I do declare, this series “Focus On: John Cusack” is giving me the vapors! Someone fetch me a mint julep and an invisible dog! Lord, these flies on their leashes are just everywhere. I do so love those Georgia Bulldogs. And peaches. And, um, sweet iced tea . . . ok, I’m running out of things I know about Georgia, specifically about Savannah, so it’s a darn good thing that this week’s movie, “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” is set there, in the early 80’s, based on a novel that is more or less based on a true story. Allegedly. Along with our boy John Cusack, we’ve got an almost unrecognizable Jude Law and (oh boy . . .) Kevin Spacey. Uhhhh . . . but at least the director is . . . oh dear, Clint Eastwood. Hoo boy. Not the most comfortable movie we’ve done. And the story is certainly not the most comfortable but pretty gol durn interesting. Give a listen and see what we think or if we spend the whole time tugging at our shirt collars and making inarticulate sounds of discomfort. Either way, it’s gonna be exciting . . . right?
Poll question: “Based on a true story”: what does that mean to you when you see it before a movie starts? Do you trust a movie more? Less? Hold the film up to a higher standard? Or does it matter at all?
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I saw this when it was release on video. My boyfriend at the time had read the book and really wanted to see it. Eastwood really is a great director… and a pretty awful person as he gets older.
based on a true story means – this was mostly made up or at least involves wild unresearched speculation. Some movies use “inspired by true or real events” which I think is more honest. “a fictionalized account of…” would even be better. I get it’s movie and it has to fit in a certain time frame and be coherent so some things will have to ‘adjusted” to make that work. The worst are when the true story something is based on isn’t even a true story to begin with!
We had someone comment on FB that they especially hated “Based on a True Story” when used with Fargo, which wasn’t based on anything at all. So it was an out and out lie. I think it’s chancy at best but that’s why we like to ask out listeners to see what they think.
Eastwood…yah, I like him far better as a director than I do a person. But he is what he is, at 93 or so. Thanks as always for commenting and listening!