Is Tyler Perry's 'Straw' Based on a True Story? Viewers Compare It to Denzel's '02 Hit 'John Q'

Tyler Perry's film Straw is making waves on Netflix by sparking conversation online. One of the leading ideas surrounding the concept of the film is its similarities with the plot of John Q.

The protagonists for both films play roles of desperate parents reaching their boiling points. Both also have narratives that provide relatable commentary on how the 'system' was designed to oppress them.

That being said, the issues posed in both films feel too real. At its heart, Straw gives us a peek at the worst case scenario when an individual is too far gone. This begged the question on whether or not director Tyler Perry based this on a true story.

Before readers proceed, we'll have to give a possible spoiler warning for the plot of the newly-released Netflix film. Here's a quick rundown on the film, its connection to John Q, and Perry's response to buzzing netizens.

About Tyler Perry's 'Straw'

Straw is a psychological drama directed by Tyler Perry and stars Taraji P. Henson. Henson plays the role of Janiyah Wiltkinson, a single mother trying to make ends meet for her frequently-ill daughter.

She faces a lot of issues aside from tending to her daughter. Among them is managing rent, keeping her job, and even having her bank cash in her cheque. In one fell swoop, she loses everything.

Her daughter gets a seizure, which prompts her to make tough decisions like leaving work and ignoring rent due. With her daughter's health on the line, she rushes to the bank to withdraw what she can.

The film reaches a turning point at the bank, where she decides to take everyone hostage for her daughter. Without diving into the plot too much, we'll cut it here and look at its similarities with John Q.

Similarities with 'John Q'

The premise of John Q is similar to Straw for the most part. It stars Denzel Washington as the title character in a similar situation.

John Q is a factory worker who is behind on house and car payments. One day, his son collapses during a baseball game. He then finds out from a cardiologist that his son requires an expensive heart transplant.

While he tries to raise money aboveboard, he ultimately comes up short. Seeing as he didn't have much options, he takes the hospital's emergency room hostage mirroring the scenario in Straw.

Over time, most people taken hostage end up sympathising with the protagonist. A nurse goes as far as revealing that his son's condition could've been revealed earlier. However, additional testing wasn't advised to get bonuses from an insurance company to help maintain profit.

Both films have relatable protagonists that were pushed to the edge to make ends meet. However, Straw has one key difference.

Perry's Inspiration

The difference with Straw is that the protagonist hallucinated most of her issues after her daughter had passed. Viewers were made to believe that she took the fight to the system out of desperation.

While John Q had a more fruitful ending, Straw reveals how much damage a great loss can deal. On some levels, this felt too real and prompted Perry to reveal if Straw was based on a true story.

In an interview with extratv, he revealed that the movie was inspired by people who are regularly not acknowledged or represented. He felt that part of it reflected his own life when he was 'dealing with so much stuff.' Here's the full interview below.