Some of these are biographies, some are 'What Ifs...' and some are just good old-fashioned fiction. Either way, each of these movies highlight a brilliant author as one of the main characters and give us a look in to what could have happened...
Anonymous (2011)
AUTHOR/WRITER: William Shakespeare
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Rafe Spall
PLOT: A political thriller advancing the theory that it was in fact Edward De Vere, Earl of Oxford who penned Shakespeare's plays; set against the backdrop of the succession of Queen Elizabeth I, and the Essex Rebellion against her.
ACTORS: Vanessa Redgrave, Rhys Ifans, Jamie Campbell Bower
AUTHOR/WRITER: William Shakespeare
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Rafe Spall
PLOT: A political thriller advancing the theory that it was in fact Edward De Vere, Earl of Oxford who penned Shakespeare's plays; set against the backdrop of the succession of Queen Elizabeth I, and the Essex Rebellion against her.
ACTORS: Vanessa Redgrave, Rhys Ifans, Jamie Campbell Bower
Becoming Jane (2007)
AUTHOR/WRITER: Jane Austen
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Anne Hathaway
PLOT: A biographical portrait of a pre-fame Jane Austen and her romance with a young Irishman.
ACTORS: James McAvoy, Maggie Smith
AUTHOR/WRITER: Jane Austen
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Anne Hathaway
PLOT: A biographical portrait of a pre-fame Jane Austen and her romance with a young Irishman.
ACTORS: James McAvoy, Maggie Smith
The Brothers Grimm (2005)
AUTHORS/WRITERS: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
PLAYING THE AUTHORS: Matt Damon and Heath Ledger
PLOT: Will and Jake Grimm are travelling con-artists who encounter a genuine fairy-tale curse which requires genuine courage instead of their usual bogus exorcisms.
ACTORS: Lena Headey, Monica Bellucci
AUTHORS/WRITERS: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
PLAYING THE AUTHORS: Matt Damon and Heath Ledger
PLOT: Will and Jake Grimm are travelling con-artists who encounter a genuine fairy-tale curse which requires genuine courage instead of their usual bogus exorcisms.
ACTORS: Lena Headey, Monica Bellucci
Capote (2005)
AUTHOR/WRITER: Truman Capote
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Philip Seymour Hoffman
PLOT: During his research for his book In Cold Blood, an account of the murder of a Kansas family, writer Truman Capote develops a close relationship with Perry Smith, one of the killers.
ACTORS: Catherine Keener, Clifton Collins Jr
AUTHOR/WRITER: Truman Capote
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Philip Seymour Hoffman
PLOT: During his research for his book In Cold Blood, an account of the murder of a Kansas family, writer Truman Capote develops a close relationship with Perry Smith, one of the killers.
ACTORS: Catherine Keener, Clifton Collins Jr
FairyTale: A True Story (1997)
AUTHOR/WRITER: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Peter O'Toole
PLOT: Based on factual accounts, this is the story of two girls that have the ability to take pictures of winged beings... which certainly causes quite a stir throughout England during the time of the first World War. Everyone is excited about this "photographic proof" that fairies exist... even the great Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini pay the girls a visit.
ACTORS: Harvey Keitel, Bill Nighy
AUTHOR/WRITER: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Peter O'Toole
PLOT: Based on factual accounts, this is the story of two girls that have the ability to take pictures of winged beings... which certainly causes quite a stir throughout England during the time of the first World War. Everyone is excited about this "photographic proof" that fairies exist... even the great Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini pay the girls a visit.
ACTORS: Harvey Keitel, Bill Nighy
Finding Neverland (2004)
AUTHOR/WRITER: J.M. Barrie
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Johnny Depp
PLOT: The Story of J.M. Barrie's friendship with a family who inspired him to create Peter Pan.
ACTORS: Kate Winslet, Radha Mitchell, Dustin Hoffman
AUTHOR/WRITER: J.M. Barrie
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Johnny Depp
PLOT: The Story of J.M. Barrie's friendship with a family who inspired him to create Peter Pan.
ACTORS: Kate Winslet, Radha Mitchell, Dustin Hoffman
Gothic (1986)
AUTHOR/WRITER: Mary Shelley
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Natasha Richardson
PLOT: Story of the night that Mary Shelley gave birth to the horror classic "Frankenstein." Disturbed drug induced games are played and ghost stories are told one rainy night at the mad Lord Byron's country estate. Mary finds herself drawn into the sick world of her lover Shelley and cousin Claire as Byron leads them all down the dark paths of their souls.
ACTORS: Julian Sands, Gabriel Byrne
AUTHOR/WRITER: Mary Shelley
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Natasha Richardson
PLOT: Story of the night that Mary Shelley gave birth to the horror classic "Frankenstein." Disturbed drug induced games are played and ghost stories are told one rainy night at the mad Lord Byron's country estate. Mary finds herself drawn into the sick world of her lover Shelley and cousin Claire as Byron leads them all down the dark paths of their souls.
ACTORS: Julian Sands, Gabriel Byrne
Hans Christian Andersen (1952)
AUTHOR/WRITER: Hans Christian Andersen
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Danny Kaye
PLOT: Once upon a time there lived in Denmark a great storyteller named Hans Christian Andersen. This is not the story of his life, but a fairy tale about the great spinner of fairy tales.
ACTORS: Farley Granger
AUTHOR/WRITER: Hans Christian Andersen
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Danny Kaye
PLOT: Once upon a time there lived in Denmark a great storyteller named Hans Christian Andersen. This is not the story of his life, but a fairy tale about the great spinner of fairy tales.
ACTORS: Farley Granger
The Hours (2002)
AUTHOR/WRITER: Virginia Woolf
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Nicole Kidman
PLOT: The story of how the novel "Mrs. Dalloway" affects three generations of women, all of whom, in one way or another, have had to deal with suicide in their lives.
ACTORS: Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly
AUTHOR/WRITER: Virginia Woolf
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Nicole Kidman
PLOT: The story of how the novel "Mrs. Dalloway" affects three generations of women, all of whom, in one way or another, have had to deal with suicide in their lives.
ACTORS: Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly
Miss Potter (2006)
AUTHOR/WRITER: Beatrix Potter
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Renee Zellweger
PLOT: The story of Beatrix Potter, the author of the beloved and best-selling children's book, "The Tale of Peter Rabbit", and her struggle for love, happiness and success.
ACTORS: Ewan McGregor, Emily Watson
AUTHOR/WRITER: Beatrix Potter
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Renee Zellweger
PLOT: The story of Beatrix Potter, the author of the beloved and best-selling children's book, "The Tale of Peter Rabbit", and her struggle for love, happiness and success.
ACTORS: Ewan McGregor, Emily Watson
Prick Up Your Ears (1987)
AUTHOR/WRITER: Joe Orton
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Gary Oldman
PLOT: Based on the book by theater critic John Lahr, this unadorned biography of playwright Joe Orton charts his bawdy, dangerous relationships. The hilarity of scenes from such Orton plays as Loot and What the Butler Saw is evenly balanced by the bleakness of the playwright's tormented (and tormenting) off-stage existence.
ACTORS: Alfred Molina, Wallace Shawn, Vanessa Redgrave
AUTHOR/WRITER: Joe Orton
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Gary Oldman
PLOT: Based on the book by theater critic John Lahr, this unadorned biography of playwright Joe Orton charts his bawdy, dangerous relationships. The hilarity of scenes from such Orton plays as Loot and What the Butler Saw is evenly balanced by the bleakness of the playwright's tormented (and tormenting) off-stage existence.
ACTORS: Alfred Molina, Wallace Shawn, Vanessa Redgrave
The Raven (2012)
AUTHOR/WRITER: Edgar Allan Poe
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: John Cusack
PLOT: A fictionalized account of the last days of Edgar Allan Poe's life, in which the poet pursues a serial killer whose murders mirror those in the writer's stories.
ACTORS: Alice Eve, Brendan Gleeson
AUTHOR/WRITER: Edgar Allan Poe
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: John Cusack
PLOT: A fictionalized account of the last days of Edgar Allan Poe's life, in which the poet pursues a serial killer whose murders mirror those in the writer's stories.
ACTORS: Alice Eve, Brendan Gleeson
The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne (2000) TV Series
AUTHOR/WRITER: Jules Verne
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Chris Demetral
PLOT: The fantastic steampunk adventures of the future science fiction writer and his friends, the Foggs and Passepartout.
ACTORS: Francesca Hunt, Michael Praed
AUTHOR/WRITER: Jules Verne
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Chris Demetral
PLOT: The fantastic steampunk adventures of the future science fiction writer and his friends, the Foggs and Passepartout.
ACTORS: Francesca Hunt, Michael Praed
Shadowlands (1993)
AUTHOR/WRITER: C.S. Lewis
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Anthony Hopkins
PLOT: C.S. Lewis, a world-renowned writer and professor, leads a passionless life until he meets spirited poet Joy Gresham.
ACTORS: Debra Winger
AUTHOR/WRITER: C.S. Lewis
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Anthony Hopkins
PLOT: C.S. Lewis, a world-renowned writer and professor, leads a passionless life until he meets spirited poet Joy Gresham.
ACTORS: Debra Winger
Shakespeare in Love (1998)
AUTHOR/WRITER: William Shakespeare
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Joseph Fiennes
PLOT: A young Shakespeare, out of ideas and short of cash, meets his ideal woman and is inspired to write one of his most famous plays.
ACTORS: Gwyneth Paltrow, Geoffrey Rush, Judi Dench
AUTHOR/WRITER: William Shakespeare
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Joseph Fiennes
PLOT: A young Shakespeare, out of ideas and short of cash, meets his ideal woman and is inspired to write one of his most famous plays.
ACTORS: Gwyneth Paltrow, Geoffrey Rush, Judi Dench
Time After Time (1979)
AUTHOR/WRITER: H.G. Wells
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Malcolm McDowell
PLOT: H.G. Wells pursues Jack the Ripper to the 20th Century when the serial murderer uses the future writer's time machine to escape his time period.
ACTORS: Mary Steenburgen, David Warner
AUTHOR/WRITER: H.G. Wells
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Malcolm McDowell
PLOT: H.G. Wells pursues Jack the Ripper to the 20th Century when the serial murderer uses the future writer's time machine to escape his time period.
ACTORS: Mary Steenburgen, David Warner
Tom & Viv (1994)
AUTHOR/WRITER: T.S. Eliot
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Willem Dafoe
PLOT: In 1915, T.S. (Tom) Eliot and Vivienne Haigh-Wood elope, but her longstanding gynecological and emotional problems disrupt their planned honeymoon. Her father is angry because Tom's poetry doesn't bring in enough to live on, but her mother is happy Viv has found a tender and discreet husband.
ACTORS: Miranda Richardson
AUTHOR/WRITER: T.S. Eliot
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Willem Dafoe
PLOT: In 1915, T.S. (Tom) Eliot and Vivienne Haigh-Wood elope, but her longstanding gynecological and emotional problems disrupt their planned honeymoon. Her father is angry because Tom's poetry doesn't bring in enough to live on, but her mother is happy Viv has found a tender and discreet husband.
ACTORS: Miranda Richardson
Wilde (1997)
AUTHOR/WRITER: Oscar Wilde
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Stephen Fry
PLOT: The story of Oscar Wilde, genius, poet, playwright and the First Modern Man. The self-realization of his homosexuality caused Wilde enormous torment as he juggled marriage, fatherhood and responsibility with his obsessive love for Lord Alfred Douglas, nicknamed Bosie.
ACTORS: Jude Law, Vanessa Redgrave, Michael Sheen
AUTHOR/WRITER: Oscar Wilde
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Stephen Fry
PLOT: The story of Oscar Wilde, genius, poet, playwright and the First Modern Man. The self-realization of his homosexuality caused Wilde enormous torment as he juggled marriage, fatherhood and responsibility with his obsessive love for Lord Alfred Douglas, nicknamed Bosie.
ACTORS: Jude Law, Vanessa Redgrave, Michael Sheen
Will Shakespeare (1978)
AUTHOR/WRITER: William Shakespeare
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Tim Curry
PLOT: A 1978 historical drama serries created and written by John Mortimer. Broadcast in six parts, the series is a dramatisation of the life of William Shakespeare.
ACTORS: Dick Burbage
AUTHOR/WRITER: William Shakespeare
PLAYING THE AUTHOR: Tim Curry
PLOT: A 1978 historical drama serries created and written by John Mortimer. Broadcast in six parts, the series is a dramatisation of the life of William Shakespeare.
ACTORS: Dick Burbage
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