Based on a True Story
And it's all true.
—Theatrical release posters for Dog Day Afternoon.
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A Stock Phrase in fictional works of all kinds. Popular, partly because you can get away with more outrageous elements if you say "The Tasteless But True Story", and partly because some works happen to be based on true stories.
This is the Super-Trope to the following tropes:
- "Alone with Prisoner" Ploy
- "BANG!" Flag Gun
- "Be Quiet!" Nudge
- "Close Enough" Timeline
- "Close Enough" Timeline/Laconic
- "Dear John" Letter
- "Dear John" Letter/Laconic
- "El Niño" Is Spanish for "The Nino"
- "Everybody Laughs" Ending
- "Everybody Laughs" Ending/Laconic
- "Everything Explodes" Ending
- "Everything Explodes" Ending/Laconic
- "Everything Is Smashable" Area
- "Failure to Save" Murder
- "Failure to Save" Murder/Laconic
- "Falling in Love" Montage
- "Falling in Love" Montage/Laconic
- "Fascism Is Everywhere" Ending
- "Faux To" Guide
- "Faux To" Guide/Laconic
- "Find Out Next Time!"
- "Friend or Idol?" Decision
- "Friend or Idol?" Decision/Laconic
- "Get Back Here!" Boss
- "Get Back Here!" Boss/Laconic
- "Get Back Here!" Boss/Quotes
- "Get Out of Jail Free" Card
- "Get Out of Jail Free" Card/Laconic
- "Gift of the Magi" Plot
- "Glad to Be Alive" Sex
- "Glad to Be Alive" Sex/Laconic
- "Glad to Be Alive" Sex/Playing With
- "Glad to Be Alive" Sex/Quotes
- "God Is Love" Songs
- "God Is Love" Songs/Quotes
- "Grand Theft Auto" Effect
- "Grand Theft Auto" Effect/Laconic
- "Growing Muscles" Sequence
- "Happy Ending" Massage
- "Happy Holidays" Dress
- "Happy Holidays" Dress/Laconic
- "Have a Nice Day" Smile
- "Hell Yes!" Moment
- "Hell Yes!" Moment/Laconic
- "Hey You!" Haymaker
- "Hey You!" Haymaker/Laconic
- "Hey You!" Haymaker/Quotes
- "How I Wrote This Article" Article
- "I Am Becoming" Song
- "I Am Becoming" Song/Laconic
- "I Am Becoming" Song/Playing With
- "I Am Becoming" Song/Quotes
- "I Am Great" Song
- "I Am" Song
- "I Am" Song/Laconic
- "I Know What We Can Do!" Cut
- "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight
- "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight/Playing With
- "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight/Quotes
- "I Want" Song
- "I Want" Song/Quotes
- "If This Goes On—"
- "It" Is Dehumanizing
- "It's Not Rape If You Enjoyed It"
- "It's Not Rape If You Enjoyed It"/Laconic
- "It's Not Rape If You Enjoyed It"/Quotes
- "Join the Army," They Said
- "Join the Army," They Said/Laconic
- "Join the Army," They Said/Quotes
- "Jump Off a Bridge" Rebuttal
- "Jump Off a Bridge" Rebuttal/Laconic
- "Jump Off a Bridge" Rebuttal/Quotes
- "Just Joking" Justification
- "Just Joking" Justification/Laconic
- "Just Joking" Justification/Quotes
- "Kick Me" Prank
- "London, England" Syndrome
- "Love is..." Parody
- "Ma'am" Shock
- "Master Harold"... and the boys
- "Mission Impossible" Cable Drop
- "Mister Sandman" Sequence
- "Mister Sandman" Sequence/Laconic
- "No Respect" Guy
- "No Respect" Guy/Laconic
- "No Warping" Zone
- "No" Means "Yes"
- "No. Just... No" Reaction
- "No. Just... No" Reaction/Laconic
- "No. Just... No" Reaction/Quotes
- "Not Making This Up" Disclaimer
- "Not Making This Up" Disclaimer/Haiku
- "Not Making This Up" Disclaimer/Laconic
- "Not Making This Up" Disclaimer/Quotes
- "Not Wearing Pants" Dream
- "Not Wearing Pants" Dream/Quotes
- "O" (theatre)
- "O" (theatre)/YMMV
- "On the Next Episode of..." Catchphrase
- "On the Next..."
- "On the Next..."/Laconic
- "Pimpernel" Smith
- "Pimpernel" Smith/YMMV
- "Previously On..."
- "Previously On..."/Laconic
- "Psycho" Shower Murder Parody
- "Reading Is Cool" Aesop
- "Seen It All" Suicide
- "Seen It All" Suicide/Laconic
- "Shut Up" Kiss
- "Shut Up" Kiss/Laconic
- "Shut Up" Kiss/Quotes
- "Silly Me" Gesture
- "Simon Says" Mini-Game
- "Somewhere" Song
- "Staying Alive" Dance Pose
- "Stone Cold" Steve Austin
- "Stone Cold" Steve Austin/Awesome
- "Stone Cold" Steve Austin/Funny
- "Stone Cold" Steve Austin/YMMV
- "Stop Having Fun!" Guys
- "Stop Having Fun!" Guys/Laconic
- "Stop Having Fun!" Guys/Quotes
- "Take That!" Kiss
- "Take That!" Kiss/Laconic
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech/Advertising
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech/Anime and Manga
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech/Comic Books
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech/Fan Works
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech/Film
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech/Laconic
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech/Literature
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech/Live-Action TV
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech/Music
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech/Playing With
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech/Professional Wrestling
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech/Quotes
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech/Real Life
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech/Recorded and Stand Up Comedy
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech/Tabletop Games
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech/Theatre
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech/Video Games
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech/Web Comics
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech/Web Original
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech/Western Animation
- "The Villain Sucks" Song
- "The Villain Sucks" Song/Laconic
- "The Villain Sucks" Song/Quotes
- "There and Back" Story
- "There and Back" Story/Laconic
- "They Still Belong to Us" Lecture
- "Three Laws"-Compliant
- "Three Laws"-Compliant/Laconic
- "V" Sign
- "V" Sign/Laconic
- "Wake-Up Call" Boss
- "Wake-Up Call" Boss/Laconic
- "Walk On the Wild Side" Episode
- "Weird Al" Effect
- "Weird Al" Effect/Laconic
- "Weird Al" Yankovic
- "Weird Al" Yankovic/Awesome
- "Weird Al" Yankovic/Fridge
- "Weird Al" Yankovic/Funny
- "Weird Al" Yankovic/Headscratchers
- "Weird Al" Yankovic/Heartwarming
- "Weird Al" Yankovic/Trivia
- "Weird Al" Yankovic/WMG
- "Weird Al" Yankovic/YMMV
- "Well Done, Son" Guy
- "Well Done, Son" Guy/Laconic
- "Well Done, Son" Guy/Playing With
- "Well Done, Son" Guy/Quotes
- "What Do They Fear?" Episode
- "What Do They Fear?" Episode/Quotes
- "What Now?" Ending
- "What Now?" Ending/Laconic
- "What the Hell?" Dad
- "What?" Cliffhanger
- "Which Restroom?" Dilemma
- "With Our Swords" Scene
- "World of Cardboard" Speech
- "World of Cardboard" Speech/Laconic
- "World of Cardboard" Speech/Quotes
- "X" Makes Anything Cool
- "You're the Best" Montage
- "You?" Squared
- "You?" Squared/Laconic
- $9.99
- $9.99/YMMV
- $uicideboy$
- $uicideboy$/Quotes
- $uicideboy$/Trivia
- 'Allo 'Allo!
- 'Allo 'Allo!/Characters
- 'Allo 'Allo!/Heartwarming
- 'Allo 'Allo!/Recap
- 'Allo 'Allo!/WMG
- 'Allo 'Allo!/YMMV
- 'Gator Bait
- 'Gator Bait/YMMV
- 'Pataphysics
- 'Pataphysics/Laconic
- 'Salem's Lot
- 'Salem's Lot/Quotes
- 'Salem's Lot/YMMV
- 'Til Death
- 'Tis Only a Bullet in the Brain
- 'Tis Pity She's a Whore
- 'Twas the Night Before Christmas
- 'Twas the Night Before Christmas/Fridge
- 'Twas the Night Before Christmas/YMMV
- (500) Days of Summer
- (500) Days of Summer/Awesome
- (500) Days of Summer/Fridge
- (500) Days of Summer/Funny
- (500) Days of Summer/Headscratchers
- (500) Days of Summer/Trivia
- (500) Days of Summer/YMMV
- (P)lanets
- (P)lanets/Characters
- (The Customer is) Not Always Right
- (The Customer is) Not Always Right/Awesome
- (The Customer is) Not Always Right/Funny
- (The Customer is) Not Always Right/Heartwarming
- (The Customer is) Not Always Right/Nightmare Fuel
- (The Customer is) Not Always Right/Tear Jerker
- (The Customer is) Not Always Right/WMG
- (The Customer is) Not Always Right/YMMV
- (Un)Fortunate Me
- (Un)Fortunate Me/Awesome
- (Un)Fortunate Me/Characters
- (Un)Fortunate Me/Heartwarming
- (Un)Fortunate Me/YMMV
- (həd) Planet Earth
- (həd) Planet Earth/Tear Jerker
- (həd) Planet Earth/YMMV
- +Anima
- +Anima/Fanfic Recs
- +Anima/Ho Yay
- +Anima/Trivia
- +Anima/YMMV
- +EV
- +EV/Laconic
- +EV/YMMV
- ...And Justice for All
- ...And Justice for All/YMMV
- ...And Show It to You
- ...And Show It to You/Laconic
- ...And Show It to You/Quotes
- ...Who Needs Enemies?
- .Memoria
- .Memoria/Characters
- .flow
- .flow/Heartwarming
- .flow/Laconic
- .flow/WMG
- .flow/YMMV
- .hack
- .hack R1 Games
- .hack R1 Games/YMMV
- .hack//AI buster
- .hack//G.U.
- .hack//G.U./Heartwarming
- .hack//G.U./Trivia
- .hack//G.U./YMMV
- .hack//G.U.: The Staircase to Nowhere
- .hack//Legend of the Twilight
- .hack//Liminality
- .hack//Liminality/YMMV
- .hack//Quantum
- .hack//Quantum/Heartwarming
- .hack//Quantum/YMMV
- .hack//Sign
- .hack//Sign/Headscratchers
- .hack//Sign/Heartwarming
- .hack//Sign/Trivia
- .hack//Sign/YMMV
- .hack/Awesome Music
- .hack/Characters
- .hack/Fanfic Recs
- .hack/Fridge
- .hack/Funny
- .hack/Ho Yay
- .hack/Laconic
- .hack/Tear Jerker
- .hack/WMG
- .hack/YMMV
- .kkrieger
- 0 A.D.
- 0% Approval Rating
- 0% Approval Rating/Laconic
- 0% Approval Rating/Quotes
- 009-1
- 009-1/Tear Jerker
- 009-1/Trivia
- 07-Ghost
- 07-Ghost Abridged
- 07-Ghost/Ho Yay
- 07-Ghost/Tear Jerker
- 07-Ghost/Trivia
- 07-Ghost/YMMV
- 08.04 AM Daydream
- 090: Eko to Issho
- 1 vs. 100
- 1 vs. 100/Fridge
- 1 vs. 100/Haiku
- 1 vs. 100/Laconic
- 1 vs. 100/Trivia
- 1 vs. 100/YMMV
- 1-2-Switch
- 1-800-Missing
- 1-800-Missing/YMMV
- 1-Up
- 1-Up/Image Links
- 1-Up/Laconic
- 1/0
- 1/0/Awesome
- 1/0/YMMV
- 10
- 10 A BOOT STOMPING 20 A HUMAN FACE 30 GOTO 10
- 10 A BOOT STOMPING 20 A HUMAN FACE 30 GOTO 10/YMMV
- 10 O'Clock Live
- 10 O'Clock Live/Awesome
- 10 O'Clock Live/Funny
- 10 Things I Hate About You
- 10 Things I Hate About You/Awesome
- 10 Things I Hate About You/Funny
- 10 Things I Hate About You/Headscratchers
- 10 Things I Hate About You/Trivia
- 10 Things I Hate About You/YMMV
- 10,000 BC
- 10,000 BC/WMG
- 10,000 BC/YMMV
- 10,000 Maniacs
- 10.5
- 10.5/Trivia
- 100 Bullets
- 100 Bullets/Awesome
- 100 Bullets/Funny
- 100 Bullets/Headscratchers
- 100 Bullets/Laconic
- 100 Bullets/Nightmare Fuel
- 100 Bullets/YMMV
- 100 Candles
- 100 Cupboards
- 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd
- 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd/Characters
- 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd/Headscratchers
- 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd/Trivia
- 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd/WMG
- 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd/YMMV
- 100 Girls
- 100 Strokes of the Brush Before Bed
- 100 Strokes of the Brush Before Bed/YMMV
- 100% Adoration Rating
- 100% Adoration Rating/Laconic
- 100% Completion
- 100% Completion/Laconic
- 100% Completion/Quotes
- 100% Heroism Rating
- 1000 Ways to Die
- 1000 Ways to Die/Awesome
- 1000 Ways to Die/Fridge
- 1000 Ways to Die/Funny
- 1000 Ways to Die/Heartwarming
- 1000 Ways to Die/Nightmare Fuel
- 1000 Ways to Die/Tear Jerker
- 1000 Ways to Die/YMMV
- 1000 tearz or deth
- 1000 tearz or deth/YMMV
- 101 Dalmatians
- 101 Dalmatians (1996 film)
- 101 Dalmatians (1996 film)/Nightmare Fuel
- 101 Dalmatians (1996 film)/Trivia
- 101 Dalmatians (1996 film)/YMMV
- 101 Dalmatians/Awesome
- 101 Dalmatians/Characters
- 101 Dalmatians/Funny
- 101 Dalmatians/Headscratchers
- 101 Dalmatians/Heartwarming
- 101 Dalmatians/Nightmare Fuel
- 101 Dalmatians/Trivia
- 101 Dalmatians/YMMV
- 101 Dalmatians: The Series
- 101 Dalmatians: The Series/Funny
- 101 Dalmatians: The Series/Trivia
- 101 Dalmatians: The Series/YMMV
- 101 Shark Pets
- 101 Shark Pets/Characters
- 101 Ways to Leave a Game Show
- 101 Ways to Leave a Game Show/Laconic
- 101 Ways to Leave a Game Show/Trivia
- 101 Ways to Leave a Game Show/YMMV
- 108
- 11/22/63
- 11/22/63/Trivia
- 11/22/63/YMMV
- 110 in the Shade
- 110 in the Shade/YMMV
- 1187
- 11eyes
- 11eyes/Trivia
- 12 Angry Men
- 12 Angry Men/Awesome
- 12 Angry Men/Heartwarming
- 12 Angry Men/Trivia
- 12 Angry Men/WMG
- 12 Angry Men/YMMV
- 12 Monkeys
- 12 Monkeys/Fridge
- 12 Monkeys/Headscratchers
- 12 Monkeys/Trivia
- 12 Monkeys/YMMV
- 12 Years a Slave (film)
- 12 oz. Mouse
- 12 oz. Mouse/WMG
- 12 oz. Mouse/YMMV
- 12 to the Moon
- 12 to the Moon/YMMV
- 1213
- 1213/YMMV
- 127 Hours
- 127 Hours/Awesome
- 127 Hours/Headscratchers
- 127 Hours/Heartwarming
- 127 Hours/Nightmare Fuel
- 127 Hours/Trivia
- 127 Hours/YMMV
- 12Riven
- 13 (musical)
- 13 (musical)/Characters
- 13 (musical)/Funny
- 13 (musical)/Trivia
- 13 (musical)/WMG
- 13 (musical)/YMMV
- 13 Assassins
- 13 Assassins/Awesome
- 13 Assassins/WMG
- 13 Assassins/YMMV
- 13 Ghosts
- 13 Ghosts/Awesome
- 13 Ghosts/Fridge
- 13 Ghosts/Funny
- 13 Ghosts/Trivia
- 13 Ghosts/YMMV
- 13 Going on 30
- 13 Going on 30/Headscratchers
- 13 Going on 30/WMG
- 13 Going on 30/YMMV
- 13 Lakes
- 13-Dot
- 1408
- 1408/Awesome
- 1408/Fridge
- 1408/Funny
- 1408/Headscratchers
- 1408/Heartwarming
- 1408/Laconic
- 1408/Nightmare Fuel
- 1408/Tear Jerker
- 1408/WMG
- 1408/YMMV
- 15 Storeys High
- 15 Storeys High/Trivia
- 15/Love
- 15/Love/YMMV
- 16 Blocks
- 16 Horsepower
- 16 Horsepower/YMMV
- 16 and Pregnant
- 16 and Pregnant/YMMV
- 1632
- 1632/Awesome
- 1632/Fridge
- 1632/Funny
- 1632/Heartwarming
- 1632/WMG
- 1632/YMMV
- 16bit Sensation
- 17 Again
- 17 Again/WMG
- 17 Again/YMMV
- 1776
- 1776 (book)
- 1776 (musical)
- 1776 (musical)/Awesome
- 1776 (musical)/Characters
- 1776 (musical)/Funny
- 1776 (musical)/Heartwarming
- 1776 (musical)/Tear Jerker
- 1776 (musical)/Trivia
- 1776 (musical)/YMMV
- 18yr old Asian Porn Virgin Begs to get Gangbanged! Bondage,DP,bukkake!
- 19 Kids and Counting
- 19 Kids and Counting/YMMV
- 1940: et si la France avait continué la guerre?
- 1941
- 1941/Trivia
Strength of Basis
As an illustrative example, we will use the story of Donald Sheer finding an original copy of the Declaration of Independence behind a painting bought at a flea market and auctioning it for US$2.42 million.
- Documentary (and Nonfiction in general): "A true story", no "based on"—something like the Snopes.com page above, only told with interviews, Stock Footage, and narration. Elements can still possibly be exaggerated via Manipulative Editing or use re-enactments to visualize him finding the painting.
- Roman à Clef: A true story, just with the names changed, to protect the innocent. Perhaps you will call the hero "Daniel Light" and write dialogue for the bits which weren't televised, but he'll still just find the Declaration and sell it.
- Dramatization: Changes are made, but largely for the sake of telling the proper story instead of adding drama / conflict to the proceedings. Such changes might make the painting be bought at a yard sale or three seperate appraisers are merged into one specialist to avoid redundancy. The actual term Dramatization can refer to any of the other types, depending on how it is used.
- Very Loosely Based on a True Story: The idea came from the story, and you can tell it did if you look at the original story, but characters and events are invented, conflated, distorted, etc. From this a plot might be added where the previous owner suing Daniel for a share of the auction money or Daniel has to barricade his house from potential thieves.
- Based on a Great Big Lie: Purporting to be Roman à Clef or Very Loosely Based, only the "true story" never existed (for example, if Stan Caffy's garage had burned down before he donated the painting to the thrift store, but you told one of the above anyway).
- Compare Documentary of Lies, which purports to be Nonfiction, but is Very Loose or Blatant Lies.
Related Tropes
- Ripped from the Headlines: A (usually loose) adaptation of a story very recently in the public eye for fiction.
- Inspired By and Suggested By: Alternatives to the phrase "Based on a True Story" (or "Based On The Novel", or "Based On The Legend", or...) that imply the Very Loosely.
- The Tasteless But True Story: The use of "Based on a True Story" as an excuse to dwell on prurient, morbid, or otherwise nasty aspects of the tale.
- Direct Line to the Author: Where the creator pretends that a work of fiction is a "true story" or a Dramatisation
- Literary Agent Hypothesis: When fans theorise that a work is based on actual events, which are published as fiction.
No examples, please; add them to the subtropes instead.