Do I believe most of the things in this movie actually happened? Not at all. It is pretty well established at this point that Robert Slatzer met Marilyn Monroe once or twice, and that they were never good friends. (Allegedly, his number was not even in her personal phone book.)
However, I am so impressed by Susan Griffiths' portrayal that I can only take two stars off for the inaccuracy.
Not only is Griffiths the most accurate physical portrayal of Marilyn I have ever seen (indeed, other than a few bad wigs, she is often indistinguishable from the real woman), but this is one of very few biopics that portrays her as a real person rather than the character she put forth to the public.
Most portrayals are of Marilyn's characters. The dumb blondes; the sexy vamps with the breathless kitten voice. The real woman was nothing like this. In interviews she has a very soft, clear, pleasant voice, without any of the breeziness her characters had. She was reportedly very sunny and sweet, with a happy personality, and not the sad, used, victimized plaything who no one respected. Too many biopics show her as a tragic figure--no father, mother in an asylum, men using her at every turn, endless drug problems, divorces, and difficulty in becoming a mother. In reality she was so much more than that. I am pleased that this movie showed her in this enjoyable light.
In this portrayal, Marilyn knows what she wants and goes out to get it. She uses Bobby (a real figure in a fictitious story) to further her career, but not in a mean or vindictive way; she truly does love him. Sometimes things don't go her way, and she is disappointed or sad, but she makes things right again. It is so refreshing to see Marilyn Monroe portrayed this way.
The storyline is mainly fabrication. There are a few scenes that ring true to what others have claimed (her flinging herself onto Johnny Hyde's casket, her quoting lines from plays, her kindness toward the mother she was devoted to). But the main plot is pure fiction. Don't go into this thinking you are going to learn anything about Marilyn. But if you just want to watch an amazing portrayal in a lightweight and fun period piece, I highly recommend this.
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