Based on a True Story

By Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor for Southern Writers Magazine

Over the Holidays I watched a movie with Tom Cruise, American Made. It was described by a critic as more of a comedy than a documentary of the War on Drugs in Central and South America. I am not a fan of Tom Cruise but after a few friends and relatives told me of the concept and the familiarity of the events by those of us living in close proximity to it  I was intrigued enough to watch.

As I watched I was taken aback by how such a little of the true story it was based on. Not much was included in the movie. I know it is easy to be a Monday morning quarterback but I’m afraid having the knowledge I do of the accounts of the story left me flat. I will usually watch a movie twice before moving on but this one I could not get through the second time. This is not a Critic’s Corner but simply an observation and I hope one that is helpful to writers.

This movie was from events that took place based on the infamous Mena, Arkansas drug operation in the 1980s. Having worked in government in Arkansas at that time and familiar with several of the players, I found it more sensationalized and inaccurate than anything. But again it was based on a true story, not a true story or a documentary. But the more I thought about my disappointment the more I realized what a great opportunity for writers. Writing something “based on a true story” could mean all you need is a snippet of the truth from the true story along with the disclaimer “based on a true story” and you can run with it. So how much of the “truth” will you need?

I believe that is entirely up to you. Most stories, plays, songs and movies today are remakes of the original event or the telling of it. After all it was once said that our memories and the truth are close relatives but not identical twins. Who is to say your memory of the event isn’t more entertaining than someone else’s. If so why not tell your version, based on a true story of course. So how do we do this?

I believe we should look to what really grabs our interest, what we are familiar with and what we may know a little more about than the average person. An example of this: One of the players thought to be involved with in the Mena, Arkansas story was seated in the back booth of a Burger King. He was wrapped up in a heavy coat and scarf, hat pulled down over his eyes and eating his burger. I had known this gentleman for years. I spoke to him on a daily basis and was well aware of his current situation. I knew he was to begin his prison sentence the following Monday. He and many others were not mentioned in this movie. Doing so would not mean much or add to the sensationalized version. Those of us familiar with the situation might ask why this person was left out of the story. I used this knowledge to be critical but the average individual would not know this.

So take a bit of the true story and run with it. In the movie the recognition of Governor Bill Clinton in a phone call to the Attorney General to pardon the kingpin of the operation was the kind of connection for half the world to grasp. Not to imply this happened because if you remember this is only “based on a true story”. After all historical fiction is a genre.

      

A Few Good Mentors

by Gary Fearon, Creative Director

If you mention Homer’s Odyssey to today’s audience, there’s a good chance many of them will think it’s an episode of The Simpsons. But it is that Greek classic and its companion work The Iliad — written in the 8^th century — which introduced the character who would become the namesake for all mentors to come. 

“When the student is ready the teacher will appear.” This is never truer than in the movies, where we’ve observed countless heroes consulting with that one person who puts them on the path to their ultimate success. This figure may be in the story only briefly, or they may be a trusted companion who gets more than a single scene in which to convey their wisdom to the hero, teach them a new skill, or give them a special item they will use at a critical point in their adventure.

In The Odyssey, Mentor at times was actually the goddess Athena.  Similarly, in The Iliad, Mentor was targeted for some earthbound time-share by the god Apollo. Following this Grecian formula, mentors throughout the literary ages have often been gifted with supernatural powers.

Wizards in particular populate great epics. Merlin, Gandalf and Dumbledore have all been magical advisors to younger wards who have a destiny to fulfill. Meanwhile, their fairer-sex counterparts, fairies, have accommodated the gentler needs of Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Peter Pan.

Science fiction mentors can also possess abilities beyond those of mere mortals, from The Matrix’s Morpheus to the little green Jedi master who sounds like Miss Piggy. In such a futuristic setting we readily suspend disbelief and buy their mysterious, godlike qualities.

But because most novels take place in the real world, a typical mentor is a bit more down-to-earth; simply very good at what they do and more experienced than our hero.  You gotta love Doc Brown from Back to the Future, whose absent-minded professor qualities made him both funny and approachable. And who doesn’t get a kick out of The Karate Kid‘s Mr Miyagi?

Not that all mentors are looking out for our hero’s best interests. Melanie Griffith’s boss in Working Girl, Wall Street’s Gordon Gekko, and Tom Cruise’s bosses in The Firm all were out for themselves rather than their younger underlings. But even in these dysfunctional pairings, the hero ends up gaining just as much by learning what not to do. Take Private Benjamin. Judy’s commanding officer was bent on seeing her fail, but as in so many Army tales, this only helped Judy find the inner strength to prevail.

   

Being Thanksgiving week, I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank the many fictional mentors who’ve given ruby slippers to lost little girls, helped jungle boys escape from singing orangutans, and taught home run honeys that there’s no crying in baseball.

These are a few of my favorite mentors. Who are yours?