This year, I’ve been startled by the number of award-season movies based on real-life events.

Here’s a sampling off the top of my head: Captain Phillips, Lee Daniels’ The Butler, Philomena, The Wolf of Wall Street, American Hustle, Dallas Buyers Club, Lone Survivor and 12 Years a Slave.

Some of these are more faithful to their source material than others, and all have been criticized to at least some degree for their lack of fidelity. The words “based on a true story” — or worse, “inspired by a true story” — have come to signify code for “complete rewrite of history.”

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