The True Stories Behind Fall's Biggest Movies

Release date: Oct. 2

Freeheld tells the true story of Laurel Hester (played by Julianne Moore), and her partner Stacie Andree (played by Ellen Page). When police lieutenant Laurel is diagnosed with terminal cancer, she begins the long battle to have her pension benefits go to Stacie. It was a groundbreaking case for same-sex couples, and the movie is very touching.

Watch the trailer for Freeheld.

Release date: Oct. 16

If you're willing to take on something incredibly heavy, you might want to check out Spotlight, the story of the journalists who uncovered the massive history of molestation within the Catholic Church in 2003. Rachel McAdams, Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, and Liev Schreiber all star in the film as reporters from The Boston Globe.

Watch the trailer for Spotlight.

Release date: Oct. 16

Robert Redford takes on the role of Dan Rather in the film inspired by the scandal that led Rather to step down from 60 Minutes in 2008. Truth revolves around his colleagues at the show who researched a story about George W. Bush going AWOL during his military service. The government questioned the story once it ran on the air, and 60 Minutes came under microscopic scrutiny. Cate Blanchett is also starring.

Watch the trailer for Truth.

Release date: Oct. 16

Steven Spielberg is directing this drama based on the story of an ordinary insurance lawyer, James B. Donovan, who is sent to negotiate the release of Francis Gary Powers, a US prisoner of war during the Cold War. Tom Hanks is playing the Donovan, alongside Amy Ryan as his concerned wife.

Watch the trailer for Bridge of Spies.

Release date: Oct. 16

If hasn't been too long since Steve Jobs passed away, but this is already the second movie about his life. Michael Fassbender plays Jobs in this iteration, which not only focuses on his professional rise to fame, but the struggles within his personal life. Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen, and Jeff Daniels all appear.

Watch the trailer for Steve Jobs.

Release date: Oct. 23

This political drama centers on the women's suffrage movement of the late 19th century. Carey Mulligan plays the main character, a young political activist. While her character isn't based on anyone specifically, Meryl Streep plays Emmeline Pankhurst, who was a real leader in the movement. She founded a suffrage advocacy group, spent time in prison for getting physical with officers, and played a huge part in getting the Representation of the People Act passed. She passed away weeks before the government extended the right to vote to women over 21 years old.

Watch the trailer for Suffragette.

Release date: Oct. 30

Sandra Bullock plays political consultant Jane Bodine in this drama inspired by the 2005 documentary of the same name. Jane Bodine isn't a real person, but the events and people in the feature film are based on those from the documentary. The movie pits Bullock's Jane against another consultant (played by Billy Bob Thornton) as they rally for their candidate clients in a South American election.

Watch the trailer for Our Brand Is Crisis.

Release date: Nov. 6

Bryan Cranston is playing Dalton Trumbo in this drama about Hollywood's blacklisted writers of the 1940s. Trumbo, who wrote screenplays for films like Spartacus and Roman Holiday, was just one of the many insiders who were imprisoned because of supposed Communist ties.

Watch the trailer for Trumbo.

Release date: Nov. 13

It was only five years ago that 33 miners became trapped underground when their mine collapsed. Now, Antonio Banderas, Juliette Binoche, and James Brolin are in a movie about it. You better bring a box of Kleenex to this tale about human survival in the face of tremendous odds.

Watch the trailer for The 33.

Release date: Nov. 20

Tom Hardy is taking on double duty as twins Ronald and Reginald Kray, infamous English gangsters. Though they put up a front as nightclub owners, they were actually leaders in organized crime throughout the '50s and '60s. Their story is unique in that Ronnie was openly bisexual and was rumored to have been sleeping with a psychopathic admirer (played by Taron Egerton in the film).

Watch the trailer for Legend.

Release date: Nov. 27

Eddie Redmayne is already stunning on posters for The Danish Girl, in which he plays Lili Elbe, the first woman to successfully undergo sexual reassignment surgery. The movie revolves around how Lili's relationship with her wife (Alicia Vikander) evolves along with her transformation.

Watch the trailer for The Danish Girl.

Release date: Dec. 11

You may hear that this movie is about a giant whale that sinks a boat in 1820 and think, "Oh, so it's inspired by Moby Dick." Actually, this is based on the book that was written about the true story that inspired Herman Melville's novel. Chris Hemsworth plays first mate Owen Chase, whose boat goes up against gigantic whale . . . and loses. Only eight sailors survived after the ship sunk in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

Watch the trailer for In the Heart of the Sea.

Release date: Dec. 23

The leads in this movie — Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, and Steve Carell — are such big names that we wouldn't blame you for forgetting all about the fact that it's based on the housing bubble that led to 2007's financial crisis. Not only is the movie based on real events, but it's also an adaptation of Michael Lewis's book, which chronicled the crisis.

Watch the trailer for The Big Short.

Release date: Dec. 25 (limited)

Alejandro González Iñárritu is following up Birdman with this western based on Michael Punke's novel. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Hugh Glass, a 19th century fur trapper whose team leaves him to die after he's mauled by a bear. He survives and sets out to exact revenge on his old pals.

Watch the trailer for The Revenant.

Release date: Dec. 25

Director David O. Russell is again teaming up with Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper for this biopic about Joy Mangano (played by Lawrence), the inventor of the Miracle Mop. The single mother of three balanced college and several jobs throughout the '80s, and in 1990, she developed the mop. Her business took off when she regularly began selling her product on QVC, and within a few years, she was a millionaire.

Watch the trailer for Joy.