From ‘The Crown’ to ‘The Last Dance,’ 11 of the year’s best TV shows and films inspired by real people – The Spokesman-Review
Posted By admin on December 19, 2020
What a strange, tragic and pivotal year 2020 has been. Its somewhat fitting that in a period when truth was stranger than fiction, some of the best TV and film efforts were based on real-life events.
The list below includes a range of works from biographical films and documentaries to TV shows based on real people released this year that we recommend.
Unorthodox: Deborah Feldmans 2012 memoir inspired this acclaimed miniseries a requisite entry on best of 2020 lists about a young woman who abruptly leaves an arranged marriage and the strict Hasidic sect in which she grew up. Shira Haas (Shtisel) earned an Emmy nomination for her turn as Esther Esty Shapiro, whose departure from Brooklyn leads to exhilarating self-discovery in Berlin. (Streams on Netflix)
Mrs. America: This FX miniseries takes a unique approach in depicting the fight for the Equal Rights Amendment, which was almost passed in the 1970s: focusing on Phyllis Schlafly (Cate Blanchett), the late right-wing activist who campaigned against the proposed amendment.
As such, the series is more than a retelling of the womens rights movement, but it does honor its pioneers, including Gloria Steinem (Rose Byrne), Betty Friedan (Tracey Ullman) and in a particularly standout portrayal that earned Uzo Aduba her third Emmy Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to serve in Congress and run for president. (Streams on Hulu)
The Crown: Netflixs royal-inspired drama excels at taking highly publicized events and imagining how the residents of Buckingham Palace dealt with them away from public glare. The shows fourth season tackles Margaret Thatchers tenure as prime minister of the United Kingdom, with Gillian Anderson as the Iron Lady. The most prominent story line, though, is the brief courtship and subsequent marriage of Prince Charles (Josh OConnor) and Princess Diana (Emma Corrin).
The Netflix series has generated a considerable amount of discourse over its approach to their relationship and Charless affair with Camilla Parker Bowles (Emerald Fennell), who would decades later become his second wife.
Earlier this week, Netflix declined to add a disclaimer labeling the series as fictional in response to appeals from the British government. Controversy aside, Corrin is a captivating Diana, and the season is clearly resonating with viewers, having consistently been in Netflixs (self-reported) top 10 list since its Nov. 15 premiere. (Streams on Netflix)
Shirley: Elisabeth Moss plays writer Shirley Jackson, best known as the author of The Haunting of Hill House, in Josephine Deckers largely fictional drama. Adapted from Susan Scarf Merrells 2014 novel of the same name, the film imagines Jackson during a period of severe depression and social anxiety while trying to complete her 1951 gothic novel Hangsaman.
When a young newlywed couple, Rose (Odessa Young) and Fred Nemser (Logan Lerman), come to live with Jackson and her husband, Stanley Edgar Hyman (Michael Stuhlbarg), the two women develop an intense connection that subtly weaves its way into Jacksons work. (Streams on Hulu)
The Last Dance: This Emmy-winning documentary, produced by ESPN and Netflix, goes deep on Michael Jordans final season with the Chicago Bulls. Despite its accolades and record viewership, some including filmmaker Ken Burns criticized the 10-part series because it was produced in partnership with Jump 23, a production company owned by the basketball legend himself. (Streams on Netflix and ESPN Plus)
Ill Be Gone in the Dark: Veteran documentary filmmaker Liz Garbus, along with a team of producers, directed this six-episode series recalling true-crime writer Michelle McNamaras quest to solve a decades-old cold case. The authors search for the violent criminal she dubbed the Golden State Killer was chronicled in a book by the same name, released two years after her death from an accidental overdose in 2016.
As Washington Post TV critic Hank Stuever noted in his review of the docuseries, the project is as much about McNamara as it is about the Golden State Killers crimes. Garbus and co. feature interviews with the writers siblings, friends and husband, comedian Patton Oswalt, who shed light on how McNamaras pursuit of justice consumed the last few years of her life. (Streams on HBO)
The Vow: Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amers well-received docuseries goes inside NXIVM, a multilevel marketing company federal prosecutors later said was a cultlike organization that enabled founder Keith Raniere to prey on young women. Stuever lauded the nine-episode project for its haunting insight into what drew NXIVMs members actresses and socialites among them into a criminal enterprise.
For a more straightforward account of NXIVM and Ranieres chilling hold on his followers, there is Starzs also well-received four-part series, Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult. (Streams on HBO)
The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart: Stuever had high praise for Frank Marshalls HBO documentary about the famed pop/soul/disco trio (brothers Maurice, Robin and Barry Gibb) and their enduring influence on popular music.
Its less of the usual tract (we had them all wrong!) and more of a reckoning with the profound degree of artistry and accomplishment that should be the last word on any Bee Gees story, Stuever wrote in his review. The movie is also a unique consideration of the phenomenon of rise and fall and how one learns to live with it. (Streams on HBO)
Tiger King: Easily the most controversial documentary of 2020, Tiger King unpacks the decades-long feud between zoo owner Joe Exotic and animal rights activist Carole Baskin. The eight-episode series is full of characters (Baskin was a contestant on the most recent season of Dancing With the Stars) and offers an eye-opening look into the world of big cat ownership. (Streams on Netflix)
Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker: This Shondaland-produced documentary follows multihyphenate Debbie Allen as she stages her nonprofit dance academys annual Hot Chocolate Nutcracker. Directed by Oliver Bokelberg, the 80-minute doc doesnt just showcase the production and Allens demanding rehearsals, but also zeros in on the representation that makes it groundbreaking.
Allens company largely consists of people of color, with many of the dancers on scholarship, and the film traces Allens own history in dance dating from her childhood in segregated Houston, where she was not allowed in theaters putting on productions of the Christmas classic. (Streams on Netflix)
Veneno: Journalism student Valeria Vegas (Lola Rodrguez) meets her idol former trans sex worker turned TV star Cristina Ortiz Rodriguez, aka La Veneno (Daniela Santiago) and begins to find her own identity while reporting on La Venenos life. The series, based on Vegass 2016 biography of the trans icon, became a hit in Spain upon its release in March. Stateside reviews are scarce, but the few that exist are effusively positive. (Streams on HBO Max)
Read more:
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- Frontier accused of kicking Hasidic family off flight due to unmasked toddler - The Times of Israel - March 3rd, 2021
- Frontier Airlines Defends Canceling Flight, Says 'Several Adults' Refused to Wear Masks - Newsweek - March 3rd, 2021
- Partnership forged in measles outbreak: Rockland and Refuah tackle COVID-19 vaccinations - The Journal News - March 3rd, 2021
- Thousands of Haredim crowd Jerusalem streets for last day of Purim - Ynetnews - March 3rd, 2021
- Why 'The Vigil' is the first great horror film of 2021 - SYFY WIRE - March 3rd, 2021
- Jewish lore inspires chilling but less-than-original horror film 'The Vigil' - Chicago Daily Herald - March 3rd, 2021
- US TV station pulls episode of show amid anger over portrayal of Orthodox Jew - Jewish News - March 3rd, 2021
- New Hasidic horror movie 'The Vigil' is set in Brooklyn and scary as hell - New York Post - February 26th, 2021
- On the scene: Photos from a pandemic Purim in Brooklyn - Forward - February 26th, 2021
- Stream It Or Skip It: 'The Vigil' on VOD, a Freaky Horror Story About a Jewish Man and the Demons of His Faith - Decider - February 26th, 2021
- Policing religious gathering limits during the coronavirus pandemic requires sensitivity - The Conversation CA - February 25th, 2021
- Speaking Torah Episode #4: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Translator - jewishboston.com - February 25th, 2021
- Array of genres, countries in Sacramento Jewish film fest J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - February 25th, 2021
- With 'The Vigil,' Keith Thomas wanted to make a truly Jewish horror movie - SYFY WIRE - February 25th, 2021
- Foothill presents readings of 'Intimate Apparel' this weekend - Los Altos Town Crier - February 25th, 2021
- The evolution of Eric Adams - Jewish Insider - February 25th, 2021
- New Jewish Horror Film Steeped in Ancient Jewish Lore and Demonology - jewishboston.com - February 18th, 2021
- Americas Christian and Jewish Faithful Observe Socially Distanced Ash Wednesday and Purim - Times of San Diego - February 18th, 2021
- A year of grief: Orthodox Jewry reels as COVID-19 hastens the loss of its rabbis - The Times of Israel - February 18th, 2021
- Congregation Tifereth Israel Hosts Virtual Discussion With Author - Patch.com - February 16th, 2021
- Outcry After Author and COVID-19 Skeptic Ties Cuomo Actions on Nursing Homes to Orthodox Jews - Algemeiner - February 16th, 2021
- This Week In Trailers: The Vigil, The Misadventures of Hedi and Cokeman, Long Live Rock...Celebrate The Chaos, Happily, Slalom - /FILM - February 16th, 2021
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- Deaths for the week of Feb. 7-13, 2021 J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - February 9th, 2021
- 'The Vigil': An ex-Hasidic man's harrowing night with the dead J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - February 7th, 2021
- Abraham Twerski, Who Merged 12 Steps and the Torah, Dies at 90 - The New York Times - February 7th, 2021
- In Orthodox communities where pregnancy is prized, vaccines and variants leave women confused and afraid - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - February 7th, 2021
- Ruling expected by end of the week as Hasidic Jews ask for injunction on 10 people per synagogue rule - CTV News Montreal - February 3rd, 2021
- Abraham Twerski, Hasidic rabbi and psychiatrist has died at 90 - thejewishchronicle.net - February 3rd, 2021
- He Is Israels Prince of Torah. But to Some, He Is the King of Covid. - The New York Times - February 3rd, 2021
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- Members of Quebec's Hasidic Jewish community file injunction request over gathering restrictions - CTV News Montreal - February 1st, 2021
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- Once Again, Video Shows Ultra-Orthodox Jews at Crowded Maskless Wedding - Friendly Atheist - Patheos - January 22nd, 2021
- Police chief says trend of Haredi violence against cops only getting worse - The Times of Israel - January 22nd, 2021
- Thousands attend Hasidic wedding in Brooklyn, many from Europe and Israel - The Jerusalem Post - January 20th, 2021
- On Ultra-Orthodox social media, the messiah is almost here. - Forward - January 20th, 2021
- I Know Why Haredi Jews Joined Neo-Nazis at the Trumpist Riot - The Daily Beast - January 20th, 2021
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- Ukrainian rabbi listed in ranking of top 100 influential Ukrainians - The Jerusalem Post - January 14th, 2021
- The spa resort where European rebbes spent their summer vacations - Forward - January 6th, 2021
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- Exposing the Visceral Lies of Jew-Haters - The Media Line - January 6th, 2021
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- The War Against the Haredim - City Journal - December 30th, 2020
- How To Overcome COVID Vaccine Hesitancy: Try Truth From Trusted Messengers : Shots - Health News - NPR - December 30th, 2020
- Why 'Unorthodox' scared Shira Haas and how she got over it - Los Angeles Times - December 30th, 2020
- Hasidic rapper Nissim Black on his creative process and Covid recovery - The Jewish News of Northern California - December 19th, 2020
- Hanukkah Takes On Special Meaning As COVID-19 Vaccines Begin To Distribute - Wyoming Public Media - December 19th, 2020
- Times Bares Its Anti-Hasidic Bias in Covering COVID-Era Weddings - Algemeiner - December 5th, 2020
- Quebec judge rules against Hasidic couple in trial over secular education - CBC.ca - December 5th, 2020
- Village officials agree to hold another hearing in January on 600-home Clovewood proposal - Times Herald-Record - December 5th, 2020
- The Gov. vs. the Supreme Court | Yakov Saacks | The Blogs - The Times of Israel - December 5th, 2020
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- 911 Call Spurs Fear and Evacuation, but Montreal Police Report No Threat - The New York Times - November 19th, 2020
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- Judge orders insurer to cover town's legal bills for discrimination case by developers of Greens at Chester - Times Herald-Record - November 7th, 2020
- 'The Rabbi Goes West' in SLIFF's Jewish-oriented films - St. Louis Jewish Light - November 7th, 2020
- Virus Rate Fell to 2% From 34% in One Area. But Did Anything Change? - The New York Times - November 7th, 2020
- State will let Kiryas Joel schools reopen if all students and staff are tested for virus - Times Herald-Record - November 1st, 2020
- Hasidic Jews feel like the only minority New York officials are comfortable targeting - Religion News Service - October 24th, 2020
- Hasidic Wedding Scheduled For Monday In Williamsburg Could Test Resolve Of COVID Enforcement - CBS New York - October 24th, 2020
- Police Release Photos Of Individuals Wanted In Connection To Attack On Hasidic Jewish Man In Williamsburg - CBS New York - October 24th, 2020
- A Hasidic villages coronavirus tests went from 34% positive to 4% in a month. The county health commissioner is asking how. - Forward - October 24th, 2020
- I blew the whistle on the planned 10000 person Satmar wedding. Here's why. - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - October 24th, 2020
- NY Health Officials Order Shutdown of 10,000 Person Wedding in Brooklyn - NBC New York - October 24th, 2020
- The future of religious gatherings in the COVID-19 era - Arab News - October 24th, 2020
- In Israel, journalists are being attacked while covering the pandemic in haredi Orthodox communities - The Jewish News of Northern California - October 24th, 2020
- NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio: I regret how I handled that Orthodox funeral in April - Forward - October 24th, 2020
- Dont call Hasidim anti-science. They kept COVID at bay all summer. - Forward - October 2nd, 2020
- Police warn Hasidim they will break up planned massive Sukkot events - World Israel News - October 2nd, 2020
- NYC Health Department Expresses Concern Over Increased Coronavirus Spread in Hasidic Neighborhoods - One Green Planet - October 2nd, 2020
- Satmar rabbi to skip traditional Brooklyn holiday visit because of virus spread - The Times of Israel - September 19th, 2020
- Kuleba on situation with Hasidic pilgrims: Ukrainian legislation should be respected by everyone - Interfax Ukraine - September 19th, 2020
- Covid Strands Hasidic Pilgrims on Ukraine-Belarus Border - The New York Times - September 17th, 2020
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