHF doesn't count either?

***also***

Tracy Gold starred in a movie about eating disorders.... it wasn't about HER per se, but it was somewhat autobiographical