Since it was essentially the same story being told through the lens of two different mediums, the writers allowed the medium to dictate the “texture” of their respective stories. The next few years were then spent rewriting drafts. Meanwhile, his wife began working on the screenplay. In an interview, Mark detailed how he started penning the novel after many hours of discussion with his wife, “over a year of car trips,” outlining the book and the movie. The couple apparently began working on the screenplay even before the book was finished. Directed by Lasse Hallström, the film is based on the 2004 novel of the same name by Mark Spragg, who also penned the book’s screen adaptation with his wife, Virginia Korus Spragg. No, ‘An Unfinished Life’ is not based on a true story. Is An Unfinished Life Based on a True Story? Are you curious about how much of ‘An Unfinished Life’ is based on a true story? We’ve got the answers!
Various characters, like the rancher’s young granddaughter and his live-in friend who suffers from chronic injuries after being mauled by a bear, give the movie ample nuance, and the stories seem as real as they are metaphorical in their portrayal of life’s ups and downs.