3 ms·

> Catch Me if You Can is still a great movie, even if Abagnale lied about the whole thing. I mean, "inspired by a true story" or "based on a true story" movies

> Catch Me if You Can is still a great movie, even if Abagnale lied about the whole thing. I mean, "inspired by a true story" or "based on a true story" movies already deviate pretty severely from history in many cases. I think this crosses a line. It's not a matter of reordering events or combining characters or even inventing small events to drive home a conceptual point. All of those are fairly accepted in the memoir and historical drama genres as changes which seek to clarify. Essentially, it's ok to misrepresent the facts of the truth if it's helping communicate the spirit of the truth. If what this author is alleging is true, then whole aspects of Abengale's story and ethos are totally fabricated. For example, a big part of Abengale's story is how he used his abilities as an autodidact to outwit the heavy handed systems of professional credentialism (becoming a pilot, a doctor, a lawyer). Once having pulled the wool over the eyes of the elite, he fleaced these wealthy suckers for no more than they could afford. In reality, he may have simply been a stalker, who leveraged people's kindness to steal considerable amounts of their small nest egg. That's a pretty different story. Because it fundamentally changes Abengale's relationship to his victims. What he is doing goes from being bold and clever and reckless to being predatory and petty and cruel.

hluska 5y ago
I think this is a central problem with trying to tell a con man’s story. There’s nothing particularly bold left over when you consider they always leave victims behind. It seems predatory and cruel because it is!
PeterisP 5y ago
IMHO "based on a true story" applies also if you're sticking to literally true facts but intentionally omitting other facts and misrepresenting in order to get an entirely opposite impression. I mean, you're twisting the story, but it's definitely still based on that story; and only facts can be true or false, but the interpretation, ethos and "spirit of the truth" is essentially arbitrary; you may consider that the facts drive home a particular conceptual point, but everyone is free to try and use them to drive home an entirely opposing conceptual point. It's a lie if the facts are not literally true, but representation and alternate interpretations of them is permissible even in nonfiction, and absolutely fair game in fiction.

hluska 5y ago

I think this is a central problem with trying to tell a con man’s story. There’s nothing particularly bold left over when you consider they always leave victims behind. It seems predatory and cruel because it is!

PeterisP 5y ago

IMHO "based on a true story" applies also if you're sticking to literally true facts but intentionally omitting other facts and misrepresenting in order to get an entirely opposite impression. I mean, you're twisting the story, but it's definitely still based on that story; and only facts can be true or false, but the interpretation, ethos and "spirit of the truth" is essentially arbitrary; you may consider that the facts drive home a particular conceptual point, but everyone is free to try and use them to drive home an entirely opposing conceptual point. It's a lie if the facts are not literally true, but representation and alternate interpretations of them is permissible even in nonfiction, and absolutely fair game in fiction.