So winter is here and we have been spending a lot of time binge watching TV and knitting and crocheting. So far we have made it through Designated Survivor and working our way through This is Us, both of which we have enjoyed. But it brings to mind one of my pet peeves and that is movies and tv shows that are “Based on a true story” or “inspired by a true story”. I always cringe when I see this before the title. I enjoy reading autobiographies and biographies and am amazed with the triumphs and tragedies that make up a person’s life. BUT why oh why does “Hollywood” feel they have to add so much more drama to peoples stories. And the other thing that really gets my goat is all the people that believe these “based on true stories” and think they are the gospel truth. If you are one of these people, you may want to stop reading now and go back to scrolling on facebook or doing your laundry of something…You have been warned!
Speaking of laundry, this week I made a trip to the laundromat. Goodness, I had not been to a laundromat in so many years, can’t say I miss it. No, our washer is not on the blink, but with 2 dogs and rainy season, it was past time to gather up all the throw rugs and get ’em washed! But I digress, back to my rant…..LOL
So the absolutely worst example of this based on a true story crap has to be The Butler, oh yes, critically acclaimed and if I remember correctly, won a lot of awards. Well, hell, about the only thing true in this movie was the fact that there were indeed black butlers during the time frame and that at least one for sure was still alive to vote for a black man for president. The rest of the story depicted is nothing but made up garbage. Supposedly, the story was based on the life of Eugene Allen who lived from 1919-2010. You won’t see his name in the movie as the lead character (Butler) however, as they ventured so far from his life story that it bore no relationship to him, and they “made up” a name for the character. One of the first scenes from the movie depicted the lead character as a young boy with his slave parents. Well, if you need a history lesson, the Civil War ended in 1865 so right out of the gate we have a major problem with timeline. I won’t bore you with all of the made up details, but like I said above, so very little actually pertained to the real butler that supposedly the movie was based on. My question I guess is why do they feel the need to pretend it is based on a person’s true story, why can’t they just admit it’s just a story?
The other movie that comes to mind and one that I enjoyed even though it was full of made up crap was The Blind Side. Very inspiring story of a white family that adopted a black teenage boy. But again, as I was watching this movie, some things just didn’t ring true. For example, the scene where they pick up this black teenager that they don’t know from Adam alongside the road , take him home with them, and he spends the night etc. Well, sorry, but this is pretty far fetched. If you loved this movie I strongly suggest that you read the book written by the parents in 2010, one year after the movie came out. I think they felt the need to set a few details straight. I found their REAL story to be so much more believable and inspiring and here again, why did Hollywood feel the need to add all the bullshit.
Well, there are many others, but you get the idea!
We have been dealing with torrential rain, but keep thanking our lucky stars that it is NOT SNOW! We do keep track of the weather “Up Nort” and hope you are all staying warm! Reservations still available in our guest room, please call for availability!