A biographical motion picture — often shortened to biopic — is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or people. They differ from films “based on a true story” or “historical films” in that they attempt to comprehensively tell a person's life story or at least the most historically important years of their lives.

Because the figures portrayed are actual people, whose actions and characteristics are known, biopics are considered some of the most demanding films of actors and actresses. Will Smith and Jim Carrey both gained respect as dramatic actors after starring in biopics, Smith as Muhammad Ali in Ali and Carrey as Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon.

Traditionally biographical films focus on beloved, historically important people. However, recently some have focused on more dubious figures (The People vs. Larry Flynt, Blow, Monster, Control etc.)

In rare cases, the subject of the film plays him or herself; Jackie Robinson in The Jackie Robinson Story; Muhammad Ali in The Greatest, Audie Murphy in To Hell and Back, Patty Duke in Call Me Anna, and Howard Stern in Private Parts.

History

Since the 1980s, biographical pictures have become increasingly popular as advancement in film technology and increases in film budgeting have allowed directors to more fully recreate historic periods. In the early 2000s, there was a flood of biographical pictures after Man on the Moon, Ali, Frida and others became widely acclaimed and awarded. In an essay on biographical films, Rana Dasgupta has seen this recent profusion as "a symptom of a grand contemporary reconfiguration of the idea of creativity and its relationship to social order."

Controversies over veracity

A certain amount of veracity is expected of biopics, often to reduce the risk of libel, but the films often alter events to suit the storyline. Events are sometimes portrayed more dramatically than they actually occurred, time is "condensed" to fit all important events into the film or several people are blended into a composite.

Although many viewers and critics forgive such fabrications for entertainment value, some biopics have come under criticism for allegations of deception. Historians noted the wayward chronology of Michael Collins, a team of Greek lawyers threatened to sue the makers of Alexander for implying that Alexander the Great was bisexual and many boxing fans resented the villainous portrayal of Max Baer in Cinderella Man. But a more controversial biopic in terms of accuracy is 1999's The Hurricane, about boxer Rubin Carter and his hotly-disputed triple murder conviction. Several details were altered to enhance the image of Carter and details about the police procedures that lead to the conviction conflicted with court records. Also, former middle weight champion Joey Giardello, who won a title bout against Carter, sued the film's producers for suggesting he won due to a racist "fix". The case was settled out of court.