A True Story

There are a lot of cases of child abuse shown on this channel. I don't know if this actual case was shown but I remember one not too long ago about a female teacher sleeping with one of her students.

This is possible. I read somewhere that the writer used his legal background in developing the novel. So maybe he based it on the trial you saw.

As the author of the novel and the screenplay, I can tell you that the "story" behind RTI is not true in the sense that it is based on actual events. However, many actual events in my own life, as well as cases I read about, served as the "seed" from which RTI grew to life. Examples: A junior high coach who attended my church in 1994 (the year I wrote the novel) was falsely accused by one of his students. The trial essentially ruined his life and career, and it was only at the end of the trial when the student recanted her story and charges were dismissed. By then the "damage" had been done.

The idea of crafting my story around a pederastic relationship came from my original reading of Isabel Holland's novel, "The Man Without A Face." Unlike the Mel Gibson movie, which hints at some sexual impropriety on the part of the adult male, the novel chronicles a very deeply emotional relationship between the man and the boy which actually does culminate in physical intimacy between them. From that standpoint, the movie and the book really tell two different stories.

I'm gratified by the following that the movie has generated, and before that, the popularity my novel had with its limited printing. I hope the release of the DVD will bring new fans into the RTI fold. Word of mouth will be the real key to marketing success.

Best regards,
Gary

[deleted]