My True Fairytale

A person that is no longer with us rarely gets to have a say in a film based on their life because usually the movie gets made after his or her death. Although the drama/mystery/thriller My True Fairytale was produced after its subject passed on, Alyssa Gelfand still had a hand in telling her story.

My True Fairytale is loosely based on the life and death of Alyssa Gelfand, who died in a tragic car accident at the age of 17. From the research I have done, she was the driver of a car that crashed into a tree at a high rate of speed; two of her friends were also in the vehicle. The friends had severe injuries but lived. Unfortunately, Alyssa did not survive. Her father, writer/director D. Mitry, took her story and turned it into a film and, well, here we are.

“Angie narrates journal entries in which she describes being a superhero and saving the world.”

Much like the real-life events that inspired it, the movie centers on Angie Goodwin (Emma Kennedy), a 17-year-old who vanishes after a terrible car accident. Her family and friends search for her with no luck. That is until each one of them becomes involved in separate incidences, which makes them think that she is alive. Angie narrates journal entries in which she describes being a superhero and saving the world. She often questions how she will accomplish this and when her time to do so will come.

Although My True Fairytale contains a lot of superhero talk, it is far from being a story about someone with extraordinary powers. Instead, the narrative seemingly deals with the supernatural. Though the film is about a missing person, unfortunately, it felt like something was actually missing from the plot. Now, I can’t put my finger exactly on what that was, but I often found myself feeling disconnected from the characters and their plight. The production was not bad and reminded me of a series one might watch on the CW. I like several CW shows, so I do mean that as a compliment and not at all a negative. From the actors to those behind the camera, the movie does have quite a few positives to recommend it. But still, one never gets wrapped up in what is happening.

Just before the end credits rolled, a memorial for Alyssa Gelfand popped up. This was when I decided to do some more research on My True Fairytale and who Alyssa Gelfand was. The dedication does make the film more touching, and I think it is a great thing that her father helped tell her story. Hopefully, producing and releasing this has helped him and his family come to peace with their loss.