Best Lifetime movies based on true stories

Some are inspiring. Some are powerful. And some are just so outrageous you won't believe they are based on a true story.

1. 

   Prosecuting Casey Anthony

   This true-crime drama starring Rob Lowe as Jeff Ashton, the prosecutor in the infamous Casey Anthony murder trial, provides a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the prosecution’s case against Anthony and what led to the controversial verdict.

2. 

   Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story

   Overcoming impossible odds—negligent drug-addict parents, an abusive grandfather, and homelessness—Liz Murray finished high school in two years and won a scholarship to Harvard University through an essay contest sponsored by the New York Times. This adaptation stars “Now and Then”’s Thora Birch as Murray.

3. 

   Taken in Broad Daylight

   17-year-old Anne Sluti was abducted in broad daylight and held captive for six days before narrowly escaping. The movie version features James Van Der Beek as Sluti’s abductor and Levar Burton as a heroic cop hot on their trail.

4. 

   William & Kate

   Originally broadcast just a few days before the actual couple married, this film tells the true story of England’s Prince William and Kate Middleton courtship and engagement — a real-life fairy tale.

5. 

   Natalee Holloway

   In 2005, 18-year-old Natalee disappeared while on vacation in Aruba. Based on her mother Beth Holloway’s book “Loving Natalee,” the film depicts the events leading up to Natalee’s disappearance and the frenzied investigation that followed.

6. 

   Britney Ever After

   Curious about Britney Spears’ rise and fall — and redemptive arc? Look no further than this two-hour chronicle, which covers Spears’ staggering ascent to pop icon status, the implosion of her personal life and downward mental health spiral, and her steady recovery ever since.

7. 

   Anna Nicole

   Anna Nicole Smith’s tragic real life — from small-town single mother and dancer to world-famous Playboy centerfold struggling with drug and alcohol addiction — is explored in this sympathetic biopic.

8. 

   Mendez: The Blood Brothers

   When entertainment mogul Jose Menendez and his wife Kitty were murdered by their sons Lyle and Erik in 1989, the sensational trial gripped a scandalized America. This movie, starring Courtney Love and Nico Tortorella, delves into the abuse suffered by the infamous brothers and the motives behind their crimes.

9. 

   Who is Clark Rockefeller?

   This twist-filled drama features Eric McCormack as a German con artist who throughout his life impersonated many people, including an advisor to the Pentagon, a talk show host, and a member of the Rockefeller family.

10. 

    Magic Beyond Words: The JK Rowling Story

    Based on Sean Smith’s “J.K. Rowling: A Biography,” this biopic charts the “Harry Potter” author’s inspirational rise from struggling single mother to beloved household name.

11. 

    Amanda Knox: Murder on Trial in Italy

    Starring Hayden Panettiere as Amanda Knox, this true-crime drama is based on the murder of Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy, and the subsequent trials of Knox and her Italian boyfriend for the crime.

12. 

    Coco Chanel

    Chronicling legendary fashion designer Coco Chanel’s astonishing life and enduring style legacy, this biopic stars Shirley MacLaine, who received an Emmy nomination for her performance as Chanel.

13. 

    Cries Unheard: The Donna Yaklich Story

    After years of suffering at his hand, Donna Yaklich murdered her abusive, steroid-addicted husband. The ensuing trial and her conviction were the focus of a media circus. This film recounts her harrowing story through flashbacks narrated by her character to the son she loves dearly.

14. 

    The Two Mr. Kissels

    Told primarily through vivid flashbacks and interviews, this drama recounts the lurid details surrounding the murders of Andrew and Robert Kissel, two real-life brothers neck-deep in dirty deeds. Starring John Stamos and Anson Mount as the titular brothers.

15. 

    Pregnancy Pact

    In 2008, a group of female high school students in Gloucester, Massachusetts, allegedly made a pact to get pregnant at the same time and raise their children as a group. This take on the story stars Thora Birch and Camryn Manheim.

16. 

    Girl in the Box

    In 1977, 20-year-old Colleen Stan was kidnapped while hitchhiking by a young couple who held her prisoner for seven years in a coffin-sized box, letting her out only to watch their children and participate in violent, sadistic sex. This dark psychological drama is not for the faint of heart.

17. 

    Liz & Dick

    Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were one of Hollywood’s most fabled couples, and their tempestuous, passionate relationship is chronicled in this fittingly over-the-top biopic — featuring none other than Lindsay Lohan, an equally fabulous figure.

18. 

    Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story

    The heart-pounding true story of Tiffany Rubin’s rescue of her kidnapped 7-year-old son — who’d been taken from his home in Queens to Seoul, South Korea in 2008 — is captured in this gripping drama, with an impassioned performance from a pre-“Empire” Taraji P. Henson.

19. 

    Gracie's Choice

    Kristen Bell and Anne Heche star in this emotional drama, inspired by actual events, about a 16-year-old girl struggling to provide for her younger siblings while their drug-addicted mother self-destructs and lands in jail. Heche was Emmy-nominated for her performance.

20. 

    Drew Peterson: Untouchable

    Rob Lowe returns to Lifetime as Drew Peterson, the infamous, womanizing Chicago police officer accused of murdering his third wife after his fourth goes missing in a disappearance that remains unsolved. The movie also features Kaley Cuoco as Stacy Peterson, the missing fourth wife.

21. 

    Abducted: The Carlina White Story

    A young woman who was abducted as a baby from a New York hospital solves her own story and goes on to find her biological parents.

22. 

    The Real MVP: The Wanda Durant Story

    The inspiring true story of Wanda Durant, a single mother who selflessly put aside her own dreams and desires to allow her son to have his, making him the NBA's Most Valuable Player: Kevin Durant.

23. 

    Who Killed JonBenet?

    The murder of six-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey in 1996 is still unsolved, but recently surfaced information could potentially confirm what really happened.

24. 

    I Am Elizabeth Smart

    A harrowing kidnapping story of Elizabeth Smart by a religious fanatic who held her captive for nine months, narrated by Elizabeth herself.

25. 

    Girl in the Bunker

    A young woman is kidnapped and held inside an underground bunker by a man disguised as a sheriff deputy. In order to survive, she takes matters into her own hands.

26. 

    Betty and Coretta 

    After the tragic assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, their wives Betty and Coretta take on life by inheriting the mantle of the civil rights movement as single mothers.

27. 

    Cocaine Godmother: The Griselda Blanco Story

    After moving to the U.S at the age of 17, Griselda Blanco embarks on a life full of drugs and crime making her Miami’s biggest drug lord and cocaine trade pioneer, nicknamed The Black Widow.

28. 

    A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story

    This documentary follows the life of Lizzie Velasquez who weighing 58 pounds due to a rare syndrome goes from a cyber-bullying victim to an anti-bullying activist.

29. 

    Flint

    A retelling of the biggest environmental crisis of our generation that shook the nation while highlighting the whistle-blowers who exposed it all.

30. 

    Oscar Pistorius: Blade Runner Killer

    A Paralympic champion and the Olympic's first double-leg amputee participant was quickly a crowd favorite, but that all changed when his super model girlfriend is murdered on Valentine's Day.

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