Some of the most successful Hollywood movies and series have scenes that are incredible, shocking and so impressive that it is difficult to imagine how they managed to create something so good. However, many of them are based on real stories and moments that, just as you saw it on screen, happened in real life.
While some shows and films based on real events are often embellished or tweaked to make the story appeal to more people or have a different twist at the end, these 12 shocking moments in film and television history were based 100 percent on things that did happen in real life.
1. Argo
What is it about? It tells the story of an infiltration specialist who disguises six Americans as movie producers to rescue them from Tehran during a hostage crisis in Iran.
The moment that actually happened: The scene where the guards of the Iranian revolution hire carpet weavers to reconstruct the documents of the American embassy and trap its members.
2. The king’s speech
What is it about? King George tries to overcome his stuttering with the help of therapist Lionel Logue to become a worthy leader of England during World War II.
The moment that actually happened: The story that the king tells his therapist about the nanny who physically abused him until he made him cry and preferred her brother, Prince David.
3. Titanic
What is it about? Rose comes from a family of English aristocrats and is about to get married. However, everything changes when he boards the Titanic and meets Jack Dawson, an artist with whom he falls in love.
The moment that actually happened: When two first-class gentlemen refuse to put on life jackets, preferring to die as gentlemen. Their names were Benjamin Guggenheim and Victor Giglio.
4. Harriet
What is it about? A plantation owner promises to free a family of slaves. But when he fails to keep his bargain, a girl escapes and becomes an abolitionist.
The moment that actually happened: The scene where Harriet Tubman threatens with a gun and forces a group of slaves who, at the last minute, have decided not to cross the river to be free.
5. The wolf of Wall Street
What is it about? Jordan Belfort finds success when the stock market crashes. Since then, he has teamed up with Donnie Azoff to cheat, cheat, and lie in order to earn money.
The moment that actually happened: When Jordan Belfort tells the captain of his yacht to sail through a storm in order to cross the Italian coast, which ends up sinking the boat with everything in it.
6. Invictus
What is it about? After years of struggle, President Nelson Mandela decides to unite his country by supporting a rugby team to win the 1995 World Cup.
The moment that actually happened: The scene where a plane piloted by Laurie Kay with the message “Good luck, Luck Bokke” flies over the stadium before the exciting end of the rugby match.
7. The enigma code
What is it about? Brilliant mathematician Alan Turing joins a crypto team to crack German codes. With the help of his team, he creates a machine capable of doing this.
The moment that actually happened: Alan Turing did propose to Joan Clarke only to later end their engagement and confess his attraction to men. Her calm reaction was real.
8. Walt’s dream
What is it about? Pamela lyndon Travers, an author with money problems, travels to Los Angeles to meet Walt Disney, who seeks to adapt Mary Poppins on the big screen.
The moment that actually happened: When Walt Disney tells PL Travers that the reason he wants to adapt his book, Mary Poppins, on the big screen it is because of a promise he made to his daughters 20 years ago.
9. The theory of everything
What is it about? Stephen Hawking, an excellent astrophysicist working on research, learns that he has a terrible disease and only two years to live.
The moment that actually happened: The difficult conversation between Jane and Stephen’s doctor, when she decides to have her anesthesia removed and a tracheotomy done so she can live, even without speaking again.
10. The Crown
What is it about? Based on the play The Audience, chronicles in detail the life of Queen Elizabeth II, from her accession to the throne after World War II to modern times.
The moment that actually happened: The interview with Carlos and Diana when they announce their engagement and the prince’s terrible response about whether they are very much in love:
Whatever being in love means.
11. 127 hours
What is it about? Aron Ralston, a mountain climber, is on an adventure in Utah when he is trapped inside a canyon. Desperate to survive, he spends 127 hours alone before being rescued.
The moment that actually happened: Aron Ralston kept a video diary of his experience trapped between the rocks of the Grand Canyon and many of the lines spoken by James Franco are exactly the same as what Ralston narrated.
12. Captain Phillips
What is it about? Somali pirates attack the Maersk Alabama ship on its way to Kenya. Richard Phillips, the captain, uses his intelligence to negotiate with them and save his crew.
The moment that actually happened: The scene where the captain invents a whole conversation with a ship that does not exist so that the pirates believe that they are not alone, convincing them, at first, not to approach.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
