Whenever movie fans see the �based on a true story� title card before a film, they
know that what they�re about to see didn�t really happen. Even when working with fact-based
materials, directors will use their artistic license to spice things up and make their
project more interesting. While that typically makes for a better story, it doesn�t mean
everyone�s happy about it. Here are Screen Rant�s 10 biggest inaccuracies in popular
films.
Pocahontas
Disney�s animated tale was sold as a love story between Pocahontas and John Smith, but
the real story would have made that creepy. The film portrays both characters as adults,
but Pocahontas was only 10 or 11 years old when she first met Smith. Historians also
dismiss the fictional romance that blossomed between the two, pointing out that they were
just friends when it was all over. Pocahontas did eventually marry a British man, but it
was John Rolfe, not Smith. Its depiction of real-life figures didn�t sit well with many,
since it gave children the wrong idea of what actually happened.
Gladiator
Even though Ridley Scott used an historian to make sure Gladiator was accurate, some
major aspects slipped through the cracks. The film depicts battles that never happened,
features German shepherds even though they didn�t exist at the time [5:13], has Latin
inscriptions with grammatical errors, and condenses Commodus� 13-year reign into at
the most 2 years. In addition, the portrayal of Commodus was incorrect. The real emperor
did not kill his father [starts at 36:31 in extended cut], was younger and more physically
fit, and was married. Thankfully the Academy doesn�t take historical accuracy into voting
for Best Picture. Despite all these elements, we�re still entertained whenever we watch
this film.
Braveheart
Similar to Pocahontas, Mel Gibson�s Oscar winner is based on real people, yet fabricates
most of the real story. The relationship between William Wallace and Isabella is a little hard
to take seriously, since the actual Isabella was a baby during the time the film is set.
Also, Edward II is shown as an adult, but he was really only 13 years old (1:00 + 1:01:28).
The most glaring inaccuracy is the dynamic between England and Scotland. The two countries
enjoyed a period of peace for about a century before the movie�s events, and the Scottish
would never have claimed their nation was never free.
Pearl Harbor
Michael Bay�s film used fictional characters in its story, but he still found ways to upset
historians when making Pearl Harbor. The action hardly resembles what actually took place
on December 7, 1941 [attack sequence starts at 1:28:00]. Main pilots Rafe and Danny shoot
down dozens of enemy planes during the attack [Americans start fighting back at around 1:51:24],
but the real heroes hit far fewer. Also, no fighter pilots would have been sent to Tokyo
to serve as bomber pilots, making the entire premise implausible. In addition, there�s
no evidence to suggest crippled president FDR would get out of his wheelchair at any
point [2:11:12], ruining one of the movie�s patriotic moments.
The Martian
Ridley Scott�s survival thriller got a lot of credit for its realistic depiction of space
travel, but he still had to make a few things up. The film shows that Mars has the same
gravity as Earth, but that�s not really the case. The red planet actually has gravity
that�s 62 percent weaker than the one we have, meaning that Mark Watney should have
been bouncing around the surface the whole time he was there instead of walking normally.
It�s a small aspect that few will stop to think about, but the NASA junkies in the audience
will find it a bitter pill to swallow.
The Revenant
This visually stunning work made headlines for how the crew worked hard to make everything
real, but that apparently did not extend to the story. The screenwriters took some liberties
with the tale of Hugh Glass. Most notably, there�s no evidence that the real Glass
had any children [17:30], while the film shows that he has a son who was murdered by John
Fitzgerald. While Glass actually was left behind by Fitzgerald and Jim Bridger, he never
tried to get revenge on them. When he caught up to the pair, he simply forgave them and
moved on. That doesn�t make the most engrossing narrative for a dramatic film, however.
Silver Linings Playbook
The film is set during the 2008 sports seasons, meaning game results should have been easy
to look up when writing the script. But, that�s a task the filmmakers struggled at. The Eagles
games mentioned in the movie did actually happen, but are out of order when compared
to the actual schedule. Silver Linings also gets a critical gambling element wrong. Despite
betting on Eagles games frequently for income, Pat Sr. mentions that the Eagles/Cowboys game
has a point spread of 1.5 [1:30:58], even though the contest was seven weeks away when
that conversation took place. Nobody would have a point spread available that far in
advance.
The Hurt Locker
Audiences were rocked by The Hurt Locker�s illustration of war in the Middle East, but
those who actually served weren�t impressed. The film was criticized for several military
inaccuracies, including the role bomb disposal teams played in the war, the uniforms American
soldiers wore, and the military tactics displayed. One sequence that particularly displeased
veterans [starts at 1:31:04] was when William James went off base to try to locate the young
boy Beckham and then returns without showing any identification [starts at 1:35:15]. Unless
he purposely wanted to get court martialed or killed, he would not have acted this way.
In addition, the base patrol wouldn�t have let him back in and would have probably shot
at him.
JFK
There are numerous conspiracy theories about the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and
Oliver Stone had one he showcased in JFK. The film is based around the idea that that
FBI and CIA were involved in a plot to kill Kennedy, going as far as suggesting Lyndon
B. Johnson took part in the cover-up. Some historians felt Stone ignored truths to serve
his film. JFK shows David Ferrie admitting to assisting in the conspiracy to kill Kennedy
[1:41:40], but in reality he denied involvement and volunteered to take a lie detector. Even
the Warren Commission considers the film extremely fraudulent, so it might be best to believe
them and not the movie.
Argo
Hollywood played a big role in getting the hostages home, but Argo really runs with that
idea at the expense of other parties. Some felt the Canadian government was underplayed
in the movie, painting the CIA as the most noteworthy heroes. Argo also mentions that
the U.K. and New Zealand refused to take the hostages [I found an extended cut online that
places this scene at [17:00], but that wasn�t true. The British hosted them initially before
the location was deemed unsafe, and New Zealand organized a new hiding place if the refugees
had to move again. Fudging the facts is part of the film business, but this is rewriting
history at the risk of upsetting others.
Those are our picks for the biggest inaccuracies in popular films. Are there any we missed?
Which ones are your favorites? Sound off in the comments section below and be sure to
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