Disney has an incredible legacy of telling a good story. They aren't perfect, but they've made endless family classics through the years, and many of those films are live-action. While some aren't critical successes or long-lasting favorites, others are remembered fondly long after they are released.
Thanks to Disney+, many of the best Disney movies can be re-watched easily. These ten films tell inspirational stories that are based on true people and/or events, proving that Disney doesn't always turn to the fictional or the fantastical in order to craft a compelling narrative.
10 Eight Below — 7.3
Eight Below is a movie for the fearless adventurers out there, ready for viewing on Disney+. Jerry's (Paul Walker) eight sled dogs are stranded in Antarctica during the most brutal of winters. They fight to survive without their owner until he is finally reunited with them.
This two-hour trek is not for the faint of heart, but many fans appreciate Disney's modern dogsledding classic. Eight Below is one of many dog-focused movies based on real events, this one inspired by a Japanese Antarctica expedition from 1958.
9 Selma, Lord Selma — 7.4
Jurnee Smollett is Sheyann Webb, a young girl who witnesses one of the most important chapters in Civil Rights history. The Alabama citizen is inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1965 and takes part in the march from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama with her friend Rachel (Stephanie Zandra Peyton).
The famed march was a wearying labor of fifty miles on foot, ultimately leading to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This Wonderful World of Disney film is, sadly, currently missing from Disney+.
8 The Ernest Green Story — 7.4
The Ernest Green Story is a rare Disney Channel Premiere Film that Disney+ subscribers need. Ernest Green was a part of the Little Rock Nine, the group of African-American students who desegregated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Even though Governor Faubus tried to impede the integration plan, President Eisenhower sent troops to protect Green and his colleagues.
After high school, Ernest Green earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Michigan State University, served as President Jimmy Carter's assistant secretary of the Labor Department, and became a professional in education initiatives as well as employment law.
7 Queen of Katwe — 7.4
Madina Nalwanga is Phiona Nutesi, a Ugandan young woman who learns that she is a genius at chess. Lupita Nyong'o is Phiona's mother, Nakku Harriet. Phiona helps care for her little brother and sells maize with her mom.
With some guidance from Robert Katende (David Oyelowo), Phiona practices her game and becomes the champion she was always meant to be. See her inspiring story on Disney+.
6 The Greatest Game Ever Played — 7.4
Shia LaBeouf plays Francis Ouimet, a golfer who starts out as a hard-working caddy and, through practice and determination, works his way up to the 1913 US Open. Ouimet defeats his idol, Harry Vardon, in this Disney depiction of true events.
With the film releasing only a couple years after Even Stevens, Shia LaBeouf quickly began to establish himself as a serious and versatile actor.
5 Miracle — 7.5
Miracle is a hockey movie set in 1980. Herb Brooks (Kurt Russell) is tasked with coaching the US Men's Olympic Hockey Team. The film combines the political tensions of the Cold War with the goal of winning against the Soviet Union's team.
Brooks turns an unruly group of college guys into an unstoppable unit. The real Herb Brooks went on to a prolific career, including NHL Coach of the Year. He was tragically killed in a car accident in 2003, just a year before the movie's release.
4 Saving Mr. Banks — 7.5
Though it is very loosely based on real events, Saving Mr. Banks paints a fascinating picture of P.L. Travers' working relationship with Walt Disney when Disney sought to bring her novel to the screen. Mary Poppins is a timeless treasure, and Saving Mr. Banks colorfully guides viewers through the creation of the classic film's songs and storylines.
The hours with Disney are juxtaposed with snapshots of P.L. Travers' complicated childhood. Emma Thompson (Travers) and Tom Hanks (Disney) were the perfect choices for the lead roles.
3 Love Leads The Way — 7.7
In this Disney Channel Premiere Film— which is not currently on Disney+— Morris Frank is one of the first Americans to employ a Seeing Eye dog after he becomes blind in a boxing accident. The man's German Shepherd comes straight from the Seeing Eye founder, Dorothy Eustis.
In 1929, the real Morris Frank (pictured above) co-founded The Seeing Eye, a school for guide dogs in Morristown, New Jersey.
2 Remember the Titans — 7.8
In 1971, Herman Boone (Denzel Washington) becomes the head coach of a newly-integrated high school football team in Virginia. The former coach, Bill Yoast (Will Patton), is demoted to assistant coach. The coaches must teach their players how to truly be a team while also learning to work together themselves.
The highly accomplished movie is the recipient of two NAACP Image Awards, including Outstanding Motion Picture, and Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for Washington.
1 The Straight Story — 8.0
Alvin Straight is a widower and retired farmer who learns that his brother, Lyle, has suffered a devastating stroke. Alvin decides to make amends with Lyle before it is too late, but there is one major obstacle. Alvin must travel from Iowa to Wisconsin on a lawnmower, since he does not have vehicle or a driver's license. This little-known movie about the long road to family reconciliation is available on Disney+.
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