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This week’s column is based on a true story. Did I get your attention? Why is it that all the awards organizations love true stories so much? So many of this year’s award contenders are based on true stories: Public Enemies](http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/01/review-public-enemies/), The Damned United](http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/09/review-the-damned-united/), A Woman in Berlin](http://www.moviefone.com/movie/a-woman-in-berlin-anonyma-eine-frau-in/36816/main), Julie and Julia](http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/07/review-julie-and-julia/) (229 screens), Coco Before Chanel](http://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/07/telluride-review-coco-before-chanel/) (145 screens), Amelia](http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/23/amelia-review/) (1975 screens), Bright Star](http://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/19/bright-star-movie-review/) (25 screens) and even The Informant!](http://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/13/tiff-review-the-informant/) (62 screens), as well as up-and-coming contenders like Invictus](Invictus (2009) - Movie | Moviefone) and The Young Victoria](http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-young-victoria/29106/main). And even if they’re not specifically “true” stories, we have movies like The Last Station](http://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/05/telluride-review-the-last-station/), about a real-life person, or movies like Brothers](http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/04/review-brothers/) and The Messenger](http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/12/the-messenger-review/) with torn-from-the-headlines plots.
It’s getting so bad that, while watching it, I was even wondering whether Up in the Air](http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/03/review-up-in-the-air/) was based on a true story. And certainly Precious](http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/06/precious-based-on-the-novel-push-by-sapphire-review/) seems based on a true story, even though it’s very clearly “based on the novel PUSH by Sapphire.” But why do we need this? Is it a cushion? What happens if we’re exposed to pure imagination for a change? Would Star Trek](http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/07/review-star-trek/) have been better if it had been based a true story? What about Up](http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/29/review-up/)? Could those balloons have really hauled that house halfway around the world? Probably not, but nobody questioned it for a second, and it doesn’t matter.
Continue reading 400 Screens, 400 Blows - Based on a True Story