This article contains major spoilers for Netflix’s Straw.Tyler Perry speaks about whether Straw is based on a true story. The Netflix drama thriller tells the story of a single mom who has a horrifically bad day that triggers a series of events that lead to her breaking point. The movie is written and directed by Perry and is part of a multi-film deal between the streamer and the creator. Straw‘s cast is led by Taraji P. Henson and features a supporting cast including Sherri Shepherd, Teyana Taylor, Sinbad, Ashley Versher, Rockmond Dunbar, and Mike Merrill.
Speaking with Extra TV, Perry acknowledged whether Straw is based on a true story. While the film is not directly based on one person’s experience, he revealed that its plot is inspired by people who are regularly “not being acknowledged [and] not being represented.“ He felt that part of it reflected his own life when he was “just dealing with so much stuff.” He thus found it important that he and his team “honored the story.” Check out the full quote from Perry below:
‘Straw’ is… there are a couple of lines in the movie that sum it all up: one is, ‘You don’t know how expensive it is to be poor,’ and the other is, ‘Nobody sees us.’ So, this is about a group of people, who are on the margins, who are not being seen not being acknowledged, not being represented, and find themselves in all of these crazy situations just to survive and what happens when all of that buildup, you hit the final straw and there’s a powder keg.
And from my own life, when I was writing it, I was just dealing with so much stuff. I just wanted to get it all on paper so that’s why Janiyah deals with so much stuff. And the way it all unfolds, there are many people who are dealing with this on this planet.
What This Means For Straw
The Film Has A Basis In Reality
Straw is clearly not based directly on a true story, as per Perry’s response. Protagonist Janiyah walks into her grocery store job, from which she has been fired, only to come into an armed robbery situation. She originally helps the situation by disarming a robber and shooting him, but in a panic, she also shoots her boss. This is an outlandish situation for anyone to be in, so it would be surprising if it was based directly on a true story.
However, Perry’s quote is a good reminder of the extent to which Straw‘s plot is character-driven. Janiyah herself might not be an adaptation of a real person, but she is a representation of ideas of what people do when they are pushed to their absolute limit. Perry identifies some of the film’s main themes by pulling out the line “You don’t know how expensive it is to be poor.” Janiyah’s story is one way to channel this idea and reflect this theme, while Perry tries to stay grounded in real-life situations and stresses.
Our Take On Straw’s Basis In Reality
Perry Has Made Many Types Of Stories
Straw‘s construction as a reality-based but not directly based-on-a-true story narrative makes sense for Perry. The multi-hyphenate creator has been behind both based-on-a-true-story dramas and original storytelling. In his original stories, he makes sure to bring the drama (and sometimes melodrama), which is evident in Beauty in Black and Mea Culpa. Straw absolutely delivers on this front, creating twists and turns and elevated plot details that make it a compelling film narrative about a person’s experience with grief in high-stress environments.
Source: Extra TV
