when a film says 'based on a true story

[sarwal]

How true does it have to be? Can they actually lie and say 'based on a true story' when it is not..?

[rja211077]

Yes. The Coen Brothers' film Fargo says it is based on actual events but it is not. 

[Octavius]

Like 'Oh brother where art thou' is based on Homers Odyssey??????

I think with Hollywood it can be as remote as it likes from the true story. 

[andy hughes]

The clue is in the wording - if you say 'based on ....' you can take as many liberties with the truth as you like. the original story may be true - but the film can make its own mind up, as in the over-hyped and rather tedious 'Open Water' where the film makers presume the end - no further comment in case I spoil it for anyone who might want to go and see it. My advice - see 'Collateral' instead - far better film.

[liljoolz]

The Blair Witch was supposed to be true, it just had underlaying old wife-y tales. and the other guy is right it does depend on the wording, 'based on actual events' meansb only some of what is happening is true, 'Based on a true story' there is a smidgen of truth in it but hollywood has decided the ugly woman the film is about is now a size 6 supermodel with no acting ability. 

[Peter Pedant]

based on a true story - doesnt have to be much

It is more irritating I suggest, if they make out its true and er, there are bits which are fantasy.

In the name of the father - IRA bombers - the bit about the evidence on the park bench is fantasy, and the scene where emma thompson bawls out the court of appeal (as Gareth Pierce) couldnt occur then as solicitors couldnt address the court of appeal.

also in Schindler's list - the final good bye speech is not historical. Although the march of the prison camps across europe in 1945 is exactly as my father described it.

These two films came out in the same year and the third film of that clutch which had untrue bits was Columbus.

 

[aurelia]

Yeh based on a true story is a joke - there is probably a tiny bit of truth and hollywood thinks more people will watch it if they think it's true - how dumb do they think we are - as they just embellish the stories to make it more watcheable - just like any programme really - they have to embellish a job like on casualty - nobody would watch a real live thing of a hospital - too much paperwork and cleaning crap