The new Jimi Hendrix biopic All is By My Side, starring Outkast’s Andre Benjamin, has generated considerable criticism from Hendrix’s estate, which opposes any film about Hendrix’s life produced without their participation. This type of controversy surrounding a biopic is nothing new, however. Here are six biopics of musicians that were criticized by their subjects.
1. Walk the Line (2005)
The 2005 Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line may have been nominated for five Academy Awards (including a win for Reese Witherspoon's portrayal of June Carter Cash), but Cash's children were less than thrilled with the film. As a result of their input, two scenes were removed from the film that negatively portrayed Cash's first wife, Vivian Liberto, and Roseanne Cash described the film's actors as "not recognizable to me as my parents in any way."
2. The Doors (1991)
The title of this film may be The Doors, but as can be expected, it's pretty much The Jim Morrison Story. The three surviving members of the Doors served as technical advisors, but claimed that director Oliver Stone ignored any advice they gave him. Drummer John Densmore would later say that the film was based on "the myth of Jim Morrison," rather than the actual person they knew.
3. Sid and Nancy (1986)
Sex Pistols vocalist John Lydon enjoys nothing more than stirring up controversy and talking trash, and he had plenty to say about Alex Cox's 1986 film Sid and Nancy, about the relationship between Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen. Nearly every aspect of the film, from the involvement of the Clash's Joe Strummer to its celebration of heroin to its negative portrayal of Lydon, roused the ire of the former Sex Pistol, though he had kind things to say about Gary Oldman's performance.
4. Notorious (2009)
The family of Christopher Wallace (a.k.a. the Notorious B.I.G.) didn't publicly criticize the 2009 biopic Notorious, but Lil' Kim was unhappy with the way she was portrayed in the film, claiming the filmmakers were more interested in driving the story along by making her look bad, rather than portraying her accurately.
5. The Runaways (2010)
Runaways lead singer Cherie Currie praised Dakota Fanning's performance in the 2010 biopic The Runaways, but claimed that the film as a whole tells a different, less complete story than her memoir Neon Angel. "The true story is an epic," she said, "and that's just not anything that could have been done on film."
6. Phil Spector (2013)
Though there's a disclaimer at the beginning of the David Mamet's HBO film Phil Spector clarifying it as a work of fiction, the film was stilled mired in controversy for its supposed sympathetic depiction of the legendary producer, who was convicted of murdering actress Lana Clarkson in 2009. Clarkson's family felt the film tarnished her reputation and called the film a "travesty."
