That's Not Entertainment! Trivia Quiz

Answer: J.M. Barrie

'Finding Neverland' (2004) is the story of the author J.M. Barrie's inspiration for his most famous work, 'Peter Pan'. The film stars Johnny Depp as Barrie and Kate Winslet as his close friend Susan Llewelyn Davies. Barrie develops a close friendship with her sons, becoming something of a replacement father figure for them.

The sons provide him with the idea of a young boy that doesn't want to grow up and the story of Peter Pan develops from there. Another notable turn of the century British author, Arthur Conan Doyle, also features in the film.

Answer: C.S. Lewis

'Shadowlands' (1993) depicts the period of C.S. Lewis' life in which he meets the American poet Joy Davidman (known as Joy Gresham in the film thanks to her marriage to William Lindsay Gresham). The two begin correspondence in 1950 and eventually marry in 1956. Joy Davidman died only four years later aged 45, and the film shows how Lewis dealt with her death and how it challenged his Christian faith.

The film stars Anthony Hopkins as Lewis and Debra Winger as Davidman, with Richard Attenborough directing. Throughout his 60-year career in cinema, Attenborough directed only 12 films, most famously 'Gandhi' in 1982, for which he won both Best Director and Best Picture at the Oscars.

Answer: P.L. Travers

'Saving Mr. Banks' (2013) depicts quite a short period in the life of British novelist and actress P.L. Travers, author of 'Mary Poppins'. The film focuses on the (sometimes amiable, sometimes otherwise) relationship between Travers and Walt Disney as Disney attempts to bring her most famous book to the silver screen. Travers is initially very against the idea of a film adaption as the story of the Banks family is very close to her heart and she is concerned that it will be tainted. She is particularly horrified when she discovers the film is to be a musical.

Emma Thompson stars as Travers, while a mustachioed
Tom Hanks appears as the indomitable Walt Disney.

Answer: François Villon

Far and away the oldest film to feature in this quiz, 'The Beloved Rogue' was made all the way back in 1927 and stars John Barrymore as the titular tearaway François Villon. Despite the fact that the entire film is set in 15th century France, it is an American production; not that that matters too much when there is no dialogue!

François Villon was perhaps the most famous French poet of the late Middle Ages. He seemed to get into all kinds of scrapes, killing a man in a duel in 1455 before being involved in a serious robbery the following year. He wrote about many of his less than conventional experiences in his poetry, no doubt enhancing his popularity at the time.

Answer: Virginia Woolf

'The Hours' (2002) actually depicts the life of three different women (Woolf is one of the three), all of whom have been influenced by Virginia Woolf's novel 'Mrs. Dalloway'. Nicole Kidman plays the author herself while Julianne Moore plays the 1950s Los Angeles housewife Laura Brown and Meryl Streep plays the 21st Century editor Clarissa Vaughan.

All three of the main characters have had to deal with suicide at some point in their lives. Virginia Woolf committed suicide by filling her pockets with stones and walking into the River Ouse in 1941, harrowingly depicted in the opening scene of the film.

Answer: Allen Ginsberg

'Kill Your Darlings' (2013) is all about the origins of the Beat Generation and actually features several literary figures, including William S. Burroughs, Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. The film depicts a period in the early 1940s in which Ginsberg is studying English Literature at Columbia University and becomes dissatisfied with the archaic attitudes he finds there. Daniel Radcliffe stars as Ginsberg.

Answer: David Foster Wallace

'The End of the Tour' (2015) is told from the point of view of David Lipsky, a journalist who interviewed David Foster Wallace during the book tour for 'Infinite Jest' in 1996. The film is based on the real life book of Lipsky's reminiscences of the encounter, entitled 'Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself'. The film opens in 2008 with Lipsky hearing about Wallace's suicide before cutting back to 1996.

'The End of the Tour' marks a rare appearance in a 'serious' film for Jason Segel (as Wallace), while Jesse Eisenberg plays Lipsky. The film was directed by James Ponsoldt, also known for 2012's 'Smashed' and 2013's 'The Spectacular Now'.

Answer: Emily Dickinson

'A Quiet Passion' (2016) covers almost the entirety of the reclusive American poet Emily Dickinson's life, from her early schooldays to her productive later years. Emily Dickinson lived a very reserved life, becoming known for her unwillingness to greet guests (though she corresponded widely via letters) as well as her desire to remain in her bedroom. Only 12 of her poems were published during her lifetime and the true extent of her literary talent was only revealed after she died.

The film stars Cynthia Nixon as the adult Dickinson and was directed by Terence Davies, also known for 'Distant Voices, Still Lives' and 'The House of Mirth'.

Answer: Charles Bukowski

'Barfly' (1987) is notable as a 'semi-autobiography', which in this case means that Charles Bukowski himself wrote the screenplay for the film. The screenplay was commissioned by the director, Barbet Schroeder, and was published in 1984, three years before the film was released.

Mickey Rourke stars as the alcoholic Henry Chinaski (who could that be?) with Faye Dunaway as his drinking companion Wanda. 'Barfly' was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival and Dunaway received a nomination for Best Actress at the Golden Globes.

Answer: Isak Dinesen

If 'Barfly' was semi-autobiographical, perhaps 'Out of Africa' (1985) could be described as demi-semi-autobiographical, meaning that while Isak Dinesen did not write the script, she did write the book on which the film was based. It should also be noted that Isak Dinesen is actually a pseudonym for the Danish author Karen Blixen, how confusing!

The film depicts a romance between Blixen, portrayed by Meryl Streep, and a hunter named Denys, played by Robert Redford. 'Out of Africa' was directed by Sydney Pollack and won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Cinematography.