BASED ON A TRUE STORY*: Fact and Fantasy in 100 Favorite Movies *But with More Car Crashes
Jonathan Vankin, John Whalen, . . Chicago Review, $18.95 (446pp) ISBN 978-1-55652-559-9
Films that purportedly document real-life events have a special allure for moviegoers, posit journalists Vankin and Whalen, which is why the phrase "based on a true story" is so prevalent in movie promos. But the term is loose and poorly defined, and in this highly entertaining dissection, the authors examine 100 films, detailing what about them is really true and what's simply a story. Wittily working their way through most of the well-known "true" films of the last four decades—
Reviewed on: 01/03/2005
Genre: Nonfiction