 The film follows the life of Hollywood screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, and is based on the 1977 biography "Dalton Trumbo" by Bruce Alexander Cook.The film was shown in the Special Presentations section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival on September 12, 2015, and was released on November 6, 2015, by Bleecker Street.The film received generally positive reviews, with Bryan Cranston being nominated for several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Actor, although the film itself was criticized for historical inaccuracies and misportrayals of people, places, and events.