Cast your eye over the films released in the past few years and those slated to come out in the near future and you’ll notice a trend. Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman, Judy—these films aren’t fictional. They’re not about fantastical places or dystopian futures. They are about something infinitely more fascinating and altogether more complex.
They’re about people.
These films focus not on over-the-top action or heavy, unrealistic drama, but on the everyday experiences that make human life what it is. And though the films are about extraordinary people—the artists, writers, and singers that lent their considerable talents towards expressing the world around them—everything depicted in the films is relatable. They’re about humanity. They’re about sorrow. They’re about joy.
And what’s more, they’re successful. It would be easy to think that a film that is biographical in nature might only appeal to a small group of people, but Bohemian Rhapsody was the tenth-highest grossing film of last year and earned a total of over $216 million throughout the course of its run.
You might argue that Bohemian Rhapsody was only successful because it was about the band Queen—and who doesn’t like Queen?—but that just isn’t the case. Here is a small list of upcoming films:
- Vita & Virginia: August 30, 2019
- Judy: September 27, 2019
- A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: October 18, 2019
- Harriet: November 1, 2019
- Respect: August 14, 2020
These movies give the viewer something more than entertainment: they give them people to admire, goals to strive for. These movies inspire. Vita & Virginia is about the renowned author Virginia Woolf and her love affair with Vita Sackville-West. Judy is about the life of Judy Garland, the woman that brought Dorothy to life on the silver screen. The words of “Over the Rainbow” still ring true.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is about Fred Rogers, the man that set the example of how people should treat one another every day for decades. And Harriet? Harriet is about Harriet Tubman, the escaped slave who risked everything multiple times to go back and set others free. Respect is the story of Aretha Franklin, a woman whose music will never be forgotten.
All too often, the most creative souls among us are the most tortured. Plagued by depression and anxiety, our most beloved individuals turn to anything that might bring relief—and too often, these salves prove to be their downfall. Overdoses have claimed many of the brightest and best among us. The films about their lives don’t gloss over this, and in fact, present their downward spirals in stark contrast to the glitz and glamour of their lives.
This isn’t to admonish them for their mistakes. It isn’t even to illustrate the harmful effects of addiction. It is to point out that everyone is vulnerable, everyone is in need, and that everyone hurts. And there is no shame in that. For people that feel they have nowhere else to turn, the promise of relief is as an irresistible siren.
Humans are fascinating. No life is ever the same as another. People are like a tree laden with leaves in the fall: full of life and of different colors and different shapes. And sometimes, like those autumn leaves, someone comes along that stands out from the rest of the beautiful leaves in a way that demands our attention.
And those are the people we call artists. Writers. Musicians. Actors. Creatives.
If you find yourself craving a movie, consider a biopic. Just for a week, pass over the action films and the slasher flicks. Go see a movie about someone extraordinary. Let them inspire you. As for me, I’ve got the dates for Blinded by the Light marked off my calendar. I’m ready for my meeting with The Boss.