the long journey back based on true story

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Long Journey Back

After a harrowing accident when a train crashes into her school bus, a young popular teenager, Celia, learns to handle life with brain damage, the death of several friends, and an amputated ... Read all After a harrowing accident when a train crashes into her school bus, a young popular teenager, Celia, learns to handle life with brain damage, the death of several friends, and an amputated limb. After a harrowing accident when a train crashes into her school bus, a young popular teenager, Celia, learns to handle life with brain damage, the death of several friends, and an amputated limb.

• Audrey Davis Levin
• Judith Ramsey
• Mike Connors
• Cloris Leachman
• Stephanie Zimbalist
• 1 User review
• 2 Critic reviews

• Vic Casella

• Laura Casella

• Celia Casella

• Amy Casella

• Dr. Roberts

• Jim Thompson
• Alan Wilcox

• (as Stephen Keep)

• Dr. Chisholm

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• Trivia Nina Axelrod's debut..
• Crazy credits (disclaimer in opening credits) The school bus depicted in this film is neither the make nor model involved in the true events and the structure was altered for dramatic effect.

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• Sep 19, 1999
• December 15, 1978 (United States)
• United States
• Ein langer Weg zurück
• Santa Paula, California, USA
• Lorimar Productions
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

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• Runtime 1 hour 40 minutes

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'The Way Back': A Harrowing Survival Tale That's Worth the Effort

The Oscar-nominated film tells the story of a 4,000-mile freedom trek from a Siberian gulag

Exclusive Films

Big-screen survival tales don't get much more harrowing than The Way Back , an Oscar nominee (for its makeup) that never finished above the 15th spot at the stateside box office. It arrived this week on home video, grueling as ever, but worth the trip.

The film follows a group of escapees from a Siberian gulag on their "4,000-mile walk to freedom." It rations out little bits of hard luck and emotional backstory as it shuffles along, but it's not so much concerned with being sweeping or suspenseful as conveying the physical toll of the journey. The weather-beaten characters, their nerves frayed and their feet swollen, scavenge desperately for sustenance. Before the prison-camp break is even under way, one of the POWs can be seen slipping a piece of tree bark into his mouth, and prisoners trade pornographic sketches for scraps of food. As a rule, they don't exchange personal information. Their trek is heroic, but The Way Back portrays survival as inward-looking by nature, and in this sense the film is an unusual, in-grown sort of epic.

The film is directed by Peter Weir, with a script by him and Keith R. Clarke, adapted from a book called The Long Walk , the veracity of which has long been called into question (Weir and Clarke stop short of any problematic based-on-a-true-story pronouncements, but an opening dedication and a closing timeline perhaps too strongly suggest this is historical fact). The story centers on Janusz (Jim Sturgess), a kind, courageous Pole who gets shipped off to the frozen-over hell of Siberia as the Second World War rages. "Nature is your jailer, and she is without mercy," says a guard in an early scene. Cue the howling wind and the battering snow. This is the most inclement weather imaginable, definitively depicted by Akira Kurosawa in the steppe-set Dersu Uzala (1975).

The enterprising Janusz hatches a plan with a number of other prisoners—including a wizened American (Ed Harris) and a fierce, knife-wielding Russian (Colin Farrell, going all in on the accent)—to flee the camp, and they do so in a snowstorm during a guard shift change. They manage to escape, but hunger plagues them: The men chase a pack of wolves away from a carcass only to feed on it themselves; there is later the obligatory tastes-like-chicken joke (one of the few moments of humor) as the men eat a poisonous-snake meat.

Near the mosquito-swarmed Lake Baikal, the escapees cross paths with a young girl (Saoirse Ronan), and then head for the Mongolian desert, rendered here as a disorienting no-man's-land, scorched and lifeless. Some, but not all, come out the other side, crossing over to China via the Great Wall, in a bit of earned wonder-of-the-world uplift. A coda places the foregoing dislocations and ordeals in the context of the Iron Curtain.

Weir's last film was 2003's Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World , an extraordinary seafaring epic, and probably also one of the finest mainstream films of the last decade. Before that, the filmmaker directed Mel Gibson in Gallipoli (1981) and The Year of Living Dangerously (1982), Harrison Ford in Witness (1985) and The Mosquito Coast (1986), and Jim Carrey in The Truman Show (1998), with his most striking work probably remaining 1975's Picnic at Hanging Rock , an atmospheric period unsolved-mystery about the fin-de-siècle disappearance of several schoolgirls during a Valentine's Day field trip.

Weir's output has been varied—his résumé also includes a comedy ( Green Card ) and more crowd-pleasing boarding-school fare ( Dead Poets Society ). But the films that focus on people, primarily men, struggling to know or tame the landscape, or during wartime, futilely lay claim to it— Hanging Rock , Gallipoli , The Mosquito Coast , and Master and Commander —constitute the core of his filmography. The Way Back may not scale the heights of these earlier films, but it belongs alongside them—an uncompromising and assiduously grounded endurance test from one of the world's more interesting directors.

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The Long Journey Back

• 1 hr 37 mins

About a teenager (Stephanie Zimbalist) whose family helps her overcome handicaps sustained in a collision. Mike Connors, Cloris Leachman, Katy Kurtzman, Howard McGillin, Nicolas Coster. Dr. Rojas: Luis Avalos. Cal: John Lamont. Filmed in and around Los Angeles. Directed by Mel Damski.

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THE WAY BACK

By: debbie lynn elias

In 1956, the world was gifted with an astounding “autobiography” by Slavomir Rawicz – “The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom. Translated into 30 languages, this was the story of Rawicz’ escape from a Siberian gulag and his 4000 mile trek from Siberia to India and to freedom. (Get your history books out boys and girls and read up!) According to Rawicz, he and several other prisoners escaped the gulag in 1940 and crossed the continent on foot with only one sack of food scraps they had been collecting and only one knife, eventually emerging from the Himalayan mountains in 1941.

A mesmerizing and inspirational story, it seemed inevitable that it would be made into a film; in fact, it was originally optioned by Laurence Harvey as well as being slated at Warner Bros. with Burt Lancaster to star. But as time and life would have it, nothing came to fruition until the book was optioned by Keith Clarke who then teamed up with uber epic director Peter Weir to bring us what we now see – one of the most heart wrenching, inspiring and courageous stories of survival to grace the silver screen – THE WAY BACK.

Each known for their meticulous attention to detail, Clarke and Weir didn’t just jump into this project. They researched and re-researched, interviewed and re-interviewed, traveled to over 8 countries, all in an effort to verify Rawicz’ accounts and to provide more depth and accuracy to the film. Over the years, a BBC documentary was produced that discounted Rawicz, alleging him not be truthful or that the book was about other prisoners and not himself. And while the truth was uncovered by Clarke indicating that Rawicz had, in fact, been amnestied and made his own trek from Siberia to the Middle East, it was also learned that at least four other Polish prisoners did escape and make the arduous 4000 mile journey to freedom in India. It is now immaterial whether or not Rawicz escaped or was amnestied or whether he trekked from Siberia to India or the Middle East. What matters is that Rawicz shed a light on the horrors of the Stalin regime and the darkness – and courage – that filled the world. 20 million souls passed through the gulags. Inspired by their story, THE WAY BACK is a magnificent and powerful fictional account of seven of them.

Janusz is a young officer in the Polish army. Eager and affable, he is taken prisoner by the Soviets under the most heinous and threatening of emotional circumstances. On capture, all prisoners were taken to the Siberian gulags where the temperature would drop of 70 below zero and malnutrition was the watchword of the day. Performing hard labor out in the blizzardous conditions or slaving in the gold mines, most prisoners never survived beyond a winter. On arriving at the gulag, Janusz meets up Khabarov, a chatty man, imprisoned for his politics. But Khabarov is also a dreamer and speaks only of escape and his plan to accomplish it. Inspired by Khabarov, Janusz hatches his own plan of escape and “befriends” several other prisoners with a desperate desire to live no matter what the cost in trying. Mr. Smith and his son left the Depression of the USA and went to Russia to work on the rail lines only to be taken captive (some 7000 Americans disappeared in the gulags). Valka, a local Russian criminal is actually in the gulag for his crimes. While Voss has been taken captive because of his religious beliefs, and artist Tomasz and the young Kazik have been taken just because they could be.

Escaping the gulag under cover of a blizzard, the little troupe heads first for Lake Baikal which is weeks away under the best of circumstances. If they can get there, they have a chance to taste freedom. Pressing ever forward, personalities take shape and alliances and conflicts form, as the number one priority becomes outrunning their captors, followed by food, water and reliance on one another.

As we know from the opening of the film, only three men emerge from the Himalayas and as the film progresses we go along on the journey, as hardship, pain and sickness pick them off one by one. From the ice and snow of Siberia to the 120 degree heat of the desert, we are travelling with these men, suffering with them and, in our hearts, urging them ever forward. Along the way, they encounter a young local girl named Irena and it is through her that the character and heart of each man takes shape and we see the men finally become one.

I have to commend each actor for their dedication to THE WAY BACK. From the physical hardships of eating just enough food to maintain energy to film, to the harsh shooting conditions of Mother Nature, as well as man-made harshness on a sound stage, each actor is beyond amazing. As if the physical nature of these roles wasn’t enough, each learned Russian, Polish or both. Particularly notable is Colin Farrell’s Russian and his accent when speaking English which was brilliantly executed.

This is the finest performance of Jim Sturgess’ career. As Janusz, he fills the screen and carries the film with an inner strength and drive that is infectious. Sturgess gives Janusz this great like-ability and empathy that rivets you to the screen, even as Janusz is pushing, pushing, pushing, pushing his companions ever harder. It is the kindness within the character of Janusz that Sturgess uses to take the film to a higher emotional level.

Interestingly, in terms of acting and characterization, I felt nothing for Colin Farrell’s Valka. And while the character was not likeable in the least, it speaks volumes as Farrell’s abilities to give a performance that is spot on and that has some redemptive qualities that leak to the surface.

What can one say about Ed Harris. Ed Harris is Ed Harris is Ed Harris. Always strong and commanding no matter what the role, as Mr. Smith he is no different.  Harris brings a tacit emotional strength and with the introduction of Saoirse Ronan’s Irena, this beautiful paternal love and affection.  It is exciting to watch the emotional transformation he brings to Smith.

And as for Saoirse Ronan, her performance as Irena is beautifully done as she is the catalyst that gave some depth to the each man and serves as the connective tissue among them. It is through her that we learn about each beyond the superficial bravado or wimpiness; her character elicits the qualities of the human spirit that are necessary to survive and Ronan has a great natural gift at bringing this about. She also brings a carefree lightness to the dirt and dark of the gulag and the hardship of the journey; a breathe of fresh air.

Written by Peter Weir and Keith Clarke, the story itself is miraculous and motivational. On first seeing the film, however, I felt Weir had fallen short in his direction where it came to the dissection of the emotion of the human condition, concentrating on the physical hardships as opposed to the mental and emotional. But by film’s end, I was completely engrossed in the psyche of each man for it is through that visual physical hardship that we learn and feel the powerful emotional and mental fortitude of man.

Technically, the film is masterful, but for a few exceptions that fall more within script continuity and common sense flaws. As he did with Weir in “Master and Commander”, Russell Boyd’s cinematography is exemplary. Wonderful choices of patina, as well as lighting and framing – long shots of 7 little bodies, and then 5 little bodies and then 4 and then 3 trudging through the elements in vast openness be it desert, snow or mountains, reinforces the singularity, the lonesomeness, the aloneness of our band of not so merry men and girl. Close-ups are almost non-existent with one or two exceptions – Ed Harris’s Smith when purple and blistered and near death in the desert and then a rapidly fading Irena, the latter of which is quite beautiful and touching with a shot just wide enough to show her angelic blissfully peaceful face and the hands of some of the men holding hers. Those shots brought a tear to my eye and according to Weir, close-ups such as those weree reserved for that very purpose. On the slip side, the grit that Boyd brings to the gulag with the lighting and sickly green patina, contrasted by the pristine beauty and cleanliness of the pure white snow outside is striking. The globe trotting that was implemented in filming only adds to the overall visual and technical splendor. And the scenes of blizzards and a desert sandstorm – brilliant. Another integral part of this production is the sound which is so precise and meticulous, each raindrop, each pebble, each voice against a howling wind is exquisitely blended and toned.

Perhaps nitpicky, but disturbing disconnected were two scenes – one involving Ed Harris post “almost dead” and then when addressing the food the men scavenged before their escape. We are given a sense of a long time collection of food before the escape – meat, root vegetables and bread – yet nothing was molded. Granted, cold will keep food longer, but this seems a bit much. And then we have a very emotional scene with a purple blistered Ed Harris in the desert but after a pep talk from James Sturgess’ Janusz, he is up walking and hiking with a face that is no longer sunburned, purple or blistered. Was that water at the mirage, miracle water from the Dead Sea or some holy place? A cure all? His skin looked wonderful and rejuvenated.

When I asked Peter Weir what compelled him to tell this magnificent story of the human spirit, his response was heartfelt. “I can say now what I didn’t know then. I just felt it. It was human beings up against great landscapes. It was faces juxtaposed with mountains and forests. Human nature and nature. And then, specifically, what was it inside these people that enabled them to survive. What could they draw on? What is that we do draw on? What makes us survive anyway? What makes us keep going?” Weir succinctly answers these questions within the film to an inspiring level.

THE WAY BACK. A majestic and powerful film. A triumph of the human spirit.

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'The Way Back': An Epic Escape, Short On Drama

Bob Mondello

The Long Route Home: Colin Farrell (left) and Ed Harris star in director Peter Weir's survival epic, about a group of prisoners banished to a Siberian gulag — and their astonishing march across thousands of miles to India. Newmarket Films hide caption

The Way Back

• Director: Peter Weir
• Genre: Drama
• Running Time: 133 minutes

Rated PG-13 for violent content, nudity and strong language.

With: Colin Farrell, Ed Harris, Jim Sturgess

Watch clips

Credit: Newmarket Films

'Valka And The Wolf'

In a bleak prison yard in 1940, a Polish political prisoner named Janusz and a dozen other recently convicted "enemies of the Soviet people" stand freezing as a commandant tells them about the gulag to which Stalin has sent them, and in which they're likely to die.

"Understand," he says, "it's not our guns or wire or dogs that form your prison. Siberia is your prison — all 5 million square miles of it." With a bounty on their heads, and a thousand-mile walk to the nearest border, they can count on nature to be a "merciless jailer."

Still, dying in Siberian salt mines hardly qualifies as an attractive alternative, so Janusz (Jim Sturgess) and a clutch of mismatched comrades that includes a tight-lipped American expat (Ed Harris) and a thug with Stalin tattooed on his chest (Colin Farrell) begin planning a breakout. Drawing maps in the snow — it's barely more than guesswork as to where they are or where they need to get — they acknowledge that most of them will die in the attempt. But at least, says Janusz, they'll die free men.

Call that consolation of a sort as they trek, increasingly famished and exhausted, across frozen tundra, past the Great Wall of China and through the Gobi Desert to the foothills of the Himalayas, only to realize they still have another thousand miles to go.

The Way Back is based on The Long Walk , a bestselling 1950s memoir by Polish veteran Slavomir Rawicz that was thought to be the author's own story until, shortly after the fall of Polish communism, records surfaced establishing that Rawicz was actually freed in a 1942 amnesty. Another Polish veteran subsequently claimed that the story was based on his own walk to freedom, but by that time the book's narrative had been so widely called into question that holding filmmakers accountable for making up events and characters — Farrell's oddly inked bruiser is apparently an invention — seems pointless.

The film finesses the question by referring onscreen to The Long Walk as a book rather than a memoir, while the media notes refer to it as a novel. Whatever. True or not — and archived news reports from 1942 indicate that a handful of gulag refugees did surface in India after crossing the Himalayas on foot — the tale provides the framework for a persuasively grueling adventure.

Director Peter Weir has directed a lot of survival stories since he first received international attention for Picnic at Hanging Rock some 35 years ago. A substantial number of his films — Witness , Gallipoli , The Year of Living Dangerously , Fearless and The Mosquito Coast among them — can be characterized as stories of survivors in trying circumstances. And it's easy to see Weir as a Hollywood survivor himself, struggling to get pictures made despite an enviable track record. He has been telling interviewers that his three most recent projects foundered before this one clicked.

It's been seven years since his seafaring star vehicle Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World , and as a way back, The Way Back certainly qualifies as different: independently financed rather than studio-made, with characters navigating not oceans and naval battles, but mountains, sandstorms and, on one bug-infested shoreline, even a mosquito coast of sorts.

Weir, who not only directed but also co-wrote the story, keeps things brisk and elemental. But while the performers are game, the images (shot mostly in Bulgaria and Pakistan) decently breathtaking, and the story legitimately harrowing, the film that contains them feels oddly undramatic — proof of the maxim that epic elements don't mean much without engaging characters to hang them on. Admirable though they may be for their pluck and endurance, Janusz and his comrades never come into sharp-enough focus to make you care about them. And without emotional involvement, The Way Back is just a long walk.

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By John J. O'Connor

• Dec. 15, 1978

A LTHOUGH the weekend schedule is crowded with specials, tonight's outstanding presentation is a standard made‐for‐television movie. On ABC at 9, “Long Journey Back” is “inspired” by the true story of a high‐school girl who loses a leg and her memory in a school‐bus accident and how her family handles her recovery.

Her mother begins seeing a psychiatrist but is able to give the girl total support. The father withdraws from both wife and daughter, crushed by the fact that his child is a brain‐damaged amputee. Needless to say, all is resolved for a happy ending as the girl explains, “a train smashed into us and almost wrecked us, but we loved each other too much.”

The inspirational story has been put together nicely, and the production contains several solid performances. Cloris Leachman and Mike Connors are good as the parents, and Stephanie Zimbalist is lovely as the stricken daughter.

Tomorrow at 8, WNEW/Channel 5 will present the Royal Ballet's “The Sleeping Beauty,” recorded only hours earlier at London's Covent Garden and then transmitted here by satellite. The princess and prince will be danced by Merle Park and David Wall. Mikhail Baryshnikov, the dancer, will be host for the television occasion.

At 9 P.M. on CBS, “Who'll Save Our Children?” deals with a childless couple who tried to adopt two children they assume to be abandoned. After being pressured to take in the children, the husband and wife — played by Shirley Jones and Len Cariou — realize that they like having them. The real parents reappear, however, and demand their children back. The case goes to court.

Based on a true story, William Hanley's screenplay is overflowing with effective touches but, as drama, it is also saddled with a serious problem. There is a beginning, middle and two endings, neither of which is very satisfactory. The would‐be adoptive parents lose their court battle, and the children are returned to the parents who have been depicted as neglectful and irresponsible. Then, without warning, a pregnant young woman appears to offer the unhappy couple her child. The upbeat ending seems almost an afterthought.

Once again the performances are quite good. In addition to Miss Jones and Mr. Cariou, there are first‐rate contributions from Lee Ann Mitchell and David Schott as the children, and Cassie Yates and David Hayward as their parents. Incidentally, while the setting is the immediate present, I am told that the adopted child in the conclusion is nearly 18 years old today.

This Sunday afternoon at 1, the ABC News series “Directions” goes to Northern Ireland to look at “Bridges for Peace in a Land of War.” Focusing on Community of the Peace People, the movement whose woman co‐founders received the Nobel Peace Prize two years ago, the program finds scattered signs of tentative contact between Roman Catholics and Protestants.

There is no cause for unbridled optimism. A veteran leader of the Irish Republican Army says of the Peace People: “We tolerate them, but we do because they don't, simply don't, count.” But contacts are indeed being established for peaceful coexistence, and even small steps in that direction are encouraging. Because some of those interviewed were nervous about appearing on camera, Sid Darion, the producer, was forced to agree that the program would not be shown in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland.

Sunday evening is crammed with goodies, predictably going up against one another on the schedule. At 7. for instance, there is “Stubby Pringle's Christmas” on NBC and “Who Are the DeBolts — And Where Do They Get 19 Kids?” on ABC.

The Stubby Pringle yarn is something of a shaggy horse tale adapted by James Lee Barrett from a story by Jack W. Schaefer (“Shane”). Stubby, a cowboy in Montana of 1910, sets out for the Christmas Eve dance with some fabric and chocolates for the girl who kissed him at the previous year's affair. On the 20‐mile journey, he comes across a poor homesteading woman with a sick husband and two children. Stubby does never make the dance, but is quite content to make Christmas pleasant for the family.

The Hallmark production, beautifully directed by Burt Brinkerhoff, is done to perfection. As the struggling pioneer woman, Julie Harris offers another of her marvelously crafted creations. And Beau Bridges is thoroughly appealing and delightful as Stubby, a character of disarming and endless generosity. The first‐rate cast also includes Kim Hunter and Chill Wills.

“Who Are The DeBolts?” won an Academy Award for feature documentaries in 1977. The John Korty film has now been trimmed for television, and Henry Winkler, co‐producer for television, has been added to serve as host and narrator. The DeBolts are a California couple, Dorothy and Robert, and 13 of their 19 kids are adopted.

Some of the adopted children are black or Korean or Vietnamese. Nearly all of them are physically or emotionally handicapped: blind, crippled, missing limbs. The DeBolts give them love, understanding and intelligent care, and the result is an extraordinary demonstration of human potential ebulliently realized. The unusual experiences are captured movingly in this television adaptation.

At 8 on NBC, “Winds of Kitty Hawk” is being broadcast on the 75th anniversary of the famous flight made by Wilbur and Orville Wright. The drama traces the story of the somewhat eccentric brothers from determined beginnings in Dayton, Ohio, in 1899, to Wilbur's flight around the Statue of Liberty in 1909.

The photography is overly partial to soft focuses that apparently are sup posed to suggest period. And the style is often too cutely deadpan. But the basic factual content seems solid, and the story of the Wright Brothers is fascinating. The recreations of the early planes are splendid, and the scenes of initial flights are breathtaking. In addition, this I.T.T. special, directed by E.W. Swackhamer, has two exceptionally fine performances in Michael Moriarty's Wilbur and David Huffman's Orville.

Also at 8 P.M., WNET/Channel 13 has a delicious Christmas gift in an hour entitled “Simple Gifts. Created by R.O. Blechman, the cartoonist and graphics designer, the “Six Episodes for Christmas” use only animation of photographs. They are preceded by “The Christmas Boy,” a brief and exquisite overture in which a happy boy becomes a magnificent Christmas tree.

Each episode is charming, but two are exceptional: “A memory of Christmas,” adapted from Moss Hart's autobiography “Act One,” and “The Great Frost,” taken from Virginia Woolf's “Orlando” and dazzlingly illustrated by Seymour Chwast. The WNET executive in charge of this uncommonly imaginative production was George Page.

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Not every incredible story makes a compelling movie. "The Way Back" is inspired by a 4,000-mile foot journey that began with an escape from a Siberian prison camp in the dead of winter and continued across Mongolia and the Gobi Desert, ending finally months later in free India.

At every moment this is astonishing. Mongolia itself was said to be a prison because no one was thought able to walk out of it. Starvation is a daily possibility. So are injuries, disease, death by exposure or capture by locals eager to collect a reward. Thirst and sun are nearly fatal in the desert. The travelers have only the clothes on their backs. We know some of them reached India, because the saga opens with that news.

But how did they possibly do that? Just as we're told: by walking. Walking and walking. And there lies the weakness of Peter Weir 's film, which is nobly staged and has breathtaking cinematography but frankly, not enough of a story in the vulgar populist sense. Desperation and exhaustion make it difficult for the trekkers to work up much in the way of characters or conflicts, and while that no doubt spares us many cliches, we are left during their long walk with too much of a muchness.

The group is often so bearded and weathered that members seem interchangeable. Two who stand out are Ed Harris an American, who claims his name is only "Mr. Smith," and Colin Farrell as Valka, a Russian. (Has Harris ever given a bad performance?) The group is led by Jim Sturgess as Janusz, who's had the idea for the escape. Along the way they meet Irene ( Saoirse Ronan ), a young Polish woman. Her presence does not inspire romantic rivalries among the men. It's that kind of film.

Peter Weir is a master filmmaker (" Picnic at Hanging Rock ," " The Year of Living Dangerously ," " Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World "). His cinematographer Russell Boyd works both in tight quarters and with astonishing vistas at the roof of the world. The film is a visual feast. I am far from sorry I saw it.

But along with characterization, there is one area in which it seems to be lacking: details of survival. How exactly did they survive death by exposure in subzero Mongolia? Why didn't some of their meat spoil? Where did they find water in the desert? How did their footwear hold up — and why, as prisoners, did they have boots?

The answer, I fear, is that although "The Way Back" is described on its poster as "inspired by real events," it is fiction. The saga was first told in a book by Slavomir Rawicz, which was a European best-seller. But IMDb reports: "In 2006, the BBC unearthed records (including some written by Rawicz himself) that showed he had been released by the USSR in 1942."

There is an irony here. The film exhibits an admirable determination to do justice to a real story, but the story's not real. There's quite an op-ed debate going on right now between those (Neal Gabler) who say the cultural elite is finally being shouted down by populists and vulgarians, and others (A.O. Scott) who say such categories are meaningless. You like movies according to your own tastes.

Some people have bad taste and others have taste more like mine. Yet my taste is large. It contains multitudes. There is room for vulgarity, if it's well done. It's a shame to say so, but perhaps it would have helped "The Way Back" if Peter Weir had relaxed his standards slightly, slipped in some dramatic conflict and made better use of that pretty Polish girl.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film credits.

The Way Back (2011)

Rated PG-13 for violent content, physical hardships, a nude image, brief strong language

133 minutes

Gustaf Skarsgard as Voss

Jim Sturgess as Janusz

Ed Harris as Mr. Smith

Colin Farrell as Valka

Saoirse Ronan as Irena

Written and directed by

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The true story of True Spirit : What really happened on Jessica Watson's solo sail around the world

EW breaks down fact vs. fiction in Netflix's inspiring movie based on the incredible true story of the 16-year-old who attempted to become the youngest person to sail alone around the world.

Sydney Bucksbaum is a writer at Entertainment Weekly covering all things pop culture – but TV is her one true love. She currently lives in Los Angeles but grew up in Chicago so please don't make fun of her accent when it slips out.

Warning: This article contains spoilers about True Spirit, now streaming on Netflix.

True Spirit , Netflix's latest book-to-movie adaptation, is an inspiring tale about Jessica Watson, a teen who endeavors to become the youngest person to sail alone, nonstop, and unassisted around the world. Starring Titan 's Teagan Croft and based on the book of the same name, the film follows her harrowing journey as she attempts to sail 23,000 nautical miles around the globe in 8 months — something no other 16-year-old had ever accomplished before. But what makes it even more amazing is that it actually happened in real life.

Below, EW breaks down the biggest moments from the film and the true story behind them.

Is Jessica Watson a real person?

Yes! Watson exists, and she wrote the book about her own experience circumnavigating the globe upon which the movie is based. "There's so many layers of emotion in it for me," Watson tells EW of watching the film for the first time. "It's amazing, and Teagan's performance is extraordinary. It's me, but it's also something else, which I just love."

After playing half-demon empath Raven on the DC Comics series Titans for years, Croft was excited to finally take on a role closer to home. "Playing Raven on Titans , it's purple hair, very sullen," she says. "And the [ True Spirit ] producers needed to double-check that I wasn't like that in real life, that I'd be able to play Jess. I cracked a couple jokes, made a couple remarks, and they saw I'd be able to pull off perky. It's much more in my wheelhouse. And being able to act in my own accent was something I hadn't had the opportunity to do before. It was nice to have that burden lifted."

Watson and Croft met in person for the first time over dinner before the movie began filming, and they had a conversation with director Sarah Spillane about how the onscreen version of Watson wouldn't just be an imitation. "Then we also went sailing the next day altogether, and we met a few times up after that," Croft says. "It was so weird and awkward at first. I felt a weird guilt, like, 'Hello, I'm playing you.' But she was so lovely about it, and we get on really well now."

Did she really attempt to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world?

She sure did — Watson, now 29, departed from Sydney, Australia,, on Oct. 18, 2009, and returned on May 15, 2010, just before her 17th birthday.

Did she succeed?

Well, it's complicated and depends on who you ask. Watson sailed an estimated 18,582 nautical miles, crossing through the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans, all on her own and without stopping. But ultimately, the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC) ruled that Watson was ineligible for the record, having traveled just short of the minimum 21,600 nautical miles necessary to claim circumnavigation of the globe. In response to the decision and criticism, Watson wrote on her blog at the time, "If I haven't been sailing around the world, then it beats me what I've been doing out here all this time!"

The movie notably doesn't mention the controversy about whether or not she earned the title of the youngest person to sail solo, nonstop, and unassisted around the world. Once she returns to Sydney Harbour amid a massive celebration, the credits roll immediately. "The movie and what Jess is all about is not about the record," Croft says. "That's not what drove her. That's not what she was sailing for. She was sailing for the love of it. The point of the movie is about this girl who had a goal that was crazy and dangerous, and what she did was incredible."

"The thing is, it's a bit of an invented controversy because there actually is no record," Watson tells EW. "There's no 'youngest' record because the body that does official sailing records doesn't recognize youngest records, which is understandable. So I don't really understand how there can be controversy over a record that doesn't exist. The voyage and the way I sailed around the world was very similar to what other people did, but there's actually no official rules, so it's a bit hard to not comply with rules that don't quite exist."

All these years later, Watson isn't concerned about any official records or titles. "It really doesn't worry me because it was about the adventure," she adds. "But also, gosh, people really feel the need to add some drama or find a way to almost diminish it slightly. And I'm like, 'Cool, you guys do that. I'm cool with that.' Maybe I think about it too simplistically, but I'm just like, 'Why are we arguing about the number of nautical miles for a record that doesn't exist?' There is no set nautical miles. You can't argue over a rule that doesn't exist."

Did all the characters in the movie exist?

All except for two — and those two were still based on real people. In the film, Avatar : The Way of the Water 's Cliff Curtis plays her sailing coach Ben, but Watson reveals he was just a "beautiful representation of a few people who otherwise wouldn't have been able to be portrayed," from the crew who helped her repair her boat to the group of people advising her over the phone about the weather during her voyage and more.

Her parents were pretty much exactly as they appear in the movie, played by Anna Paquin and Josh Lawson . "Mum was the one who firstly read me Jesse Martin's book from the get-go, which was what inspired me to do this," Watson says. "She had the same curiosity and inspiration for the voyage as me, whereas dad really didn't believe it was going to happen for much longer. And then, obviously, he was quite reluctant, as you see. That is probably pretty accurate in terms of mom and dad's dynamic."

Croft struggled the most filming the scenes where Jessica talks to her family over the phone during her journey. "At that point, the other actors were gone, and it was just me, so sometimes that was really difficult to get into the scene," she says. "But what was lucky in a twisted way was that COVID was really big in Australia at that time, and so the borders between my home state and the state we were filming in had closed. I'd just come from filming Titans , I hadn't seen my sisters or my dad for seven months by the end of shooting True Spirit , so I was able to pull a real, genuine emotion from my real life from the real phone calls I was having."

Watson adds that the reporter, played by Todd Lasance, was fictional but represents all of the members of the media who were aggressively and publicly criticizing her plans. "There were some that were pretty damn similar to him," she adds with a laugh. "I was protected slightly from some of the intensity of it at the time because I was just so single-mindedly focused on this thing, which you need to be to do something like that. It was my team and my poor family who caught the worst of that, but it was intense."

She continues, "I can really understand where people were coming from, and it's kind of beautiful that there was so much concern. But at the same time, I don't think people really understood that there had been years and years of preparation. And this is a really safe boat, it's done this a number of times. It's not as crazy as it seems if you've got no idea about that world."

Did her pre-voyage trial run really end in a massive collision?

Unfortunately, yes. Watson forgot to turn on the proximity alarms before taking a quick nap, and a few minutes later, her boat (named Ella's Pink Lady), crashed into a cargo ship. "That collision scene's one of the ones that's really accurate, so that one's pretty intense for me," Watson says. "That was something I still have the occasional nightmare about, but it's so important to the story. It really made me in a way because having to go through that and find the strength to continue really set me up for being able to deal with the storms at sea."

Did she really leave her hairbrush at home?

In a moment of levity in the movie, Jessica realizes she forgot to pack a hairbrush for her long journey and tapes two forks together to detangle her hair for months. That did happen ... but not on her long trip around the world. "That happened on a sea trial," Watson admits. "So not quite the whole voyage. And actually, I got the idea from Jesse Martin who did forget his hairbrush for his trip and used a fork."

Did she battle dyslexia during her journey?

Watson is dyslexic in real life, and she loves how the movie accurately portrays the struggles she faced whenever she got stressed and messed up her longitude and latitude coordinates. "So many people can relate to this, and it's not far off from my reality," Watson says, before admitting with a laugh, "I mean, I like to think that I was never that bad with my lats and longs and getting muddled up. But at the same time, it's also based on the truth that mum did used to call me out when I'm tired or flustered, and I was getting stuff like that wrong."

Did she get knocked out during a storm?

In the first big storm she faces at sea, Jessica is hit in the head with a frying pan and gets knocked out. But it turns out that entire scene was made up for the movie. "I feel bad calling out some of the things that weren't quite true, but no, no frying pan," Watson says. "Although there was legitimate danger with stuff flying around inside the boat in a storm — household everyday objects become deadly. Keeping your cabin tidy is something I should have been better at."

Did her boat get stuck for a week without any wind?

In the movie, Jessica hits an emotional low point when there's no breeze for an entire week. She gets frustrated and ends up arguing with Ben over the radio. That was all fictionalized for the film but was based on real emotions Watson felt throughout her trip. "In reality, you never get such long stretches without wind," she says. "Often, it's more like a couple of days. And even within that, you might get a few puffs along the way. It is, however, very true to what that experience is like for a sailor, how incredibly frustrating it is to just be at the mercy of the elements and just waiting for the wind to come back. There's nothing you can do. Emotionally, they were some of the really tough days out there."

Did a massive storm temporarily sink her boat?

Onscreen, Jessica's journey ends with her biggest test yet, as multiple major storms merged into one. The giant waves flip her boat upside down, and she gets stuck 15 ft. underwater for an extended period of time. It's a terrifying scene, and it turns out, the movie version isn't even the full story.

"There were seven knockdowns," Watson reveals. "Not all of them were quite that bad. A lot of the time, it's just the boat being knocked over. But the 15 ft. underwater is real because my emergency beacon did self-activate as the boat sank. That happened. But the time I was upside down for, it certainly felt like a long time. I haven't really got a concept of how long it was in reality, but we are talking seconds compared to what we see in the movie, which stretches on forever in minutes and minutes and minutes. That's a little bit of an exaggeration there, but it was real to the experience of it feeling like forever."

Was her return to Sydney as epic as it appeared?

Absolutely! When Jessica arrives in Sydney Harbour at the end of her journey, it looks like all of Australia came to celebrate her accomplishment. And as the credits roll, real footage from that moment plays, showing the real Watson reuniting with her family. Incredibly, a young Croft was there in attendance that day.

"I was actually there in Sydney Harbour when she came in, but I'd forgotten since I was only six," Croft says. "When I came across this script, my parents were like, 'We were there!' I've been trying to figure out where we were in the crowd to see if you can see me in that footage. Maybe I'm there in a little pink skirt or something ridiculous."

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32 Best Hiking Movies and Outdoor Documentaries

From old classic hits to new independent films, here is a complete list of the best hiking movies for some outdoor inspiration. In no order, we broke all films down into four main categories: hiking movies, hiking documentaries, outdoor movies and outdoor documentaries.

1.  INTO THE WILD

Based on the true story of Christopher McCandless, a young man who walked out on society to live alone and survive in the Alaskan Wilderness. Story made famous from the book written by Jon Krakauer.  See movie.

A girl takes a nearly 2,000 mile walk across the Australian desert with four camels to keep her company. A great, lesser known, hiking movie. See movie.

3.  THE WAY

The most well known film related to the Camino de Santiago . Follow a father (Emilio Estevez) in search for inner peace after the death of his son. See movie.

Based on the true story of Cheryl Strayed hiking the Pacific Crest Trail as a path to recovery. Made famous from the popular book.  See movie.

5.  THE WAY BACK

Another true story. This one is about a group of men escaping from a Siberian labor camp and trekking a dangerous 4,000 miles to India.  See movie.

6.  WILDLIKE

Somewhat similar back story as Wild. An abused young girl looking for a way out escapes to rural Alaska. Beautiful scenery.  See movie.

7.  A WALK IN THE WOODS

One of the most iconic "trail books" that made it's way to the big screen. Bill Bryson (Robert Redford) hikes the Appalachian Trail in this lighthearted tale. The movie received less than stellar reviews. But, the profound impact of the book deems it worthy a spot nonetheless.  See movie.

8.  AS IT HAPPENS

9.  TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN

A great snapshot of the thru-hiking experience. Half a dozen hikers document their journey along the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada. Get to know the famous hiker "Billygoat". See movie.

10.  MILE... MILE AND A HALF

One of the more well produced thru-hiking docs, funded from a Kickstarter campaign  and featured on Netflix. Five friends take on the 210-mile long John Muir Trail in California.  See movie.

11.  APPALACHIAN IMPRESSIONS

A homemade documentary on the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine . Raw trail footage and interviews. Does a nice job showcasing the states, hikers, history and the "feel good" hiking community vibe.

12.  THE LONG JOURNEY TO THE START

My personal favorite Appalachian Trail documentary. Well produced, beautiful shots, brief historical accounts and a down to earth hiking couple. See movie.

13.  ONLY THE ESSENTIAL

14.  DANCES WITH WOLVES

An American classic. Set on the Great Plains during the Civil War. Vast landscapes and a heartfelt story surrounding Native Americans. See movie.

15.  7 YEARS IN TIBET

An amazingly true story about an Austrian mountain climber who ran away from his military duties in World War 2. Heinrich (Brad Pitt) finds refuge in Tibet along side the Dalai Lama. See movie.

16.  CASTAWAY

Too slow... or interesting and thoughtful? Either way, this is a great film about a man (Tom Hanks) surviving on a remote beach with his precious volleyball. See movie.

17.  A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT

Be prepared to want to learn how to fly fish. If the plot alone is not enough to entertain, the Montana (and part of Wyoming) scenery will. See movie.

18.  THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS

Filmed in the Appalachian hills of North Carolina and set mostly in deep lush wilderness. Daniel Day-Lewis is the adopted brother of a dying Native American tribe during the French and Indian War. See movie.

19.  THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY

Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller) daydreams at his day job about epic adventures all over the world and ends up on a real-life adventure of his own. See movie.

20.  MOTORCYCLE DIARIES

The story behind the political icon Ernesto "Che" Guevera. This reenacts his motorcycle journey from Brazil to Peru which influenced his Marxist views. See movie.

21.  127 HOURS

A riveting and true survival story about a rock climber (James Franco) trapped by an arm-crushing fallen boulder in a remote Utah canyon. See movie.

22.  THE REVENANT

You might be shivering cold as you watch this wild film about a fur-trading frontiersman in the 1800's. The bear scene is epic. See movie.

23.  DELIVERANCE

If "Jaws" made people fear sharks, "Deliverance" made people fear mountain people. A classic river movie, famous dueling banjos... and a famously disturbing 'squeal' scene.  See movie.

24.  TOUCHING THE VOID

A real cliff hanger. The true story about a pair of climbers attempting to summit an impossible alpine peak in the Peruvian Andes. See movie.

25.  180 DEGREES SOUTH

A personal favorite outdoor documentary. One man joins a small boat crew and sails south in hopes to go climbing in Patagonia after being inspired by Yvon Chouinard and Doug Topkins. See movie.

26.  DESERT RUNNERS

Insane ultramarathon distances across some beautiful deserts. This series of races is considered one of the toughest running events on earth.  See movie.

27.  HIT THE ROAD: INDIA

The Mumbai Xpress - a 12-day rickshaw race across India. An American and a Canadian take a hilarious stab at it. See movie.

28.  BARKLEY MARATHONS

Another world-famously-tough ultramarathon race. Except... you don't know when the race starts, if anyone will finish or where the course goes. See movie.

29.  THE ENDURANCE

One of the most incredible survival stories of all time. This is the true story of Shackleton and his shipwrecked crew in the Antarctic. See movie.

30.  GRIZZLY MAN

Is this guy looney... or does he really know his Grizzlies? Interesting take on a man obsessed with one of America's greatest mammals. See movie.

31.  NORTH OF THE SUN

2 friends spend 9 months surfing on a pristine Arctic island off the coast of Norway. Bitter cold, little daylight, and a small cabin. See movie.

Beautifully filmed and beautifully told. Follow three famous climbers (Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin, and Renan Ozturk) as they attempt the first successful summit of Meru. See movie.

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The Parallels Between The Way Back and Ben Affleck’s Life, Explained

‘The Way Back’ is an emotionally charged sports drama about second chances, and as the name suggests, finding one’s way back. The film portrays a gut-wrenching narrative of a grieving man, who has lost everything in life. It follows him on his path to redemption as he battles addiction and struggles with his own inner demons. The film is directed by Gavin O’Connor who is best known for ‘Warrior’, another riveting sports drama.

The sports drama stars Ben Affleck in the lead as Jack Cunningham, an alcoholic construction worker, who was once a local basketball star. Cunningham is never able to recover from the grief of losing his wife, and lives a life filled with sorrow and loneliness. But he gets his one last shot at redemption when he is offered to coach the basketball team at his alma mater.

The themes explored in ‘The Way Back’ gain relevance in a society like ours that is plagued with alcoholism as its people are haunted by regrets. Cunningham, as the working class middle-aged man, represents an everyman drowning his sorrows about the life that was, and the one that could have been. Interestingly, the original title of the film was ‘The Has-Been’ which captures this perfectly.

Since the narrative ‘The Way Back’ follows is so close to home, it’s natural to wonder what, or rather, who inspired it. The fact that it is being about a small-town basketball coach further makes one question if it could, in fact, be based on a real person. In case you’re wondering any of the above, we’re here to help. Here’s everything you need to know.

Is ‘The Way Back’ Based on a True Story?

To answer simply, no, ‘The Way Back’ is not based on a true story. However, it is closer to reality than you could possibly imagine. Gavin O’Connor is a former UPenn football star, who also played the sport through his high-school. The director’s best known works, ‘Warrior’ and ‘Miracle’, are interestingly, both gut-wrenching sports dramas that delicately tackle serious subjects. So, O’Connor making the film makes complete sense because of his own history and experience with the subject.

But that’s not the reason why ‘The Way Home’ hits home. While the film is not based on a true story, it closely mirrors Ben Affleck’s own inspiring recovery from alcoholism. Affleck has always been open about his longtime battle with addiction. But despite previous attempts at recovery, he relapsed around the time his marriage with Jennifer Garner apart fell apart. The two were officially divorced in 2018, the same year when ‘The Way Back’ was filmed. Read on for details.

Affleck’s Battle with Addiction

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When Affleck had signed O’Connor’s film, he was on an early stage of recovery. It was later around the filming of ‘The Way Back’ that Affleck spent around forty days at an alcohol addiction treatment center. Interestingly, he got out of rehab on the very the day they started shooting the film.

O’Connor was initially unaware of Affleck’s relapse and recovery. But when he learned about it, he was slightly worried. Affleck, on the other hand, was willing to confront his own demons, and treated the film almost as therapy, stating that it was “cathartic”. In an interview with US Weekly he commented on how much he could connect to Cunningham’s character:

“There are things about this character I really could connect to: being a recovering alcoholic, going through family strife, a divorce.”

Ben Affleck believes he has certain regrets in life, but his decisions have only helped him grow into a better person. In an interview with New York Times , he admitted that his divorce with Jennifer Garner was his “biggest regret”. He also opened up about the role his alcoholism had in the divorce:

“I drank relatively normally for a long time…What happened was that I started drinking more and more when my marriage was falling apar t…My drinking, of course, created more marital problems.”

While shooting a crucial moment in ‘The Way Back’, the actor broke down because of how personal it felt. It was, interestingly, a scene in which Jack Cunningham makes amends with his wife. In an interview with Associated Press , O’Connor explained how he didn’t include the take in the film as it felt “too personal”. He revealed what happened during the shoot:

“It was probably the second take, Ben just had a breakdown. I’m getting chills thinking about it. It was like the dam broke and everything came out…It was obviously real. A lot of things that he probably had to say in his own life, or maybe he had said, I don’t know.”

‘The Way Back’ also explores a complex father-son relationship, which a theme that O’Connor has also portrayed in his other two sports dramas, ‘Miracle’ and ‘Warrior’. This, too, bares some resemblance to Affleck’s own relationship with his father. The actor previously opened up about witnessing his own father’s struggle with alcoholism during his formative years, who eventually got sober. But this served as a lesson for Affleck who did not wish for his children to witness the same with him. ‘The Way Back’, then, offers a raw and inspiring tale about recovery, one that is rooted in reality despite its fictional premise.

Read More: Upcoming Ben Affleck Movies and TV Shows

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Review by Michael Shawn Patron

Long journey back 1978 ★★★★.

Watched Jul 02 , 2023

Michael Shawn’s review published on Letterboxd:

I'm such a sucker for a good, heartwarming triumph-over-adversity story, and this made-for-television film fits the bill. Stephanie Zimbalist stars as Celia Casella, a pretty, bright, popular teenager who survives a train ramming into her school bus with severe brain damage and an amputated leg. With the help of her parents (Mike Connors & Cloris Leachman) and teams of doctors and rehabilitation specialists, she is able to come back to some form of normalcy after months of hard effort. I know, it sounds saccharine and sickening, but it's a testament to the director and the phenomenal cast that it really isn't. It's riveting, and it really sucks you into championing not only Celia, but her whole family, who were inevitably all affected in one way or another by the tragedy. Zimbalist is really sympathetic in the role, and portrays all of the stages of Celia's rehab with the right touches of determination and defeatism. I watched primarily for Leachman, who is as incredible as ever as her seemingly never-tiring mother. Connors, whom I have never particularly liked, is also quite good as the weaker father, who lets it tear away at his will and his familial relationships... a well-suited role for such a noodge of an actor. A wonderful Katy Kurtzman rounds out the cast as Celia's little sister, and she has one amazingly effective emotional scene that will rip your heart out. It's a true story, probably not a surprise, but one that holds meaning for anyone who has ever faced challenging odds and come out the other side of it stronger.

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71 Must-Watch Movies Based on True Stories

Sometimes truth really is stranger than fiction.

Every item on this page was chosen by a Town & Country editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

Whether you're looking for a biopic, a serial killer mystery , a feel good tale of finding oneself, or a classic underdog story, these films take all of the facts and spin them into a drama that will inspire, astound, and haunt long after you've finished watching—because the best kind of movie is the one that makes you want to learn everything you can about the real story. From The Woman in Gold to The Theory of Everything , here are some of the greatest films of all time based on true stories.

King Richard

King Richard is the story of Richard Williams, father of legendary tennis champions Venus and Serena Williams, at the very start of their careers. The Williams sisters were heavily involved in the making of the film—they wanted to make sure their father's was depicted accurately. Will Smith, who plays Richard, also wanted to make sure he got it right, saying when the film premiered, "I knew I wanted to show a father protecting a daughter... to the world."

Kristen Stewart stars in Pablo Larraín's Spencer as Princess Diana. The drama takes place over the three days in 1991 as the British royal family spends the Christmas holidays at Sandringham , the Queen's country retreat in Norfolk. Diana realizes that her marriage to Prince Charles has unraveled and reevaluates the direction her life has taken. Director Larraín describes the film as "a fable from a true story."

Kenneth Branagh's moving semi-autobiographical drama Belfast is based in part on Branagh's own childhood in the Northern Irish capital. It follows 9-year-old Buddy as his working-class Protestant family lives through The Troubles, and features the August 1969 riots, when a group of Protestant loyalists attacked Catholics. Branagh was born in 1960 in Belfast, and like Buddy, was been 9 years old in 1969. Like Buddy, his family, too, moved to England to escape The Troubles.

The Favourite

In 18th-century England, Queen Anne ( Olivia Colman ) is on the throne. Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) and her cousin Abigail Masham (Emma Stone) both vie to be Anne's favorite. Queen Anne was, in all likelihood, interested in women —and the film centers on a lesbian love triangle.

The Favourite is based on a largely true story . Sarah Churchill, the eventual Duchess of Marlborough, was indeed childhood friends with then-Princess Anne. The nature of their relationship is subject to interpretation, but Sarah did really threaten to blackmail Anne with their letters. And Abigail Masham did work her way up to be a woman of the bedchamber for Queen Anne, and ultimately supplanted Sarah as the monarch's favorite.

BlacKkKlansman

Directed by Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman tells the true story of Ron Stallworth (John David Washington), the first Black detective in Colorado Springs, Colorado, who infiltrates the Ku Klux Klan and begins regular conversations with KKK leader David Duke. He recruits his Jewish coworker, Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver), to impersonate him for the in-person meetings. It's based on a true story, and only dramatizes it slightly—his coworker wasn't Jewish, and his actual investigation occurred between 1978 and 1979, though the film is set in 1972.

The Woman in Gold

In this moving film, Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren), an elderly Jewish refugee, takes on the Austrian government with the help of lawyer Randy Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds) to recover a painting that belongs to her family. In flashbacks, we see a young Maria (Tatiana Maslany) as she attempts to escape Nazi-occupied Austria.

The Woman in Gold is b ased on the true story surrounding Gustav Klimt's iconic painting of Adele Bloch-Bauer, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I. Altmann's aunt was Adele Bloch-Bauer, and the painting was stolen by Nazis in Vienna just before the start of World War II. In real life, Altmann took her legal battle to the Supreme Court of the United States, which ruled on the case Republic of Austria v. Altmann (2004), allowing Altmann to proceed with civil action against Austria. The painting is now displayed at the Neue Galerie in New York City.

The Irishman

The Irishman is based on a true story of mob hitman and World War II veteran Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran. Clocking in at three and a half hours, this epic Netflix film by Martin Scorcesse centers on Sheeran (Robert De Niro) as he looks back on the secrets he kept as a loyal member of the Bufalino crime family. Sheeran, initially a truck driver, becomes involved with with mobster Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci) and Teamster Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino). According to The Irishman , Sheeran murdered Hoffa—but Hoffa's disappearance on July 30, 1975, is still unsolved .

I, Tonya is loosely based on actual events—the life of figure skater Tonya Harding and her connection to the 1994 attack on her skating rival Nancy Kerrigan . Starring Margot Robbie as the titular Tonya, the film traces her rise in the figure skating world and the sabotage of Nancy Kerrigan. Tonya's ex-husband Jeff Gillooly (Sebastian Stan)'s friend Shawn Eckardt (Paul Walter Hauser) is behind the attack on Kerrigan, and the movie tries to unpack whether or not Tonya knew.

tick, tick...BOOM!

Lin-Manuel Miranda's directorial debut tells the story of playwright Jonathan Larson (played by Andrew Garfield). Larson, an American composer and lyricist best known for Rent , died the day of Re nt' s first Off-Broadway. The film, however, does not cover his death—but is based on the stage musical of the same name by Larson, a semi-autobiographical work about Larson writing a musical.

On the Basis of Sex

Before Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was the "Notorious RBG," she was a young lawyer fighting for equal rights. On the Basis of Sex , written by the late Justice's nephew Daniel Stiepleman, stars Felicity Jones as Ginsburg and focuses on the case Moritz v. Commissioner. In the case, the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit "held that discrimination on the basis of sex constitutes a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution." Armie Hammer played Ginsburg’s beloved husband Marty, and RBG saw the film multiple times because "she gets Marty back for a couple hours."

One Night in Miami...

One Night in Miami ... is a fictionalized account of a February 1964 meeting of Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Muhammad Ali (Eli Goree), Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), and Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.). Directed by Regina King, the film is based entirely on true events—the four men really did spend time together one night, after Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali) beat Sonny Liston in Miami.

"I was a journalist in my former life, and this was just a paragraph in a book that I'd been reading on the intersection between sports and the Civil Rights Movement," Kemp Powers, who wrote the screenplay for the film, explained . "There was one paragraph in the book that mentioned that the night Cassius Clay beat Sonny Liston, February 25, 1964, he went back to Malcom X’s hotel room with his friends, Malcolm, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown. And the next morning is when he announced to the world that he was in the nation of Islam. So that was like, whoa! Could you imagine the night of conversation these men must have had?"

The Bling Ring

This Sofia Coppola film follows a group of teens who decide to rob celebrities' homes in Los Angeles. The Bling Ring, also known as Hollywood Hills Burglar Bunch, The Burglar Bunch, and the Hollywood Hills Burglars, were a real group of seven teenagers. They even robbed Paris Hilton, whose home makes a cameo in this film.

Ben Affleck's film Argo tells the tale of a CIA rescue of six Americans stuck in Tehran after they escape the US embassy following a militant takeover. The movie hews closely to what really happened; the real Tony Mendez, a CIA agent who ran the mission, even said Argo was pretty spot on.

Baz Luhrmann's 2022 biopic explores the life of Elvis Presley, starring Austin Butler as the titular Elvis. Elvis is based on the real Elvis's life, and his family approves of the depiction.

Luhrmann said, "No critique, no review was ever going to mean more to us than the one from the woman who was married to him. [Priscilla] said: ‘If my husband was here today, he’d say ‘Hot damn, you are me’…it was the best review I’ve ever had."

This thriller stars John Boyega as Brian Bowen-Easley, a Marine Corps veteran in financial trouble who robs a bank. Bowen-Easley was a real person, and his story was tragic and true; he died after issuing a bomb threat in a bank. Breaking also features Michael K. Williams in one of his last roles.

Zero Dark Thirty

Kathryn Bigelow's 2012 masterwork is a gripping action film depicting the decade-long CIA manhunt for Osama bin Laden following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. While Jessica Chastain's character is a fictional CIA operative meant to be a composite of various agents who worked on the case, all the events in the movie are very much real.

Inspired by American savant Laurence Kim Peek, Rain Man tells the story of car dealer Charlie Babbitt (played by Tom Cruise), who discovers that his recently deceased (and estranged) father left his $3 million fortune to the mental institution that his brother—who he never knew—lives. Babbitt is initially motivated by the money, so checks his brother Raymond out of the institution to return to LA, only to embark on a life-changing road trip, where the two brothers form an incredible bond.

Eat Pray Love

Based on Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir of the same name, Eat Pray Love chronicles Gilbert’s post-divorce journey around the world, where she embarks on the “search for everything,” from indulging in Italy’s culinary delights to mastering prayer in India.

The Pursuit of Happyness

Based on the true story of Chris Gardner, a homeless father who raised his son while aspiring to be—and eventually become—a stock broker. The Pursuit of Happyness is a heart-wrenching film that details how this one man battled with losing his home, navigating a new career, and keeping his son in good spirits amidst the chaos of life.

Based on Michael Lewis's 2003 book, Moneyball tells the story of how the Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane (played Brad Pitt), joins forces with Ivy Leaguer Peter Brand (played by Jonah Hill) to transform the struggling team despite its limited budget. By using a “sabermetric” approach to scouting players (basically shifting focus to cold hard statistics), the two pull together an underdog team of game winners.

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Is the way back based on a true story ben affleck's inspiration explained.

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Ben Affleck's 2-Year-Old Thriller With 35% On Rotten Tomatoes Is Finally Redeemed By Netflix's New Crime Show

Is the accountant worth watching breaking down the ben affleck movie's reviews & rotten tomatoes scores, ben affleck's upcoming sequel to $155m movie will break his great recent career trend.

• The Way Back may not be based on a true story, but it mirrors Ben Affleck's real-life struggle with alcoholism.
• Affleck's performance as Jack is praised in the movie, marking a major comeback for the actor.
• The film is more about overcoming emotional toll than winning on the court, focusing on the effects of addiction.

Gavin O'Connor's The Way Back may not be based on a true story, but it carries enough parallels to reality and to other sports movies to feel like it is. The movie sees Ben Affleck portray Jack Cunningham, a former high school basketball star who has since fallen on hard times with the collapse of his marriage following the death of his son. While Jack's depression from the tragic events of his life drives him to alcoholism, he begins to rebound after being recruited to coach the struggling basketball team at his old high school. The Way Back's cast includes Al Madrigal, Janina Gavankar, and Michaela Watkins.

Following a delay from its originally planned release in October 2019, The Way Back has seen a highly positive reception , with much praise going towards Affleck's performance as the struggling Jack. The movie itself marks a major comeback for Affleck following his own public battle with alcoholism . Affleck's ex-wife Jennifer Garner would also play an instrumental role in keeping The Way Back alive during his recovery. The Way Back carries the appearance of a movie that would have a "Based on a True Story" caption during the opening credits. This ultimately is not the case. However, the movie nevertheless has a clear foundation in reality due to its parallels with Affleck's real-life struggle with alcoholism and his climb back.

The Netflix thriller series is proving a hit with critics in its own right, while simultaneously making up for the poor performance of Affleck's film.

The Way Back Isn't Based On A True Story

Despite these surface level similarities that could probably lead some moviegoers to believe The Way Back is a big screen retelling of actual events, this is not the case.

At a glance, The Way Back bears a surprisingly strong resemblance to what many moviegoers would expect to see from a movie based on true events. The movie is marketed on being an uplifting sports drama of a down-on-his-luck everyman coach who becomes a role model for a group of adolescent athletes, while giving them the proper push to whip their flailing team into shape. This is a common premise seen in many sports dramas and sports comedies, such as Remember the Titans , Glory Road , and Cool Runnings .

Despite these surface level similarities that could probably lead some moviegoers to believe The Way Back is a big screen retelling of actual events, this is not the case, at least, not in a literal sense. However, the movie nevertheless displays similarities with the real-life struggles of its leading man, and this is where the core of its story really takes shape. Although the movie shares recognizable similarities with other sports movies that have been inspired by real life events, The Way Back tells a story completely of its own making , one that sharply resonates with reality.

The Accountant is one of the most popular films streaming on Netflix despite stirring controversy and dividing critics upon its initial 2016 release.

How The Way Back Is Inspired By Ben Affleck's Personal Life

The movie presents a very candid analogy of Affleck's recent battles, while exploring the effects of alcoholism in a broader sense in a surprisingly realistic fashion.

Where The Way Back most closely parallels real-life is in Jack's alcoholism mirroring Ben Affleck's own public struggles in recent years. The Way Back press tour has seen Affleck himself be very open in this regard, describing the impact alcoholism has made on both his career and his personal life. Affleck has also quite noticeably bounced back in the lead-up to The Way Back , even sharing a heartwarming story of his son's birthday in an interview. However, the movie itself departs notably from the typical formula seen in most sports dramas that many audience members are probably expecting to see, and dives head on into Jack hitting rock bottom.

While The Way Back shows Jack visibly improving as he coaches the team, it also doesn't sugarcoat the effects that Jack's drinking has had on his life, with Jack remaining in mourning over the loss of his son and continuing to drink even as the team begins to succeed on the court. Where other sports dramas would have Jack quit cold turkey, The Way Back is much more open on the reality of the harm Jack's binge drinking continues to have on his life , and eventually on his ability to coach the team. In that respect, the movie presents a very candid analogy of Affleck's recent battles, while exploring the effects of alcoholism in a broader sense in a surprisingly realistic fashion.

Although Ben Affleck is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, the actor's upcoming sequel to a $155 million movie breaks one of his recent trends.

How The Way Back's Emotional Inspiration Helped The Movie

The Way Back is far less concerned with being a basketball movie than it being a part of a larger examination of Jack's battle with alcoholism.

While The Way Back may not have a true factual basis, it is a true story in a more esoteric sense of the term. For one thing, the movie is a considerably darker story than most sports dramas, and even in comparison to Gavin O'Connor's past work in films like Miracle and Warrior . In many ways, The Way Back is far less concerned with being a basketball movie than it being a part of a larger examination of Jack's battle with alcoholism, and this is where the film's true emotional impact lies. Along with its uncompromising honesty in the damage inflicted by alcoholism, it manages to be a "true story" in another, more conceptual sense.

The Way Back is extremely straightforward in its depiction of just how much damage Jack is inflicting on his life with his drinking, and the impact that it has on his ability to coach the team. Where other sports movies see the coach by his team's side right up to the final game, The Way Back presents a very blunt acknowledgment of the point at which Jack simply cannot effectively function as a coach any longer . In that regard, The Way Back is honest to a fault in not having Jack return courtside just in time for the team to win the championship, but pulling him out of the game altogether when it is clear that his own well-being is on the line. Ultimately, The Way Back is a movie not about rising to victory on the court, but about overcoming the emotional toll that loss and addiction can take.

The Way Back

The Way Back stars Ben Affleck as Jack Cunningham, a depressed alcoholic who is offered a job coaching his former school's basketball team. As his work with the team begins to improve his life, Jack is also forced to confront his past demons, leading to disastrous consequences. Al Madrigal, Michaela Watkins, and Janina Gavankar also star. 

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The Real Story of Backcountry Movie

The Real Story of Backcountry movie has had a powerful impact on audiences around the world since its release in 2015. It follows the story of two friends, Jenn and Alex, as they are confronted with the harsh realities of nature while going on an adventurous backpacking trip. The film takes us through their journey and showcases stunning cinematography that captures the beauty of the Canadian wilderness. From the characterization to its unique plot, Backcountry is an unforgettable film that has captivated viewers for years.

What is the real story  movie Backcountry based on?

Backcountry is a 2014 Canadian drama thriller film based on a true story . The movie follows Adam and Jenn, two young outdoors enthusiasts, as they head into the wilderness of Ontario for a romantic camping trip. Unfortunately, what was meant to be a peaceful weekend turns into a struggle for survival when the couple encounters an unexpected threat in the form of an aggressive black bear.

The movie is loosely based on the true story of Mark Jordan and his fiancé Terra Novy who encountered a black bear while hiking in Algonquin Park in June 2005. During their excursion, Mark was attacked by the animal which resulted in severe injuries to his shoulder, arm and chest. Miraculously he managed to survive after playing dead until the bear eventually lost interest and eventually left them alone. Following this incident, Mark wrote “Into The Wild: My Journey Through Algonquin Park” which recounts his harrowing experience with vivid detail; he later sold its movie rights to director Rob Connolly who went on to make Backcountry from it.

The events portrayed in the film are exaggerated from reality but still manage to capture some aspects of what actually happened such as how even experienced hikers can find themselves ill-prepared for nature’s unpredictable power and strength.

Did Mark Jordan survive the bear attack?

Mark Jordan was the unfortunate victim of a grizzly bear attack while hiking in Canada. Miraculously, he survived his ordeal, although it came at a great cost. He suffered numerous injuries, including broken ribs and lacerations to his face and neck. His ear was partially torn off and his scalp was severely injured. Despite these serious wounds, Mark recovered from the attack due to quick thinking from fellow hikers nearby who were able to keep him calm until medical help arrived. After multiple surgeries and months of intense physical therapy, Mark eventually regained close to full use of his body and is now back home with family. His story has become an inspiration for others as he overcame such a traumatic incident with strength and courage.

Did they use a real bear in Backcountry ?

The use of a real bear in the film Backcountry was one that created much controversy among animal rights activists. According to reports, the production team used an 800-pound Kodiak brown bear in some scenes, which reportedly caused distress and fear to some of the human cast members. Despite this fact, director Adam MacDonald insisted that using a real bear provided a more authentic experience for viewers and added to the realism of the movie.

In order to safely handle this large animal, experienced trainers were brought on board who had years of prior experience with wildlife care and handling. They used several methods to ensure that the animal was comfortable during filming sessions, including providing it with plenty of food and water before each take. Additionally, they performed regular health checks throughout filming in order to make sure that everything was going smoothly for both the animal and its human co-stars.

Ultimately, despite any concerns from outside parties about potential harm inflicted upon this bear from being part of such a large production process, it appears as though all safety protocols were followed during filming which allowed for everyone involved – castmembers as well as crew – to have a safe working environment throughout shooting Backcountry.

How big was the bear in Backcountry ?

The bear in question was a mature male grizzly, weighing around 600-700 pounds. It was the same animal that had been seen in the area before the movie was made and was known to be both aggressive and unpredictable. The crew of Backcountry were warned of its presence and advised to take extra precautions while shooting. However, despite their attempts to remain vigilant, they were still caught off guard when it suddenly appeared on the scene during one of their filming sessions. Its sheer size and power left them stunned, as it dwarfed even the largest human present. Thankfully though, no one was hurt in this particular encounter with the animal but it certainly served as an eye-opening reminder of just how dangerous nature can be if not respected properly.

Did the girl in Backcountry survive?

The movie does not provide enough clues for us to definitively answer this question, but there are several indications that suggest the girl did not survive her ordeal. For one thing, her journal was found in an abandoned campsite – suggesting it had been left behind when she disappeared – while all of her other belongings were found scattered around the area near where she died. Additionally, when they find her body later on in the film, it appears to be very decomposed – further implying that she had been dead for quite some time before being discovered by our protagonists. Furthermore, it’s never confirmed if anyone ever went looking for her after she initially went missing; all we know is that no one ever found her until our protagonists happened upon her campsite and ultimately located her body in a ravine near where they were camping themselves.

So although we can’t be sure what happened to this poor girl in Backcountry , it seems unlikely that she survived due to all of these clues presented throughout the film .

Backcountry Cast

The cast of Backcountry consists of the two main characters, Adam MacDonald and Missy Peregrym, as well as a host of supporting roles including Eric Balfour, Nicholas Campbell, and Jedidiah Goodacre. Each character plays an important role in bringing to life the thrilling tale of survival against all odds. Adam MacDonald portrays Alex Martin, an experienced outdoorsman who unintentionally leads his partner Jenn (Missy Peregrym) into dangerous territory during their hike through rugged terrain. Eric Balfour’s character Brad Fischer serves as their guide and confidant while Nicholas Campbell’s Ranger Bob is responsible for tracking down Alex and Jenn after they go missing in the woods. Last but not least is Jedidiah Goodacre’s character Kevin, whose unexpected arrival to their camping area provides some comic relief at a time when tension between Alex and Jenn runs high. Together these characters create an intense yet entertaining story that captures both the beauty and danger nature holds within its depths.

The Incredible True Story Behind The Revenant

The 2015 film " The Revenant " won multiple Oscars for its depiction of a mountain man fighting to survive in the wilderness. Both the film and the Michael Punke novel that it is based on were inspired by a genuine American frontier legend.

"Glass was a campfire legend – and it's all true," lead actor Leonardo DiCaprio told Wired . Though many of the details of Glass' life have been lost to time, the protagonist Hugh Glass was a real man. As stated in Britannica , Glass was one of countless trappers in the American West who traveled into the Rocky Mountains to bring back furs. They had to learn how to survive in the mountains and navigate the complex dynamics between the tribes that lived there. As is clear from the story of Hugh Glass, they also had to contend with wild animals.

Details about Hugh Glass' struggle for survival have very likely changed and been embellished through generations of retelling. Despite the changing details, the basic story has stayed the same as when it was first written down: a man is brutally mauled by a bear and, against all odds, makes it back to civilization to seek revenge on the men who left him to die. This is the incredible true story behind "The Revenant."

Mountain men

The term "mountain men" refers to a type of hunter that existed in the 19th century. They were trappers who traveled West in search of furs to sell – especially beaver pelts, which were coveted back on the East Coast and in Europe.

Their work took them into the Rocky Mountains where the animals were still plentiful. These men went on long expeditions and had to learn how to survive in nature under harsh conditions. Mountain men primarily learned how to live in the far West from the tribes that already lived there. As stated by Britannica , mountain men frequently adopted aspects of the culture and beliefs from the Native American communities that they interacted with. As white settlements stretched further and further west, the experienced mountain men acted as guides – but those settlements would ultimately eradicate the way of life that the mountain men had learned and push the people who had taught them off of the land.

As detailed in Edgeley W. Todd's " James Hall and the Hugh Glass Legend ," the mountain man has become a highly mythologized character in American Westerns. Stories about rugged frontiersmen living in the wilderness became popular – some of which were fictional, some exaggerated, and some true.

Who was Hugh Glass?

Hugh Glass was one of the many mountain men on the hunt for beaver pelts. While his story is a classic favorite of the American West, many facts about the real man are unknown. As explained by historian Clay Landry in an interview with Irish Examiner , there is no concrete evidence for where he was born or how he grew up, though many believe he was born near Philadelphia in the early 1780s. A newspaper article published in 1825 states that it's unknown whether Glass was born in the United States or not, but that he was likely either Scottish or Irish.

As stated in a press release from the South Dakota State Historical Society-archives , it is believed that Glass was illiterate and would dictate any letters that he had to send (such as the one on display at the historical society, informing the parents of one of his fellow mountain men that their son was dead.)

The exact details of Glass' death are also uncertain. According to a report in 1839, many suspected him dead after several people, possibly from the Arikara tribe, were seen wearing clothes that used to belong to Glass, though it is worth noting that friendly trading between Native Americans and mountain men was common. It is believed that when Glass was younger, he spent time living with the Pawnee .

Pirate and Pawnee

There are many stories about adventures Hugh Glass had before the fateful trapping expedition – some just as fascinating as the one that made him famous. The only contemporary source for Hugh Glass' life before he became a trapper is the autobiography of George Yount – a fellow mountain man who stated that he knew Glass well. In his memoir, he claims that Glass was once a pirate and lived with the Pawnee. Yount's memoirs , which were eventually edited and published by the California Historical Society Quarterly, describe Glass as a veteran trapper who was "bold, daring, reckless & eccentric."

Yount claimed that Glass was a sailor before he was a trapper, and that he was taken captive by pirates. The captain of the crew was supposedly the famous pirate Jean Lafitte . Lafitte gave Glass a choice: become a part of his pirate crew or die. Glass joined the crew, but after working with the pirates for a while, he learned that Lafitte had "deemed [Glass] unfit for the work of pirates" and planned to kill him. Glass fled.

Yount also described how after leaving the pirate ship, Glass wandered the wilderness until he was found by people from the Pawnee Nation and taken captive. According to Yount, Glass presented them with a powdered red pigment called vermillion which was difficult to come by. They freed him and allowed him to travel with them. Finally, when they visited St. Louis, Glass decided to stay in the city.

Many trappers made their living hunting beaver in the Rocky Mountains, but at least one man made his fortune – future congressman William Henry Ashley . It was an advertisement written by Ashley that attracted Hugh Glass, still living in St. Louis, to the mountain man life. As documented in " Here Lies Hugh Glass: A Mountain Man, A Bear, and the Rise of the American Nation " in 1822, an advertisement written by Ashley hit the St. Louis newspapers. He was starting his business and was looking for 100 "enterprising young men." This ad attracted several future historical figures to become fur trappers, including Jim Bridger . It was not the one that Hugh Glass responded to, however.

Ashley lost over $10,000 (the modern equivalent of almost $240,000) in goods when a keelboat unfortunately named "Enterprize" sank. He needed to hire another 100 men for 1823, and it was critical that they be successful to make up for the losses of their first year. He wrote another ad. This one lacked the implied heroism and promise of adventure that the "enterprising young men" ad had, and instead asked for hunters. The headline read: "For The Rocky Mountains."

George Laycock's " The Mountain Man " places Glass' age at around 40 years old when he would have seen this second ad. Something about it attracted him to the job, and he signed on for the expedition. He would have been one of the older mountain men. One of the youngest was Jim Bridger.

Jim Bridger

Jim Bridger, one of the "enterprising young men," who signed up to go into the mountains in search of beaver pelts, would become one of the most famous frontiersmen in the West. When he traveled with Hugh Glass, he was only a teenager, though.

Jim Bridger lived on a farm with his family not far from St. Louis. He responded to William Ashley's "enterprising young men" advertisement (via " Here Lies Hugh Glass "). As described by Britannica , Bridger continued as a mountain man for the next 20 years, and he eventually established the famous Oregon Trail stop "Fort Bridger." Multiple locations in the West, including the Bridger Mountains in Montana and Bridger National Forest in Wyoming, have been named after him.

At around 19 years old , Bridger was a part of the same trapping expedition as Glass. He would come to be one of the driving forces of Glass' harrowing journey, and one of the two men Glass would swear to get revenge on.

Conflict with the Arikara

William Ashley's second fur-trading expedition left St. Louis in early 1823. Both Jim Bridger and Hugh Glass were on it. According to the Museum of the Mountain Man , after a few months, they ran into trouble near a pair of Arikara villages. Ashley was hoping to trade there, but trappers from a rival company had recently attacked and killed several people from the village. It's possible that they believed Glass' expedition was the same trappers, or the attack had simply caused them to mistrust any mountain men passing through. There are several conflicting accounts of the events that followed, but what is known for certain is that on June 1, there was a battle. 14 of Ashley's trappers were killed, and more than 10 others were wounded, including Glass. (It was after this battle that Glass would dictate a letter to the family of one of the men who had been killed.)

The conflict would escalate into what is known as the Arikara War , but Glass did not participate. Ultimately, the United States Military negotiated a treaty with the Arikara, but after they left, trappers from the Missouri Fur Company set fire to the villages.

Now deeper in debt, Ashley split his expedition into two groups. One would retreat to Fort Kiowa, while the other traveled deep into the Rockies where they would attempt to find beavers and avoid further conflicts. Glass was one of those who continued on.

Bear attack

In late August of 1823, the party that William Ashley had sent onward (led by Major Andrew Henry) were keeping close together, fearing that the Arikara would seek retribution – except for Hugh Glass. As quoted in George Laycock's " The Mountain Man ," one of the other trappers stated that Glass, "could not be restrained" and often went off on his own. The exact circumstances of what happened next vary from retelling to retelling, but what is known for certain is that one day when Glass had gone out on his own, he met with a grizzly bear.

Most versions of the story state that it was a mother bear accompanied by her cubs. Unlike in Glass' time, modern bear attacks are highly rare (as detailed in Dr. Timothy Floyd's " Bear-Inflicted Human Injury and Fatality ") but even now, 80% of all bear attacks are mothers defending their cubs.

Glass was attacked by the bear. The other trapper's heard the struggle and hurried to rescue him. The bear had been killed (either by the other trappers or by Glass himself) but it seemed that they were too late to help him. According to Britannica , he sustained devastating injuries. The bear broke his leg, punctured his throat, and left him with many lacerations all over his body.

Buried alive

Far from any kind of medical help, it seemed certain that Hugh Glass would die from his injuries – it was only a matter of when. The expedition was still afraid that they would be discovered by the Arikara, or members of another local tribe. They needed to keep moving.

According to " The Man Who Returned from the Dead ," they decided to spend the night there and bury Glass in the morning. When morning came, they were shocked to find that Glass was still alive, though in even worse shape than before. They constructed a litter to carry him on, but it was difficult and slowed them down. The journey was doubtless also horrendously painful for Glass. After three days, their leader, Major Andrew Henry, asked for a pair of volunteers to stay with Glass and bury him when he died. He offered "an extravagant reward," but still, few wanted to wait unguarded in dangerous territory. Finally, Jim Bridger and another trapper named John Fitzgerald agreed to stay behind.

They waited for Glass to die. Every day he seemed to grow weaker but continued to live. As time went on, the two men became more and more anxious. Many believe it was Fitzgerald who finally decided that they should abandon Glass and catch up to the rest of their party before they were discovered. Fitzgerald and Bridger took Glass' weapons and supplies. They dug a shallow grave , and as they had promised, buried Glass – but he was still alive.

Later, Hugh Glass told fellow trapper George Yount that after he was abandoned by John Fitzgerald and Jim Bridger he was full of "helpless rage" and became "delirious" (as quoted in the "The Man Who Returned from the Dead" ). He believed that wolves came and ripped away the robe he had been covered with. He had a high fever. When he awoke again, he was still gravely injured, but he found himself stronger than he had been since the bear attacked. He swore he would find and kill Fitzgerald and Bridger.

He began a long and arduous journey back towards Fort Kiowa, which was about 250 miles away. He ate berries and insects, and drank from streams. Some accounts state that he killed and ate a rattlesnake. Some, like the one recounted by historian Clay Landry , state that he found a wolf pack hunting down a buffalo calf. After the wolves had eaten, Glass was able to take the rest of the meat for himself.

First, he crawled and then, as his injuries healed, he walked. His desire for revenge against the men who had left him for dead spurred him on. It took him about six weeks, but he made it to Fort Kiowa.

Hugh Glass' injuries had been so severe that the other trappers had been certain he would not survive. Some versions of the story (such as the one recounted by The Dollop ) describe his wounds becoming infected, and even having maggots. Despite the harsh conditions and the injuries he had suffered, Glass was able to make the long journey back to Fort Kiowa. One possible explanation for his survival is that he received help.

Some accounts state that Glass was discovered by a group of Lakota (sometimes called Sioux ) who cleaned his wounds. Some versions of the legend state that Glass' back had been severely lacerated by the bear's claws and needed to be covered, and that the Lakota used the skin of the very same type of creature that had wounded him, stitching bear hide to Glass' back.

It is unknown what role, if any, the Lakota actually played in Hugh Glass' survival. Some believe that they may have even accompanied him on his legendary journey back to Fort Kiowa.

Fueled by revenge

Within a few days of reaching Fort Kiowa, Hugh Glass was trying to head back out into the wilderness. All he wanted was to track down John Fitzgerald and Jim Bridger and kill them for what they had put him through.

Because he had been one of William Ashley's mountain men, Glass was able to acquire weapons and other supplies at the fort, even though he had no money or furs to trade. As explained by historian Clay Landry for the Museum of the Mountain Man , Glass heard about a very small group of traders – just five or six men – that were planning to travel about 300 miles to trade with the Mandan . Glass believed that Bridger and Fitzgerald might be at Fort Henry, which was in the same direction. Only a few days after completing his harrowing journey to Fort Kiowa, he set off again.

The traders traveled by boat. The day before they were supposed to arrive at the Mandan villages where they hoped to trade, Glass once again insisted that he go off on his own. This time, it proved to be a wise decision. Shortly after Glass left, the traders were killed by a group of Arikara. Glass, who was walking in the direction of Fort Henry alone, was rescued by a pair of Mandan men. They helped him reach a nearby trading post, but as night fell, Glass struck out on his own again. He wouldn't give up until he found Bridger and Fitzgerald.

Finding Bridger

Glass ran into some of his fellow mountain men outside of Fort Henry. "Long was it before they could make up their minds to believe their eyes; to believe that it was the same Glass before them, whom they left, as they thought, dying of wounds," Yount wrote (via  "The Man Who Returned from the Dead" ), "they touched him, to ensure that it was no ghostly deception."

Glass wasn't interested in reconnecting with the other mountain men. All he cared about was finding the men who had left him to die. He soon discovered that John Fitzgerald was not there – he had abandoned the rest of the party and no one knew where he was. (According to Britannica , some accounts say that Fitzgerald joined the army.) Jim Bridger was still at the fort, however.

After surviving against incredible odds so that he could get revenge, Glass had finally found one of the men who had left him to die. Multiple accounts describe Bridger as reacting as though Glass had returned from the dead to punish him. Glass was struck when he saw Bridger for the first time not as his malevolent betrayer, but as a teenage boy. After all the time he had spent dreaming of killing Bridger, he decided to let him go.

Is the movie Backcountry (2014) based on a true story?

Yes, Backcountry (2014) is based on a true story. The movie is inspired by the true events of a couple who got lost and attacked by a bear while camping in the remote wilderness of Algonquin Park in Ontario, Canada, in 2005. The movie takes some creative liberties with the story, but it is overall based on true events.

What is the true story behind the movie Backcountry (2014)?

The movie Backcountry is loosely based on the true story of a couple who went into the Canadian wilderness for a camping trip and encountered a bear. In the movie, the couple becomes lost and ends up facing a deadly attack by a black bear.

In reality, in 2005, a couple named Jacqueline Perry and Mark Jordan went camping in Ontario’s Algonquin Provincial Park. They became lost and eventually stumbled upon a female black bear and her cubs. A confrontation ensued, and Perry was fatally mauled while Jordan was injured but survived.

The movie takes some artistic liberties with the story, such as changing the names of the characters and the location of the incident. However, it does capture the terrifying nature of encountering a wild animal in the wilderness and the resilience required to survive such a situation.

Written by Ethan Davis