Based on a true story
Whenever a movie opens with these words I always start to wonder what is expected of the viewer to do with that information. Should it immediately make you feel a certain way causing you to experience the movie differently? Does the film follows the true story closely? Movies like The Butler and Fruitvale Station were also based on true events, but both of them added things which did not happen or were not accurate. Then there is the example of Fargo, which also starts with those words, but actually wasn’t based on anything real. When Philomena started and I saw that text all these questions ran through my mind…
Philomena (Judi Dench) has been keeping a secret for most of her life. When she was young and living at a monastary with some nuns she got pregnant unexpectedly. She had the child, but was only allowed to see her a few moments each week as she was forced to work hard each day. When her child is given away to a family her pain is something she can’t bear, but she simply can not tell her story to anyone. She already is an old woman when she decides to tell her daugther, who happens to have gotten in contact with a political journalist, Martin Sixsmieth (Steve Coogan). He has just lost his job and he gets offered the story and asked to help the mother find her long lost son. Even though Martin initially is not interested, he decides to start a search which will bring them to some unexpected places.
The words “based on a true story” always raise mixed feelings. In this case I actually did not check if the movie matches the true events simply because the movie on its own is worth checking out. With convincing performances, little bits of humour and lots of drama it manages to take the viewer on the journey Philomena and Martin are making. You are involved with them and feel what they are feeling. In the end that should be the reason you watch a movie, whether that is based on actual facts or not.
I was surprised by this film as I thought it was going to be some typical but well-meaning melodrama but it was so much more. Especially from someone like Stephen Frears who I forgot had helmed this as he has made some great films and a few bad ones but this one is actually one his finest.
I heard some good things about it, so was not surprised although it did move me more than I expected initially.
“Based on a true story”, “inspired by real events”, there’s a gliding scale there. But in the end, to me it’s all fiction, as long as it isn’t a documentary. I don’t quite see the point with this marketing; it adds nothing to my decision if I should watch a certain film.
Like you I really liked Philomena. I felt that it was a little bit dismissed when it came out for being a film for “oldies”. Which it isn’t.
Exactly and even documentaries aren’t objective. To me it doesn’t add anything either. I don’t mind that an update or text is given at the end of the film, but when it appears at the beginning I don’t like it.
Definitely not a film for oldies…although I don’t think all teenagers are going to love it though 😉
Seeing “Based on a true story” here made me rage. I can’t believe that actually happened. I wanted to slap those nuns.
Yeah it is very shocking that that actually happened. Unfortunately there are way too many stories out there like that.
The idea that there is something about the story or characters that actually happened removes it from the realm of “it’s just a story” and makes it feel less disposable. People are interested in the real, all you have to do is look at the TV these days to see that. Of course that does not mean what we are seeing is the truth, rather that it is connected to the truth so it needs to be considered differently. Jessica, watch out for those documentaries, many of them are worse than a fictionalized “based on a true story” narrative.
I guess for some people it adds something to their experience…for me personally though I really do not like it. Agree with you about documentaries…they are usually quite subjective, which I don’t see as a bad thing, but some of them will twist or leave out some details.