NEWS TO BIG SCREEN
6 Films That Originated From Popular Articles
Imagine taking a book and sifting through its 300 or so pages to get to the story you want to tell in a film. Now imagine doing that same thing but with only about 5,000 to 10,000 words. Some of the best movies have come from news and magazine articles. There are so many that we had a hard time picking six.
HUSTLERS
This upcoming film starring JLo follows a group of strippers who are dancing for the wealthiest people on Wall Street. They turn the tables on their loyal clients, and make the news doing it. Talk about female empowerment.
ARTICLE: The Hustlers At Scores
URBAN COWBOY
Longform prospered in the 70s with journalists like Hunter S. Thompson, though you won’t find any of him on this list. In 1978, Aaron Latham wrote the article that would later see John Trovolta as Urban Cowboy. The story is about a cowboy’s life in a Houston bar. Young Travolta is definitely worth watching.
ARTICLE: The Ballad Of The Urban Cowboy: America’s Search For True Grit
DALLAS BUYERS CLUB
Matthew McConaughey’s portrayal of Ron Woodroof earned him an Oscar and gave the world one of the best acceptance speeches ever. The film tells the story of Woodroof, who found out he was HIV+. That leads him on a journey to get trial-stage drugs for himself and others.
ARTICLE: Buying time: World traveler Ron Woodroof smuggles drugs — and hope — for people with AIDS
THE BLING RING
This 2013 film, which stars Emma Watson, showcases the true skills of the millennial generation. A group of girls use the internet to stalk their favorite celebrities so they can rob their homes. Yes, this actually happened.
ARTICLE: The Suspects Wore Louboutins
BOOGIE NIGHTS
The late Burt Reynolds assumes the lead role as a porn director who meets a drug user with a high libido. The two pair up, but their egos get in the way. The film is based on a 1989 Rolling Stone article by Mike Sager.
ARTICLE: The Devil and John Holmes
BOYS DON’T CRY
Brandon Teena was a trans man who was brutally murdered. Hilary Swank portrayed him in the 1999 film. Note: The original article title misgenders Brandon and is not available on the internet.
ARTICLE: Love hurts: Brandon Teena was a woman who lived and loved as a man. She was killed for carrying it off village voice article