Summary

Given its real-world feel, it’s not surprising that there’s been speculation about whetherA Simple Favoris based on a true story. The 2018 crime thriller comedy follows Stephanie, a widowed mother and vlogger who develops a friendship with Emily, the wealthy mother of one of her son’s classmates. When Emily abruptly disappears, Stephanie starts to search for her and, in the process, ends up uncovering several dark secrets about Emily’s past.Directed by Paul Feig and written by Jessica Sharzer,A Simple Favorcastfeatures Anna Kendrick as Stephanie and Blake Lively as Emily.

The film has been praised for its suspenseful screenplay and shocking plot twists. It was both a critical and commercial hit, garnering an 84% critics' score onRotten Tomatoesand grossing a worldwide total of $97 million, on a budget of only $20 million. Theending ofA Simple Favorhas sparked several theories, andA Simple Favor 2has been confirmed for a streaming release on Prime Video. Due to its popularity, viewers have thus wondered what the inspiration for the intriguing story could be, and whether it might be based on real events.

A Simple Favor Stephanie Sean Emily

Who Was Miles' Real Father In A Simple Favor?

A Simple Favor left a couple of questions, among them one that involves Stephanie, her darkest secret, and the identity of her son’s father.

A Simple Favor Is Not Based On A True Story

Its Plot Is Entirely Fictional

While it would be much scarier if it were based on a true story,A Simple Favoris entirely fictional. Any resemblance to a real-life criminal case that it might bear is purely coincidental, as it is not adapted from real-life events. What begins as a simple investigation into a woman’s disappearance morphs into a complex tale of deceit, secrets, manipulation, and betrayals. This mystery, which is revealed through intricate plot twists, is ultimately a mediation of society’s expectations of women.

A Simple Favoruses its fictional plot and thriller genre to critique traditional gender rolesand the idealization of the “perfect” life, whether in terms of motherhood, marriage, or career. The film’s story highlights the notion that the facades people construct can conceal much darker realities. As for the origins of the many twists and turns inA Simple Favor,they don’t all come from the writer-director’s imagination. Rather, the story was crafted from a 2017 novel.

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A Simple Favor Is Based On The 2017 Book Of The Same Name

The Novel Was Written By Darcey Bell

A Simple Favoris abook to movie adaptationbased on Darcey Bell’s 2017 novel of the same title. Bell thus deserves credit for the film’s narrative, plot twists, and thematic social commentary, althoughthere are certain key differences between the book and the movie. In the book, for instance, Emily records Stephanie’s confession that Miles is Chris’ biological son and later uses it to blackmail her. In the movie, however, Stephanie’s flashbacks and reactions to the question are left open to the audience’s interpretation.

Film adaptations of novels have a long history in Hollywood, and have been done with varying degrees of success, from David Fincher’s compelling take onGone Girlby Gillian Flynn to the less interesting adaptation of Paula Hawkins' The Girl on the Train. Now, it is yet to be seen whereA Simple Favor 2might draw inspiration from, and whether it will be an entirely original story building on the events inA Simple Favor. No information about the plot of the sequel has been revealed yet.