Audiences everywhere continuously gravitate towards uplifting, motivational, and heartwarming stories with brilliant characters you just can’t help but root for. Few genres are as engrossing and lucrative as true-story pictures, with their moving subjects becoming a source of profound inspiration to viewers across the world.

Watching compelling storylines and admirable characters on the big screen is a truly satisfying experience, even more so when the events depicted are based on real-life experiences. Hollywood has never been one to shy away from producing heart-heavy and engrossing content, with some of the most notable and impressive cinematic masterpieces being rooted in genuine first-hand accounts.

Whether you’re looking for a spellbinding biographical war film like Mark Wahlberg’s gritty Lone Survivor, a fierce dramatization of a legal assistant’s impassioned battle against a power company with Erin Brockovich, or simply prefer witnessing athletes defy odds and expectations like in Ron Howard’s Cinderella Man, real-story flicks are sure to astound and motivate you. These are some inspiring movies based on actual events.

Updated July 2023: If you're a fan of inspirational movies, you're in luck. This article has been updated with additional content and entries by Amira Abdel-Fadil.

13 Coach Carter

Sam Jackson in Coach Carter
MTV Films

The 2005 biographical sports drama Coach Carter tells the true story of Richmond High School basketball coach Ken Carter, who sparked controversy in 1999 for suspending his undefeated high school basketball team due to poor academic results. The bold and always captivating Samuel L. Jackson portrays Carter, who at first garnered intense community outrage for his decision, but ultimately earned praise for emphasizing the importance of good values with his team.

Critics called Coach Carter effective, yet fairly formulaic, but Jackson received acclaim and appreciation for his impactful performance, with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writing, “He takes what could have been a cardboard cliché role and puts flesh on it with his flamboyant intelligence.” The legendary actor won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for the compelling portrayal.

12 King Richard

Will Smith in King Richard
Warner Bros. Pictures

The 2021 biopic King Richard focuses on the early career of American tennis champions Serena and Venus Williams (played by Demi Singleton and Saniyya Sidney, respectively). It is an homage to the unwavering determination, dedication, and forward entrepreneurial skills of their father and mentor, Richard Williams (Will Smith).

Since the sisters were the movie’s executive producers, they fine-tuned every single detail and gave their blessing for the final edit, in an effort to change the public’s opinion on the misunderstood patriarchal figure, thought to be a little too severe and controlling.

Per Forbes, Serena stated, "I think it was a great opportunity to see how amazing African-American fathers are. A lot of Black men aren't seen in that light. And a lot of people think that my dad was a different character. He wanted us to have fun first over anything. That's the thing that I loved most."

11 Woman in Gold

Ryan Reynolds, Helen Mirren, and Daniel Bruhl in Woman in Gold
The Weinstein Company

Written by Greek-British playwright and actor Alexi Kaye Campbell, Woman in Gold was released in 2013 and grossed $61.6 million worldwide. It centers around the relentless personal and legal efforts of Jewish refugee Maria Altmann (Dame Helen Mirren) and righteous lawyer Randol Schoenberg (a non-goofy Ryan Reynolds, for a change) to retrieve a family heirloom: the Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, painted by Austrian symbolist artist Gustav Klimt. The art piece, which features Altmann’s beloved aunt, had been stolen 60 years ago by the Nazis in Vienna during the Holocaust and later kept on display at the Austrian State Gallery.

10 Lone Survivor

Mark Wahlberg in Lone Survivor
Universal Pictures

Peter Berg’s gripping 2013 biographical war film Lone Survivor stars Mark Wahlberg as hospital corpsman First Class Marcus Luttrell, who sets out with his team to either capture or kill notorious Taliban leader Ahmad Shah in June 2005. The real-life Luttrell collaborated with the adaptation, under the directorial eye of Peter Berg, and of the star’s moving portrayal, he said, “Wahlberg is a consummate professional, and he’s a great actor. It was a little strange watching somebody trying to play me, but we talked about it and I knew it would turn out great.”

Lone Survivor depicts the harrowing mission of the four-man SEAL reconnaissance and surveillance team and garnered positive reviews from critics and audiences alike. Wahlberg has since cited the picture as his favorite film role, having revealed, “This is the best working experience I’ve ever had, under the toughest conditions. I remember early on as an actor, you worked a long, hard day, but you did something you felt was special, and that car ride home you couldn’t stop thinking about it. I had that feeling every day on this movie.”

9 Erin Brockovich

Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich
Universal Pictures

Julia Roberts nabbed an Academy Award for her commanding performance as the titular character in Steven Soderbergh’s 2000 legal drama Erin Brockovich. The film is a dramatization of the true story of Brockovich, a single mother who became a legal assistant and nearly single-handedly fought against a California power company accused of polluting a city’s water supply.

Related: Best Steven Soderbergh Movies, Ranked

The real Erin Brockovich collaborated on the biopic and even appears in a cameo as a waitress named Julia. The smart and thoughtful drama beautifully showcases the advocate’s efforts to build a case against Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E), which was settled in 1996 for $333 million. The dynamic actress delivers a knockout performance as the headstrong heroine, with Rolling Stone commending her and writing, “Roberts shows the emotional toll on Erin as she tries to stay responsible to her children and to a job that has provided her with a first taste of self-esteem.”

8 Cinderella Man

Russell Crowe in Cinderella Man
Touchstone Pictures

Famed director Ron Howard and acting chameleon Russell Crowe teamed up once again after A Beautiful Mind to bring another real-life story to the screen, the 2005 sports drama Cinderella Man. The film depicts the inspiring journey of world heavyweight boxing champion James J. Braddock. The picture follows the notorious athlete as he stages an epic comeback to the boxing world, after being forced to give up the sport due to a hand injury in the ring.

The determined Braddock decides to challenge the heavyweight champion Max Baer and is dubbed “The Cinderella Man” due to his rags-to-riches story. Braddock served as a representation of the hopes and aspirations of the American public struggling in the 1930s Great Depression and went on to defeat Baer in one of the greatest upsets in boxing history.

Cinderella Man was well-received by critics and earned three Academy Award nominations; Newsweek commended the picture, writing, “Howard’s movie skillfully delivers that primal, heart-pounding satisfaction that is the promise of all boxing tales.”

7 My Left Foot

Daniel Day-Lewis in My Left Foot
Palace Pictures

One of cinema’s greatest performers and method actors of all time, Daniel Day-Lewis stars in the 1989 biographical dramedy My Left Foot portraying Irish artist Christy Brown, who was born with cerebral palsy and could only control his left foot. The film was adapted from Brown’s 1954 memoir of the same name and focuses on his life growing up in a poor working-class family and his journey to becoming a talented writer and artist.

Day-Lewis is notorious for his intense commitment to his craft, and he insisted on staying in character during the entire production of the film, refusing to do anything Brown couldn’t do. This method approach meant that the actor remained in a wheelchair at all times, requiring crew members to lift him over camera and lighting wires and even spoon-feed him. Day-Lewis’ immense efforts once again paid off, as his stirring performance was heralded, and he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the role.

6 Remember the Titans

Denzel Washington Remember the Titans
Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

In the 2000 sports biopic Remember the Titans, fan-favorite Denzel Washington portrays T.C. Williams High School football coach Herman Boone, as he attempts to racially integrate the team in Alexandria, Virginia in 1971. The uplifting drama is based on true events and depicts Boone’s efforts to bring together his players while serving as head coach, with the help of assistant coach Bill Yoast (Bill Patton).

Remember the Titans features a slew of then-up-and-comers, like Ryan Gosling, Kate Bosworth, and Donald Faison, and is notable for its encouraging and moving message that continues to touch viewers. The film is widely considered one of the best football flicks of all time and was a touchdown among audiences, who gave the Washington drama a rare A+ CinemaScore.

5 Seabiscuit

Tobey Maguire in Seabiscuit
Universal Pictures

Loosely based on the life and racing career of the eponymous champion thoroughbred racehorse, the 2003 sports drama Seabiscuit centers on the undersized and often overlooked horse whose unexpected success made him a widely popular media sensation during the Great Depression.

Related: The Best All-Time Movies about Horses, Ranked

Spider-Man's Tobey Maguire appears as John “Red” Pollard, Seabiscuit’s Canadian horseracing jockey who forms a deep bond with the powerful animal, all the while dealing with his own personal struggles with vision loss. The Gary Ross drama emphasizes just how important the unlikely champion was to Americans during this difficult period of time, and how he became a symbol of hope to millions. Roger Ebert raved about Seabiscuit, and wrote, “The movie’s races are thrilling because they must be thrilling: there’s no way for the movie to miss on those, but writer-director Gary Ross and his cinematographer, John Schwartzman, get amazingly close to the action.”

4 Freedom Writers

freedom writers
Paramount Pictures

2007’s refreshing drama Freedom Writers follows the efforts of a young inner-city teacher, as she inspires her class of at-risk students to learn the importance of tolerance and to aspire for an education beyond high school. The Richard LaGravenese film is based on the book by Erin Gruwell and her students, who compiled the publication out of actual diary entries they wrote for the English class Gruwell had taught.

In the big-screen adaptation set in 1994 in Long View, California, Hilary Swank portrays Gruwell, who comes up with a unique teaching method, in an effort to understand and form a connection with her diverse students. Against the backdrop of the Los Angeles riots, two years prior to the film’s setting, Freedom Writers depicts the racial tension between the students. Erin Gruwell later went on to found the Freedom Writers Foundation, a non-profit that encourages a more diverse and inclusive classroom experience for minority and at-risk students, an admirable feat duly acknowledged in the film.

3 The Pianist

Adrien Brody in The Pianist
Pathé Distribution

Based on the memoir by Polish-Jewish composer and pianist Wladyslaw Spzpilman, The Pianist is an incredible story of survival, strength, and courage. After losing everything to the war, his family, and his ability to play the piano during the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto in World War II, Spzpilman was deeply traumatized. He had to grapple with a new emptiness he had never thought possible and a guilt so big.

The film intimately shows what it means to be alive yet dead inside. Aside from being a film that portrays a humane story, it shines a light on the brutality of the holocaust and all the atrocities caused by it. It is a heartbreaking watch, but it has an underlying message of hope through its deeply inspiring ending. It was awarded three Oscars, one for best direction, one for best screenplay, and one for best actor in a leading role.

2 The Lighthouse of the Orcas

The Lighthouse of the Orcas
Buena Vista International

The Lighthouse of the Orcas is an incredibly interesting tale that chronicles a one-of-a-kind relationship between animals and humans. A young autistic boy named Tristian has a strong reaction upon seeing Orcas in a documentary about a man, Beto, who has a special relationship with Orcas. Due to it being very unusual for him to express himself, his mother, Lola, decides to take him to the man in the documentary who resides in Patagonia Argentina. She desperately asks him to create some sort of therapy for her son despite the dangerous nature of the Orcas. What starts as being an absolute risk becomes a beautiful tale of awe-full love and synchronicity between man and nature.

1 Hotel Rwanda

Scene from Hotel Rwanda
MGM Distribution Co.

Much like Schindler's list, Hotel Rwanda is a stirring film about the good found in humanity based on the incredible empathy of an ordinary man. Set in 1994, the motion picture highlights the hatred that was directed at the Tutsis by the Hutus. During that time, the Hutu militia were against the Hutus which prompted them to start an ethnic cleansing against the Tutsi minority. This led to the mass murder of thousands of Tutsis.

In order to alleviate the heart-wrenching issue, a Hutu hotel manager goes over and beyond to shelter Tutsi refugees in the hotel (Hotel des Mille Collines) that he's managing so that they are safe and sound. However, as the violence surges, protecting them becomes an incredible task. The fine piece of production is a historical piece of gem that will deeply touch your heart and educate you about a period in history that rarely gets portrayed in cinema. It was nominated for three Oscars.