How true the movie is in comparison to the real story?

If you mean the boyfriend, no; he is a composite of several young men who passed through Bobby Griffith's life, but the relationship and its effect on Bobby was on point.

Also, this being a TV-movie, the necessity to make room for commercials meant that the story had to be drastically simplified. Mary Griffith's childhood and marriage to Bob played a large part in shaping who she was at the time, but there simply was not time to put everything that is in the book on the screen. I am not at all sure they could even have done it for a feature film.

I urge you to read the book; the real-life story of the Griffith family is something that everyone should read.

Never mess with a middle-aged, Bipolar queen with AIDS and an attitude problem!
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