Life Doesn't Follow a Script
The central problem is that a human life is not a story; it’s a collection of events, false starts, and long, undramatic stretches. Screenplays, however, demand structure: a clear beginning, a rising conflict, a climax, and a resolution. Filmmakers must
impose this three-act structure onto a life that had none. The screenwriter’s job becomes less about documenting and more about interpreting. They have to find a single, compelling narrative thread within decades of existence. This often means choosing a specific, defining period—like Lincoln's fight for the 13th Amendment—rather than attempting a cradle-to-grave summary that feels episodic and dramatically flat. The best biopics select a narrow window that reveals the subject's entire character, but the temptation to include everything is what often leads to a disjointed final product.
More Than a Greatest Hits Album
A common pitfall is the “greatest hits” approach, where the film becomes a checklist of famous moments. The audience sees the subject invent their famous product, meet their famous spouse, and overcome their famous obstacle, all in sequence. While recognizable, this method often lacks a connective emotional or thematic tissue. The story turns into a sequence of “and then this happened” moments without exploring the 'why'. It sacrifices psychological depth for familiarity, giving the audience a highlight reel instead of a cohesive narrative. Music biopics are particularly susceptible to this, as filmmakers use iconic songs to transition between life events, creating a nostalgic but often shallow experience. This approach can feel like watching a museum exhibit come to life rather than experiencing a compelling drama.
Finding the Hero, Losing the Person
Real people are complicated, contradictory, and often unlikable. Hollywood biopics, especially those with awards ambitions or estate involvement, frequently feel pressure to sand down their subject’s rough edges. They are often framed as underdogs or misunderstood geniuses, with their flaws minimized or romanticized. This sanitization makes for a more palatable hero but a less believable human being. Critics often point out how biopics can feel like promotional material, whitewashing controversial aspects of a subject’s life to protect their legacy. By presenting a simplified, inspirational figure, these films can lose the very complexity that made the person interesting in the first place, robbing the audience of a more honest and challenging story.
The Challenge of a Tidy Ending
How do you end a story about a life that continued, or perhaps ended, in an uncinematic way? A person’s greatest triumph might happen decades before their death. Their most profound moment might be a quiet, internal realization, not a dramatic public event. The filmmaker is forced to make a choice that fundamentally shapes the story's message. Ending on a high note, like a legendary performance, provides a triumphant climax but can feel dishonest if the subject's later life was filled with struggle. Ending with their death offers finality but can cast a tragic pall over the entire narrative. Some of the most effective biopics find a thematic conclusion rather than a chronological one, ending at the moment that best encapsulates the story they chose to tell. But for many, the credits roll with a clunky text epilogue explaining what happened next—a sure sign that the narrative couldn't find a natural place to stop.
