Book 'er (Image via Fox Searchlight)
Lee Israel (1939-2014) was a noted biographer who turned to selling forged literary letters — and famously got caught. Though she didn't live to see the film based on her confessional memoir, she couldn't have asked for a better or more empathy-generating actress than Melissa McCarthy to portray her. McCarthy (who replaced Julianne Moore) has a built-in charm that counteracts Israel's reputed anti-charm. Even though McCarthy studiously tamps down her appealingly broad persona, she can't help but make Israel into a sympathetic curmudgeon, albeit one who is portrayed in the script as brusque, rude and disloyal to everyone but her ailing cat.
In spite of those traits, we can't help but root for the disheveled wordsmith who can't compete with the Tom Clancys of the world.