The Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep film is so beloved that many moviegoers refused to accept that it was completely fictional
The “don’t let reality ruin a good story” thing is a philosophy that many people follow almost to the letter. From viewers sending hate letters to actors (confusing them with the characters they play in fiction) to people determined to know more about the protagonist of ‘The Bridges of Madison’, no matter how much they are insisted that It is not based on a true story nor was there any Robert Kincaid.
Based on fictional events
The “based on true events” brooch works as a perfect hook on many occasions. The idea is so tempting that there are people who find it difficult to accept that a film is all fiction and “Any resemblance to reality is pure coincidence”.
That was exactly what happened at National Geographic with ‘The Bridges of Madison’. Yes ok Both the film and the Robert James Waller novel of the same name on which it is based are completely fictional.not a few moviegoers put emotion before reason in the matter.
As explained by several members of the National Geographic magazine team, they began to receive thousands of letters from readers who wanted to know more about photographer Robert Kincaid and acquire the May 1966 issue with its report on Madison County covered bridges.
At first, they didn’t understand what the thing was about and even Susan Canby, the person in charge of the archive, He took the trouble to look for the name among the files of all his workers but he only found one Don Kincaid, who did an article on ghost galleons in 1982.
Paradoxically, The most famous photographer in the history of the magazine was a character who had never existedand thus they responded to the letters that began to arrive in 1992, with the publication of the book, and were accentuated when the film was released in 1995. Letters from all over the world and even people who traveled to the magazine’s headquarters, asking about the non-existent article.
Of course, there was no shortage of theories, each more imaginative, about the possible real identity that had inspired Waller to create the photographer who in the film fell in love with the housewife played by Meryl Streep. One of the most widespread pointed to David Alan Harveya Magnum photographer who had also done some collaboration with National Geographic.
This theory was probably woven around the fact that Harvey advised Clint Eastwood to a certain extent in the construction of the character, however, Harvey clarified on more than one occasion that The only thing he taught Eastwood was how to hold the camera like a professional photographer.
To scratch some reality in the character we would have to focus on Eastwood himself, who says he shared that wandering spirit of the protagonist in his youth, when he was driving around looking for locations for his first films. Apart from Waller himself, whom He came up with the idea for the novel after taking a photography trip.. In neither case did any Francesca appear to light her path.
In Espinof | The 18 best movies based on books
In Espinof | Oscars 2024, where to stream the winning films
