FIND OUT IF THE NETFLIX MOVIE THE STARLING IS INSPIRED BY REAL FACTS! TRUE STORY AND MORE.
The Starling is available on Netflix! If you want to know if The Starling was inspired by a true story, read on! Netflix brings you a dose of heartfelt, sentimental bliss this weekend with The Starling, a new drama starring Melissa McCarthy and Chris O’Dowd.
Directed by Theodore Melfi and written by Matt Harris, The Starling tells the story of a married couple, Lilly and Jack, who try to regain their balance after suffering an unimaginable loss – the death of their child. While Jack is recovering in a mental hospital, Lilly is working her gardening alone. Or at least she thought she was alone until a particularly annoying bird started attacking her. If you want to know the explanation at the end, read this.
The Starling is heavy in metaphors and light in subtlety, but McCarthy and O’Dowd both deliver performances worth seeing. If you want to know if The Starling was inspired by a true story, read on!
IS THE STARLING INSPIRED BY A TRUE STORY?
No, The Starling is not based on a true story. Matt Harris originally wrote the script and later edited it in consultation with director Theodore Melfi, who switched the gender roles of the central characters in the movie. So, at first, Lilly’s character was placed in a mental institution, while Jack’s character held the fort at home.
The change in gender of the characters was explained by the fact that Melfi identified more with the strong female character and that it felt more true to her. Additionally, he said there were already plenty of movies showing men braving emotional crises. And he wanted the main female character to be the strongest in the dynamics of his movie. He also wanted the story to be told primarily from a woman’s perspective.
Many themes are addressed in the movie, which explores the intersection between relationships and tragedy. There is a strong sense of hope, characterized by the central couple fighting to save their relationship despite things seeming hopeless. This feeling of hope is one of the main aspects that Melfi wanted to convey to his audiences through his movie.
The fact that the bird, arguably one of the movie’s main characters, perseveres and survives despite being nearly killed by Lilly, further reinforces this sense of hope. Through this movie, the screenwriter and director send a message of hope and solidarity as they describe the central characters who begin to put their lives back on track after a devastating tragedy.
