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1[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hollywoodland_6027.jpg]]
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3A slow-burning thriller film released in 2006 and directed by Allen Coulter, ''Hollywoodland'' traces cheap detective Louis Simo (Creator/AdrienBrody) -- hired to investigate the unexpected violent death of real-life actor Creator/GeorgeReeves, most famous for his iconic role as [[Series/TheAdventuresOfSuperman Superman]] during TheFifties. As Simo follows clues and leads, he finds he may be way out of his league.
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5''Hollywoodland'' was done with a relatively low budget and performed rather disappointingly at the American box-office, but it was well received by critics. The George Reeves part went to Creator/BenAffleck and critically it was perhaps the brightest spot in Affleck's checkered career between ''Film/GoodWillHunting'' (1997) and ''Film/{{Argo}}'' (2012), as he got surprisingly good reviews for his portrayal. Also starring Creator/DianeLane and Creator/BobHoskins.
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8!!Trope examples:
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10* AmbiguousSituation: The film never conclusively states if George took his own life or was murdered and offers strong evidence to support both claims.
11* ArtisticLicenceHistory: The film depicts Reeves having a bigger part in ''Film/FromHereToEternity'' that gets cut down after audiences start laughing "there's Superman" - a common urban legend at the time. Numerous crew members from the film have contested this, and the original screenplay contains no additional scenes for Reeves's character. The director has also said that his part appears as filmed.
12* BettyAndVeronica: Toni is the Betty and Leonore is the Veronica over George. Ultimately, the Veronica wins.
13* BittersweetEnding: George is dead and the mystery behind his death is never solved but Louis goes home to spend time with his kid and possibly reconcile with his former wife.
14* BurnBabyBurn: After "The Adventures of Superman" gets canceled, George celebrates his show's cancellation by burning his Superman costume.
15* DefectiveDetective: Louis Simo has issues.
16* DentedIron: Louis views a video of George training for a physically demanding new venture, but the latter is shown to be out of breath and visibly in pain.
17* DivorceIsTemporary: It's implied by the end that Louis wants to reconcile with his ex-wife.
18* DrivenToSuicide: What Reeves' death is passed off as and it is implied that it was.
19* GroinAttack: One of the victims Louis failed to protect gets shot in the head, chest and vagina by her paranoid husband.
20* HardboiledDetective: Louis Simo is a deconstruction loosely based on a real detective, Milo Speriglio.
21* HistoricalBeautyUpdate: Not as overt as some examples but Ben Affleck is definitely quite a bit better looking than the real George Reeves.
22* HollywoodHypeMachine: Reeves becomes tragically aware that he has become a victim of this.
23* OutlivingOnesOffspring: The movie begins because Simo is hired by Reeves' grieving mother to find out what really happened to George.
24* PrivateDetective
25* RashomonStyle: As detective Louis Simo investigates the death of actor George Reeves, he goes through the many possible (and ultimately conflicting) theories on what happened.
26* SidelongGlanceBiopic: Simo is a fictional character, Reeves was not.
27* SmashCut: During George and Leonore first meeting, it goes from Leonore bragging to her gal pal that "Superman's gonna get laid" to George and Leonore having sex in a motel.
28* TalkingYourWayOut: Reeves does this when confronted by a child with a loaded gun who wanted to shoot him to see if ShootingSuperman worked in real life. And he does it all without breaking character.
29* TheUnReveal: Despite several numerous clues and suspects to Reeves' death, it is never confirmed whether Leonore, Toni, Mannix caused his death or if his death was a murder or a suicide.
30* TypeCasting: InUniverse (and in RealLife too) this is George Reeves' recurring problem for the rest of his life after playing Franchise/{{Superman}}.
31* WomanScorned: Toni

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