# Film Plots Lifted Almost Exactly From Other Films **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 23, 2005, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-plots-lifted-almost-exactly-from-other-films/291469 "2005-02-23T03:02:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2005, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-plots-lifted-almost-exactly-from-other-films/291469/61 "2005-02-23T22:22:04Z")
If you want ripoffs of _Aliens_, then look no farther than [Carnosaur](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106521/). It’s actually a total rip of Jurassic Park and Aliens, except set in a big warehouse instead of a tropical island. The final confrontation has the young hero mounting up in a large construction bulldozer thingy and facing off with a T-Rex, just like Ripley’s loader battle with the Alien Queen. Oh, and it’s absolutely terrible, too. ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-plots-lifted-almost-exactly-from-other-films/291469/62 "2005-02-24T00:18:01Z")
> [@vibrotronica](#): > > **8 mile** is **Purple Rain**. Hell, a lot of movies are **Purple Rain** , and **Purple Rain** is probably something older that I haven’t seen. [American Anthem](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090631/) isn’t just Purple Rain in gymnastics tights instead of leather pants, it was even directed by the same guy – Albert Magnoli. He should be ashamed. [Love Don’t Cost a Thing\*\* is a “remake” (more like ripoff) of [url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000584/]Can’t Buy Me Live](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337592/). Time didn’t improve the story one whit. ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-plots-lifted-almost-exactly-from-other-films/291469/63 "2005-02-24T00:22:11Z")
Argh! [Love Don’t Cost a Thing](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337592/) [Can’t Buy Me **Love**](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092718/) ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-plots-lifted-almost-exactly-from-other-films/291469/64 "2005-02-24T00:22:29Z")
Ghost Ship is pretty much Event Horizon at sea. I’m sure Event Horizon is a rip off of something else. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-plots-lifted-almost-exactly-from-other-films/291469/65 "2005-02-24T01:45:32Z")
> [@](#): > > Wow. I can’t believe I’ve never made the connection before but you’re absolutely right. I can’t claim credit. I’m citing **The James Bond Bedside Companion** which, in turn, is quoting from Bond fan pieces in fan magazines like _Bondage_ – “The Spy Who Lived Twce” I see so far because I’m standing on the shoulders of James Bond Fanatics. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2005, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-plots-lifted-almost-exactly-from-other-films/291469/66 "2005-03-05T10:48:45Z")
It’s not the same plot, but there are a heck of a lot of similarities between **Far and Away** and **Titanic**. Shannen in **FaA** and Rose in **Titanic** are both feisty redheads from prestigious families who yearn to be independent. Joseph in **FaA** is a social nobody who wants to go to America, where anyone can pursue his own destiny. Jack in **Titanic** is a social nobody who has already been pursuing his own destiny. Shannen’s mother, played by Frances Fisher, wants Shannen to wear a tight, high button collar ("'Tis better to choke than to be vulgar"), and marry a man she doesn’t love because he’s even better off financially. Rose’s mother, played by Frances Fisher, wants Rose to wear a tight, restricting corset, and marry a man she doesn’t love because that’s their only financial option. (“We’re women. Our choices are never easy.”) Both couples travel by boat to America. Joseph teaches Shannen to do laundry by hand; she later uses this skill when she and her parents are camped out before the land rush. Jack teaches Rose to spit; she later uses this skill to repel Cal. Shannen drinks gin and plays ragtime piano with other working-class women. Rose drinks beer and dances with the steerage passengers. Shannen asserts her independence by becoming a dance-hall girl. Rose asserts her independence by posing nude. Joseph almost dies at the end of the film; Shannen weeps over him until he revives. Jack does die towards the end of the film; Rose weeps over him but he doesn’t revive. (Okay, it’s not an exact parallel.) ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2005, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-plots-lifted-almost-exactly-from-other-films/291469/67 "2005-03-05T11:27:31Z")
Not my idea, but THE LION KING rips off HAMLET big time. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2005, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-plots-lifted-almost-exactly-from-other-films/291469/68 "2005-03-05T12:26:23Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > The end of the film, as I pointed out in an essay in **Teemings** , is lifted from **The Dambusters** , right down to some of the dialogue. I understand a lot of the dogfighting sequences came from **Squadron 733**. One time I was half-listening to The History Channel (show about The Dambusters) and when I heard “I’d say about 20 guns. Some of the suurface, some on the tower”, I was like…huh? Anyways, my contribution to the thread would be “Demolition Man” and “Judge Dredd”. Talk about identical movies… -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2005, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-plots-lifted-almost-exactly-from-other-films/291469/69 "2005-03-05T13:29:14Z")
from Gerard Alessandrini’s “Forbidden Hollywood”: Everyone loves Forrest, so why does no one care That this same plot was used before in a film called [Being There](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078841/)? ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2005, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-plots-lifted-almost-exactly-from-other-films/291469/70 "2005-03-05T13:42:18Z")
None of this is unusual. I forget the exact number but there are only a few basic plots, or for that matter jokes. There is Boy Meets Girl, Boy Loses Girl, Boy Gets Girl, which is basically the Book of Job in disguise, or the Riches to Rags to Riches. Or just plain Rags to Riches. Horatio Alger or perhaps _Jane Eyre_. There is the Improbabla Hero Saves The Day. _Johnny Come Lately_ with James Cagney. The lead charachter goes through a series of adventures. The Villain Finally Gets His Comeuppance. It does seem to me that the movie _The Sting_ was pretty original, but maybe it was just a slightly disguised The Villain Finally Gets His Comeuppance. ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2005, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-plots-lifted-almost-exactly-from-other-films/291469/71 "2005-03-05T16:14:40Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > from Gerard Alessandrini’s “Forbidden Hollywood”: > > Everyone loves Forrest, so why does no one care > That this same plot was used before in a film called [Being There](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078841/)? Totally disagree. Both involved retarded men finding success, but the similarities end there. Only a few characters realized Chance was slow, the rest mistook his simplicity for wisdom. Everyone knew Forrest was slow, but the movie would have us say his simplicity \*was \* wisdom, and the rest was luck. IOW, Being There was making fun of the exact attitudes expressed by Forrest Gump. Forrest bumbles his way through the 60’s, and ends up a wealthy, but simple father. Chance stays in one place, and ends up being set up as president. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-plots-lifted-almost-exactly-from-other-films/291469.md?page=3)