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We’ve all heard movies described as “based on a true story” but what does that actually mean? I’m always surprised by the fact that some people seem to equate this to watching a documentary. Sure, some movies stick close to the source material but even the most faithful adaptations make changes to the story. And of course there are some movies that alter so much that any similarities to the actual events seem to be accidental.

In each entry of this column I’m going to be looking at a different movie “based on a true story” or whatever phrasing is attached to it and compare it to the actual story. Hopefully I’ll be able to separate fact from Hollywood. But I’m also going to be talking about what those changes mean and why they were made. Do the changes have some artistic merit or are they just attempts to make the story fit into a neat Hollywood package?

Whether looking at the work of Hunter S. Thompson, William S. Burroughs or countless others, it seems that drug use has had a recurring role in the history of literature. Whatever their particular motivations, many writers have turned to drugs throughout their careers and writer Jerry Stahl is among them.

At one point Stahl, who has written novels and for the screen, had a very expensive and dangerous drug habit. His most well known work is his 1995 memoir Permanent Midnight. The book was adapted into a movie - with the same title - in 1998. It was directed by David Veloz and it stars Ben Stiller. The movie received middling reviews - it sits at a 59 % fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes - and it didn’t do much better commercially. In its entire domestic run, it grossed a little over $1 million.

What the Movie Got Right

Although the movie does not touch on Jerry’s early life too much, we do learn that Stahl grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and that his father had been a federal judge before committing suicide.

After losing his father, Jerry moved to Pottstown and eventually he attended Columbia University. After doing some traveling, he moved to New York to become a writer. His career did not immediately take off and he did some small writing jobs. One of his jobs was writing fiction for a porn magazine. Not long after this Jerry moves to Los Angeles to help his writing career. Unfortunately once there he takes up with an old friend, Nicky (Owen Wilson) and his drug problem becomes even bigger.

Nicky and his girlfriend Vola (Lourdes Benedicto) convince Jerry to marry Lola’s friend Sandra. (Elizabeth Hurley) Sandra needs to obtain a green card so she pays Jerry $3,000 and they get married. But even though it is a marriage of convenience, Sandra begins developing feelings for Jerry and soon they move in together. Initially the reason for them moving together is that it would help her immigration process, but they wind up having a baby.

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