The real stories behind 11 Oscar-nominated true crime movies

• Stories about real-life events tend to get the Academy's attention, especially those that are based on true crime.
• Sometimes filmmakers take artistic liberties with some of the facts, but the real stories are just as interesting.
• Here are some of the real stories behind 11 Oscar-nominated movies.

Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, which is probably why so many filmmakers find inspiration in the stories of true crime. And many times, these stories as so compelling, the Academy Awards take notice.

Unfortunately for those filmmakers, the real events don't always unfold in a clean and linear way, forcing them to choose between accuracy and storytelling.

Here are some of the real stories behind 11 Oscar-nominated true crime movies.

"I, Tonya"

In "I, Tonya" Margot Robbie stars as the aggressive and unconventional, yet hilarious Tonya Harding.

But the former figure skater's story isn't as comedic as Robbie and Allison Janney's performances would have you believe. Harding's ex-husband and his "bodyguard" were accused of hiring men to attack her rival competitor, Nancy Kerrigan, which resulted in Kerrigan's withdrawal from an upcoming competition.

J.E. Vader, a journalist who covered Harding’s career in the early 90s, points out that the film unjustly uses Kerrigan as "comic relief." In addition, there are some discrepancies between reality and portrayal of Harding's upbringing and "unfair" treatment by the judges. In fact, "habitually truth-challenged" is a phrase used to describe her.

Though Harding has always maintained she knew nothing of the pending attack, and the film pushes that narrative as well, she did plead guilty in 1994 to hindering the prosecution, and was ultimately banned from figure skating.

"All the Money in the World"

After recasting Kevin Spacey with Christopher Plummer, "All the Money in the World" may be known more now for its offscreen story than the one it's telling onscreen.

The plot is simple, yet unbelievable. J. Paul Getty, once the "richest man in the world," received a ransom note in 1973 demanding $17 million in exchange for his grandson, Paul Getty III.

Claiming that paying the ransom would only bring about copy-cat kidnappers targeting his other grandchildren, Getty agreed to pay only $2.2 million after Paul's ear had been cut off and mailed to a newspaper. He was eventually found safe and returned home, but the film leaves out the horrors he faced afterwards.

Paul's issues with drugs got worse when dealing with the trauma of the kidnapping, and an overdose in 1981 left him paralyzed until his death in 2011.  

"Catch Me If You Can"

Steven Spielberg's 2001 film "Catch Me If You Can" about a charming and seemingly invincible conman feels like a work of fantasy, despite being totally true.

Leonardo Dicaprio starred as Frank Abagnale who, during the course of the movie, successfully impersonates an airline pilot, doctor, lawyer, teacher, all while living on a steady stream of forged checks. Abagnale was eventually caught by the FBI and is offered a deal to work with the FBI on finding and catching similar criminals.

Although it was almost completely accurate, according to Spielberg and Abagnale, some creative license was taken with the relationship between Abagnale and his father, as well as some small details about the scams. Abagnale now lives in Charleston, South Carolina and continues to warn others about fraud and embezzlement scams.