BASED ON A TRUE STORY The saying that “truth is stranger fiction”
gets the reel life treatment with this selection of based on a true story offerings. Celebrated photographer Robert
Mapplethorpe gets the two-fold experience on Hulu with both the theatrical and director’s cuts of Mapplethorpe, available to view. The latter offers restored scenes depicting the erotically charged shutterbug’s discovering his calling as a child and details his strained relationship with his father. Another public figure who faced
controversy and shrugged it off was Touko Valio Laaksonen. The artist also known as Tom of Finland is the subject of the 2017 movie of the same name. His stylized and highly masculinized homoerotic content in the late 1950s and early 1960s faced censorship in the U.S. for their representations of “overt homosexual acts.” They make it sound like a bad thing! The documentary Disclosure takes a deep
dive into Hollywood’s depiction of trans characters and the impact they have on real transgender lives. It features Hollywood insiders, like Laverne Cox, taking Tinsel Town to task for their previous celluloid misrepresentations. Wilde peeks into the private life of famed
writer Oscar Wilde, with Stephen Fry as the man who gave the world The Picture of Dorian Gray. The married author gives into his impulses and has a relationship with Lord Alfred “Bosie” Douglas (Jude Law). Good choice, old chap! Did you know that writer and director
Randal Kleiser’s film It’s My Party is based on a true story? Well, now you do, as it’s my job to keep you entertained and informed. You’re welcome! OK, putting on my serious hat and placing the sassy one on the shelf. Kleiser’s fictionalized ex-lover (Eric Roberts) learns of a devastating AIDS diagnosis and assembles a group of friends, including Olivia Newton-John and Margaret Cho, to a
farewell party. The first openly gay elected official
in California is the subject of Milk, as in Harvey. Sean Penn embodies the spirit of the trailblazing hero who, along with San Francisco Mayor George Moscone, was assassinated by disgruntled city supervisor Dan White (Josh Brolin) in 1978. Penn took home the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of the man who made an indelible impact. Two musicians who have left their mark on
the world, Elton John and Freddie Mercury, are the focus of the biopics Rocketman and Bohemian Rhapsody. The retelling of John’s early years, with Taron Egereton in the title role, and subsequent problem with drugs is told via song as a musical fantasy. Rami Malek is perfect in the story of Mercury’s rise to fame and untimely death, a performance firmly rooted in the triumph and tragedy of the Queen front man. Probably why he was rewarded with a Best Actor Oscar for his effort.
CUT. PRINT. THAT’S A WRAP! Obviously, this isn’t a definite list and may contain some omissions that you consider a favorite. Go ahead and dig through that
DVD collection or search through the multitude of streaming services to experience a visual way to feel proud, whatever that means for you.
Tim Parks has been a freelance writer for 21 years, a columnist for 16 years, and part of Team Rage since 2009. He is the award-winning author of The Scheme of Things, available on
Amazon.com.
JULY 2021| @theragemonthly 27
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