Based On True Story ?

I don't know whose exactly, but I actually know several people that have had similar experiences with allergies. It's not a very well-known condition but it's hell for whoever has to live through, even if it's not as dramatic as the movie depicts.

It is not based on a true story, but rather loosely based off the short story, "The Yellow Wall-Paper" written by Charlotte Perkins Gliman. The story was written in the 1800s and is a first hand account of a woman suffering from hysteria. The film offers up the question as to what causes hysteria and is hysteria an actual disease. The writer/director has said in interviews that it was also a response to the suggestion that was made at that time that those effected by the AIDS virus almost asked for it. As far as the story "The Yellow Wall-Paper"--which Carol refers to in the movie--there are people who think that it is based off fo a true story, but that would be almost impossible. If you read the story, the woman goes so utterly insane that there would be no way for her to be able to account for her actions later. Both the story and the films are worls of fiction.

http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-48025.html

Look at this photo spread of James Arthur Ray's little New Age getaway healing camp near the plains of old Sedona, Arizona... there is some resemblance, well, obviously, but mainly the case of the "Sweat Lodge Deaths" of October 2009 shows how far this obsession depicted in "Safe" could go. That is, if you read her allergy to be a reaction to overly dull life in suburbia.

Found this review on Amazon for the DVD:

April 30, 2006
My wife, who is environmentally ill, was technical advisor to this movie.

By Arther Montandon (USA) (REAL NAME) This review is from: Safe (DVD)

My wife whose name is "Carol" the name of the main character (She goes by Lynn and is listed in the credits) got environmentally ill and almost died in the 1980's before anyone even knew what this illness was. She survived by going through a controversial program created by a doctor whose whole famiily was poisoned by a chemical spill. She remained chemically sensitive and started a non profit organization to help people like herself. Todd Haynes came to our house to go over the script to this movie to get imput from her and a Doctor she worked with who treated victims of this medical problem. She even obtained a lot of the furniture an other items used in the movie. We think the movie was well done and accurate but for the ending. We know it is not a documentary but wanted to say to all who see this movie that the people with environmental illness are not crazy and that the healer type of therapy depicted in the movie is not the cure. There are many resources now to help and this is a recognized disability caused by an accute or long term exposure to toxic chemicals which prevades all of our modern lives daily.