true story?
somebody told me that this film is based on true events? Is anybody able to shed any light on that?
shareThe film is a loosely based fictionalised account of director Paul Weiland's own coming of age as he himself would have been 12 at the time of the July 1966 World Cup.
The "facts" have however been heavily embellished by writer Richard Curtis though who strangely remains uncredited on this film.
Paul Weiland clearly tells us (in his Director's Commentary) that it was based on his own barmitzvah 1966 experience. He's honest about adding a few bits for dramatic purposes but then he has said (in the opening credits) - it's a 'tru-ish' story .
shareSo was the video in the ending from his own bar mitzvah?
Sweet movie.
The video is his brothers bar mitzvah. just like the movie
Now I Can Feel Important Without Being Drunk. Thats Weird. - Homer Simpson
I was just listening to Paul Weiland on NPR. He was being interviewed on the the show "Fresh Air" and he described in detail the events of the movie and how it related to his own bar mitzvah. Though some details were indeed change for the sake of dramatic effect, the movie is intended to closely resemble his own life. Poor kid.
Weiland also made mention that nearly all the furniture in the character's house in the movie is the *same* furniture that was in his childhood home...even the carpet. Apparently his father was severely OCD, but that his mother must have had a touch of it, too, because she covered all their furniture in plastic and put *old* carpet over the new carpet and only removed said protective devices when guests came over.
Anyway, it was a great interview. Check it out on NPR.org at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93589825
(sorry, I'm dumb and don't know how to make clickable links. I know how much imdb readers LOVE to copy and paste links...)