Andrea Perkins 

Historical Fiction

Definition:

A narrative characterized chiefly by an imaginative reconstruction of historical events and personages.

            Source: http://infoplease.com

Example:

Beloved, based on the novel by Toni Morrison and directed by Johnathan Demme, 1998. This movie tells the story of a former slave struggling to free herself from its memories.

Representational genre:

            Drama or Dialogue

Narrative genre:

Tragedy (The action is surrounded by an attempt to follow, trace, and absorb consequences.)

Romance (There is a reuniting of a family unit and a community.)

Subject genre:

            Drama, American past, Literature into film, Movie inspired by true events

Identifiable highlights of genre in example:

The story originated from the true account of a fugitive slave named Margaret Garner, who ran away with her four small children in 1856 from a plantation in Kentucky. When her owner arrived in Ohio to take them back, she tried to murder her children and herself. She managed to kill her 2-year old by slashing her throat. Fictional characters and events surround this true account.

Alternative names/related genre:

            Slave narratives/supernatural stories

Additional examples of genre:

            Titanic, directed by James Cameron ( Novel: Titanic Crossing, Williams), TV Series "How the West was Won" 1979.

Questions:

            What effect does knowing or not knowing that a movie is based on true events have on you?

            What are some ways that this genre can impact American culture and society? 

Discussion:

Question 1

            Kelly: Like in the movie Apollo 13 you know bits and pieces of the story but the fiction makes it more interesting.

            Dr. White: It makes the original story come to life.

            Student 2: Fiction grabs you but can play loosely with what actually happened.

            Student 3: The movie Wind Talkers for example is true. Real life draws you more into watching with a purpose.

Question 2

            Student 2: It can give you a warped sense of facts.

            Student 3: It keeps historical events updated through generations like the Titanic and Romeo and Juliet.

            Dr. White: Standard complaint about the movie JFK is that it tells more of a compelling story than the actual events. The problem with historical fiction is that it is often elaborated beyond the truth.

            Kelly:  Sometimes its difficult to separate historical fiction from farce.

            Dr. White: Historical facts true to form are usually boring. Historical fiction makes the facts more interesting.

            Andrea: I looked up the definition for history, which is the repetition of facts. Historical fiction is more exciting.

            Dr. White: (to Andrea) What effect did knowing Beloved is based on a true story have on you?

            Andrea: It made me re-watch the movie with a different view. It made the past come alive. It made me want to find out more about the real characters.

            Aimee: Historical fiction seems more emotional when based on something that is true, more identifiable.

            Andrea: Can lifetime movies be labeled as historical fiction?

            Student 4: Yes. There are many lifetime shows based on real events.

            Student 3: Sometimes these shows can give the wrong information.

            Dr. White: Filmmakers have to satisfy two groups; the ones who know the facts and the ones who don't.

            Dr. White: These historical movies could be an example of art imitating life.