I saw this in my 2nd Yr as a Volunteer at the True/False Film Festival. Sometimes we get lucky to watch movies either thru the Q or as an usher, watching from the wings or empty seats. I knew J.T. Leroy as an author - I read "his" books working as a bookseller in both university and retail. I hadn't heard the name in several years & was lucky to see this doc at the 2016 Festival. I was shocked and amazed - and happy to learn "the fluid truth" this writer. I didn't feel tricked or lied to at all. In fact, for me, the extreme abuse she endured and her choice to create a story in-real-life as a boy makes sense. I see it as the ultimate form of a "pen name," doing so not only to tell a story but also as potentially therapeutic. The documentary shows the aftermath when readers learn her true identity & the over-reaction by readers and publishers. It documents the legal nightmare and (over?) reaction of readers to a quasi-fiction writer when the story should count more than the identity of the author. I agree with those upset that there was a physical lie - she passed someone else off as her in public. Not a great idea, but kids do stupid things. And the stories help those who are subjected to physical, psychological and other forms of abuse as kids/adults because of who we are. For me, the ends justified the deception - the documentary shows that most people in her world don't agree.
16 Reviews
Surprise! Those unfamiliar with the story may find this movie isn't quite what is expected. For me that was in a good way.
RocketInNYC6 November 2016
Warning: Spoilers
What is 'real' anyway.
garethcrook18 May 2018
This wasn't really a big story here, at least I don't remember anything at the time, but in the US, JT LeRoy was a celebrated underground author. Only problem was, he's not real. For a pretty punk tale, this doc is extremely well crafted, lovingly drip feeding the viewer this somewhat tragic and almost poetic and fascinatingly complex story. An intense story of identity, "built brick by dysfunctional brick" with the levels that are reached becoming truly staggering. What is 'real' anyway.
The "Establishment" as Gatekeeper
craig-2074113 February 2018
I'll make this short but sweet.
A forty-year old straight woman wrote a couple of wonderful and beloved works of fiction.
She was subsequently accused of "manipulating the system" by posing as a young, gay male.
The fact is, those much beloved books probably never would have seen the light of day had she not take the route that she did.
And as a writer, that makes me madder than anything.
A forty-year old straight woman wrote a couple of wonderful and beloved works of fiction.
She was subsequently accused of "manipulating the system" by posing as a young, gay male.
The fact is, those much beloved books probably never would have seen the light of day had she not take the route that she did.
And as a writer, that makes me madder than anything.
Art is life, life is art
paul2001sw-14 February 2017
Laura Albert was abused as a child. As an adult, she started to write: fiction, but intensely personal fiction, informed by her past. Her voice, as a writer, was that of a young (gender-uncertain) man. But far from this voice being an intellectual creation, her character was almost an alternative personality, a being through whom she channelled a part of her self that she couldn't reach any other way. One could Laura had a gift for a form of role-play that had very little to do with play (J.T. Leroy was not the only persona who she could adopt more or less at will but with an almost uncontrollable conviction). When she published, she did so under the J.T. Leroy name. And she used that character's biography as a lever to attract interest in the stories he was telling. It's odd, fiction is fiction, but as the audience we like it if we feel it is based on personal experience. And J.T. was the author who just might have written Albert's novels, although the irony is that the books were still deeply personal, albeit less obviously than if J.T. had actually existed and written them himself.
Then the story gets really weird. The books are a hit; the media wants to see J.T.; Laura persuades a (female) relative to act as J.T. in public, while she herself adopts another guise as J.T.'s manager. J.T. becomes famous, a friend to countless celebrities. Then eventually, the truth gets out and in the end, Albert is sued for fraud.
It's an amazing story, relayed in this film. Less interesting than the "is it fraud?" aspect is Albert's amazing ability to sustain multiple identities, and what's sad is the story of personal trauma that might have caused this to be. It's also interesting to see the way that our culture needs to make events out of things, that instead of simply judging what only ever claimed to be fiction on its merits, it's the media's obsession with the character of the author that makes Albert's deceptions a public phenomenon (although, to be fair, this is also what enables Albert to sell so many books and to meet so many famous people). The film definitely is Albert's telling of her story, and her self-evident skill in manipulating reality means one has to watch it with a measure of caution; but for the most part it rings true, a fascinating yet in places disturbing tale of life and art intermingling.
Then the story gets really weird. The books are a hit; the media wants to see J.T.; Laura persuades a (female) relative to act as J.T. in public, while she herself adopts another guise as J.T.'s manager. J.T. becomes famous, a friend to countless celebrities. Then eventually, the truth gets out and in the end, Albert is sued for fraud.
It's an amazing story, relayed in this film. Less interesting than the "is it fraud?" aspect is Albert's amazing ability to sustain multiple identities, and what's sad is the story of personal trauma that might have caused this to be. It's also interesting to see the way that our culture needs to make events out of things, that instead of simply judging what only ever claimed to be fiction on its merits, it's the media's obsession with the character of the author that makes Albert's deceptions a public phenomenon (although, to be fair, this is also what enables Albert to sell so many books and to meet so many famous people). The film definitely is Albert's telling of her story, and her self-evident skill in manipulating reality means one has to watch it with a measure of caution; but for the most part it rings true, a fascinating yet in places disturbing tale of life and art intermingling.
A brilliant story of transcendence.
bctbiz653 June 2017
Warning: Spoilers
A beautiful tale of art-imitating-life-imitating-art. It revved me up to write, and inspired me to kick out the internal blockades. I felt an extremely strong connection to Laura and J.T. I will unabashedly state that I was jealous of the wonderful ride they had - both the highs and the lows. (I have had the lows myself, but never thought to exorcise my demons in the same manner - now I wish I had.) There are points in the film where my heart ached for Laura and J.T., not the least being that I KNOW that both their stories are real in the everyday world around us. In most cases these stories make the news for a minute, and are then submerged under the weight of fresh horrors, or simply because it is easier to ignore these truths than look at them squarely. Laura brought this story to the world in a manner that hooked us and refused to let go. And the story is as beautifully moving as it is dark. For me, although J.T. Is a fiction, I believe the way in which J.T.'s story was given to us is a blessing and not something to be cursed. I see both J.T.'s and Laura's worlds, both real and imagined, and the blurring of the line between the two as a magical place that we can be grateful to be invited into. Bravo Laura, Bravo J.T.!!!!!!
It is the tale of a con artist who was able to fool the celebrity establishment
anadena-2834821 September 2016
Warning: Spoilers
I wrote a full review here: http://indieethos.com/2016/09/21/jt-leroy- story/
The latest documentary by director Jeff Feuerzeig, The JT Leroy Story, explores the making of the character of JT Leroy, an author who rose to fame in the early 2000s as a literary sensation by writing about his life, which included sexual abuse, homelessness and coping with HIV. A publisher recalls the work as a novelty, a new voice. However, the story of JT Leroy was a fantasy, a made-up story concocted by Laura Albert, a 40-year-old San Francisco woman originally from New York. She started using characters since early on in her life as she felt uncomfortable in her own skin. She used these personas partly to escape her life, which was full of trauma and abuse but also, seemingly, to get attention. She even attended therapy sessions as her character, melding fantasy and her life into different personas.
The latest documentary by director Jeff Feuerzeig, The JT Leroy Story, explores the making of the character of JT Leroy, an author who rose to fame in the early 2000s as a literary sensation by writing about his life, which included sexual abuse, homelessness and coping with HIV. A publisher recalls the work as a novelty, a new voice. However, the story of JT Leroy was a fantasy, a made-up story concocted by Laura Albert, a 40-year-old San Francisco woman originally from New York. She started using characters since early on in her life as she felt uncomfortable in her own skin. She used these personas partly to escape her life, which was full of trauma and abuse but also, seemingly, to get attention. She even attended therapy sessions as her character, melding fantasy and her life into different personas.
Excellent pacy documentary
Beamerman5 August 2016
I went into the theatre knowing nothing about J T Leroy. I hadn't even heard of him. A recommendation from my daughter and a quick watch of half the trailer suggested this would be worth a watch.
This is one of the best documentaries I have ever watched. It is told with pace and energy such that it feels more like a fictional drama unfolding in front of you. The story itself is weird. I empathised with the characters in particular the lead narrator and how she had slid down like Alice in Wonderland into a surreal world of fame and celebrity.
Never dull and full of suspense and interest this is a great movie that I'd thoroughly recommend.
This is one of the best documentaries I have ever watched. It is told with pace and energy such that it feels more like a fictional drama unfolding in front of you. The story itself is weird. I empathised with the characters in particular the lead narrator and how she had slid down like Alice in Wonderland into a surreal world of fame and celebrity.
Never dull and full of suspense and interest this is a great movie that I'd thoroughly recommend.
Examining the differences between original authorship and defrauding the public at large
paul-allaer19 September 2016
"Author: The JT Leroy Story" (2016 release; 110 min.) brings the story of the JT Leroy literary phenomenon from the late 90s./early 00. As the movie opens, we see Winona Ryder give praise to JT Leroy for being such an inspiration. We then go back to "Brooklyn, 1995" and we get to know a woman by the name of Laura Albert, who, as it turns out, is the voice and brains behind JT Leroy, a shy 15 yr. old boy who may be imaginary to us, but is all too real in Laura's mind and, as we'll see in the movie, in the minds of many other people (Dennis Cooper, Bruce Benderson, Billy Corgan, Courtney Love, etc.). To tell you more of the story would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.
Couple of comments: this documentary is written and directed by Jeff Feuerzeig, who previously brought us another outstanding documentary called "The Devil and Daniel Johnston". Here he examines the JT Leroy story, and the fine line that exists between original authorship and a hoax. When all this happened in the mid/late 90s, I was vaguely aware of it, but by no means in the amount of details that we are given here. It is an absolutely fascinating story that would be hard to believe, if in fact it hadn't happened. You can't make this stuff up! Laura Albert is of course a master storyteller, and she carries the documentary on her back, both for the good and for the not-so-good. As she points out, the books published under the JT Leroy name were clearly labeled "FICTION".
I saw "Author: The JT Leroy" this past weekend at the Landmark E Street Cinema in Washington, DC. The early evening screening where I saw this at was attended okay but not great (I don't know how long this has been playing already). If you are in the mood for a great documentary that examines many interesting aspects of what some call the greatest literary hoax ever, you cannot go wrong with this. "Author: The JT Leroy Story" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Couple of comments: this documentary is written and directed by Jeff Feuerzeig, who previously brought us another outstanding documentary called "The Devil and Daniel Johnston". Here he examines the JT Leroy story, and the fine line that exists between original authorship and a hoax. When all this happened in the mid/late 90s, I was vaguely aware of it, but by no means in the amount of details that we are given here. It is an absolutely fascinating story that would be hard to believe, if in fact it hadn't happened. You can't make this stuff up! Laura Albert is of course a master storyteller, and she carries the documentary on her back, both for the good and for the not-so-good. As she points out, the books published under the JT Leroy name were clearly labeled "FICTION".
I saw "Author: The JT Leroy" this past weekend at the Landmark E Street Cinema in Washington, DC. The early evening screening where I saw this at was attended okay but not great (I don't know how long this has been playing already). If you are in the mood for a great documentary that examines many interesting aspects of what some call the greatest literary hoax ever, you cannot go wrong with this. "Author: The JT Leroy Story" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Distracting
gallivanta1 February 2017
The subject of the film was very interesting but I became increasingly annoyed by the directors showing off. "I felt I was underwater' cut to footage shot underwater. 'I felt I was in a movie', cut to footage imitating a b movie, the director felt the need to underline everything as if the viewer could not imagine for themselves. Words were repeatedly scrawled over the image accompanied by an effect, OK for a while but it repeatedly became a stylistic tic. Tiresome. A shame because the subject was fascinating, It would have been better if the animations were in ironic counterpoint not simply illustrative. There were also many, many shots of telephones.
Attention Wh@#$
cdnordin9 August 2017
This Albert person is so chronically and sickeningly manipulative. She calls writers and panders to their egos, feeding their need for adoration. They, in turn, help Albert get publishers and agents. Smart. Very smart.
Albert feeds HER need for attention and adoration by courting celebs and rock stars. Overweight, she could not have come forward as herself - she doesn't feel capable of doing so. But she is VERY capable of controlling the other players. I can't imagine how she accomplished this for so long. Albert even brought HER SON into this game...can you imagine how messed up THAT kid is going to be???
I have seen this film, and am sure Albert feels gratified that she has told her story well. Frankly, she just sounds mentally ill. This is a severely deranged and dangerous individual.
Albert feeds HER need for attention and adoration by courting celebs and rock stars. Overweight, she could not have come forward as herself - she doesn't feel capable of doing so. But she is VERY capable of controlling the other players. I can't imagine how she accomplished this for so long. Albert even brought HER SON into this game...can you imagine how messed up THAT kid is going to be???
I have seen this film, and am sure Albert feels gratified that she has told her story well. Frankly, she just sounds mentally ill. This is a severely deranged and dangerous individual.
Will the real JT Leroy please stand up. Now take a bow. Or curtsy. Or whatever.
edwin-13423 April 2016
Just saw this brilliantly directed film at the San Francisco International Film Festival. The packed theater went bonkers.
Author: The JT Leroy Story, directed by Jeff Feuerzeig, is inventive, mysterious, mesmerizing and about a dozen other superlatives.
And if you think you know the story of JT Leroy, you have another think coming.
You might say, what Samuel Clemens is to Mark Twain, author Laura Albert is to JT Leroy. Except Mr. Clemens and Mr. Twain aren't nearly as jaw-dropping provocative.
It's one of those "must-see-to-believe, one-of-a-kind" kind of films that has Oscar written all over it. From top to bottom, beginning to end.
Author: The JT Leroy Story, directed by Jeff Feuerzeig, is inventive, mysterious, mesmerizing and about a dozen other superlatives.
And if you think you know the story of JT Leroy, you have another think coming.
You might say, what Samuel Clemens is to Mark Twain, author Laura Albert is to JT Leroy. Except Mr. Clemens and Mr. Twain aren't nearly as jaw-dropping provocative.
It's one of those "must-see-to-believe, one-of-a-kind" kind of films that has Oscar written all over it. From top to bottom, beginning to end.
Dr. Frankenstein's barbie dolls come to life
Camoo24 December 2021
This film is a document of genius, however twisted and malformed it might have arrived onto the world. You get a sense that without the betrayal inherent in the story, Laura Albert's writing might have not been met with the same fanfare. Fair? Unfair? Does it matter? What Albert pulled off was her own; she brought an alter ego to life, and bamboozled a lot of people in the process. She also happens to be, as herself, a brilliant writer and public speaker, and this movie is transfixing because of her, rather than in spite of her. The way she tells her story in this documentary is completely delicious.
I won't bother with a primer, since those tuning into the film will surely know how about said deception, but won't know the details until they see it here. Those who have no clue about this story deserve to hear it from the horse's mouth.
What I'm most interested in what this deception/accomplishment says about the nature of celebrity and fame versus what it says about either Albert or the woman she enlisted to play JT LeRoy, Savannah Knoop. They were both playing roles, as were so many of the people they ingratiated themselves with; celebrities who knocked on their doors, rather than the other way around. The whole ordeal could be seen as a kind of long form performance art, although that would be unfairly generous, and Albert is so amusingly blunt in this documentary that she doesn't even try to pawn it off as such. She just explains how her lie got out of hand, and how amazed she was that it exploded so far out of proportion. She appears to be completely honest here, and that candidness is what makes the film so fun, and so astonishing.
I loved hearing Laura Albert as herself. A woman who was so afraid to be seen as the author of her own writing, as somebody so self conscious and suffering such negative self image, that it wasn't even a matter of trying to pull the wool over anybody's eyes, it was just a matter of necessity. Albert's con is so outlandish that it deserves a level of appreciation for the sophistication and dedication that went into it, although there is a level of illness and/or malevolence at play too.
This doc has been rightfully accused of glossing over some of this and presenting a single side of this story - many of LeRoy's suitors and admirers were horrified to learn that intimate conversations had been taped. Many people were embarrassed. And mostly people just wanted to believe, and wanted to be close to LeRoy, in whatever way, sometimes intimately. This is a game of celebrity, and if somebody wants to be famous this way, then so be it.
What separates Albert from a fame digger, or her as a fifteen minute idol is that she ultimately is a very talented writer, and wrote in a way that people responded to very deeply. And as a doc, this is about as entertaining as one could be.
I won't bother with a primer, since those tuning into the film will surely know how about said deception, but won't know the details until they see it here. Those who have no clue about this story deserve to hear it from the horse's mouth.
What I'm most interested in what this deception/accomplishment says about the nature of celebrity and fame versus what it says about either Albert or the woman she enlisted to play JT LeRoy, Savannah Knoop. They were both playing roles, as were so many of the people they ingratiated themselves with; celebrities who knocked on their doors, rather than the other way around. The whole ordeal could be seen as a kind of long form performance art, although that would be unfairly generous, and Albert is so amusingly blunt in this documentary that she doesn't even try to pawn it off as such. She just explains how her lie got out of hand, and how amazed she was that it exploded so far out of proportion. She appears to be completely honest here, and that candidness is what makes the film so fun, and so astonishing.
I loved hearing Laura Albert as herself. A woman who was so afraid to be seen as the author of her own writing, as somebody so self conscious and suffering such negative self image, that it wasn't even a matter of trying to pull the wool over anybody's eyes, it was just a matter of necessity. Albert's con is so outlandish that it deserves a level of appreciation for the sophistication and dedication that went into it, although there is a level of illness and/or malevolence at play too.
This doc has been rightfully accused of glossing over some of this and presenting a single side of this story - many of LeRoy's suitors and admirers were horrified to learn that intimate conversations had been taped. Many people were embarrassed. And mostly people just wanted to believe, and wanted to be close to LeRoy, in whatever way, sometimes intimately. This is a game of celebrity, and if somebody wants to be famous this way, then so be it.
What separates Albert from a fame digger, or her as a fifteen minute idol is that she ultimately is a very talented writer, and wrote in a way that people responded to very deeply. And as a doc, this is about as entertaining as one could be.
Amusing? Slightly... Infuriating? Definitely!
jen48084-720-26117120 March 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This film brings up a LOT of issues but then focuses one only one. That's annoying.
I don't know what the law is regarding fraudulent contracts.
I do know that anyone who hires a person to fake a persona and enters into an intimate relationship as Albert did through Savannah with Asia Argento is abusive. Albert disregards her culpability by projecting her motives unto Argento. She claims Argento would do anything for the rights to her story which is why she had been intimate with Savannah but she doesn't know that. And the phone call at the end of the film where she gaslight Argento by insisting she "told" Argento the truth though not really - it's a narcisstic nightmare.
I'm horrified Albert was not only sexually abused but actually takes some responsibility for it because her 3-year-old body responded. Perhaps if all that time in therapy had been spent on Albert and not Albert's manipulations of reality she would be in a better place.
I'm left to wonder about HOW she kept so many people under her spell for so long...it's actually terrifying.
Also, how much did the doctor know? If the doctor truly wasn't aware of the truth, Albert sucked up a LOT of scarce, adolescent-foceused mental health resources.
SHAME ON HER!
I don't know what the law is regarding fraudulent contracts.
I do know that anyone who hires a person to fake a persona and enters into an intimate relationship as Albert did through Savannah with Asia Argento is abusive. Albert disregards her culpability by projecting her motives unto Argento. She claims Argento would do anything for the rights to her story which is why she had been intimate with Savannah but she doesn't know that. And the phone call at the end of the film where she gaslight Argento by insisting she "told" Argento the truth though not really - it's a narcisstic nightmare.
I'm horrified Albert was not only sexually abused but actually takes some responsibility for it because her 3-year-old body responded. Perhaps if all that time in therapy had been spent on Albert and not Albert's manipulations of reality she would be in a better place.
I'm left to wonder about HOW she kept so many people under her spell for so long...it's actually terrifying.
Also, how much did the doctor know? If the doctor truly wasn't aware of the truth, Albert sucked up a LOT of scarce, adolescent-foceused mental health resources.
SHAME ON HER!
Who is the creator and who is the creation?
thegingo18 August 2018
The cat is out of the bag. We finally meet the woman behind the creation of literary genius JT Leroy. This movie delves into the truth of Laura Albert, and it is surprising. She didn't intend to hurt people, but her creation, JT Leroy went from nom de plume to real life boy. And now we hear from Laura herself, apologetic yet unabashed. She reveals the behind the scenes of the New York Bestselling author that swept through the publishing world and became a well known, all while Laura watched from the sidelines watching the praise and acknowledgement get showered on her creation.
But it all came crashing down and here we have the aftermath. This movie is fascinating and candid. The emotions are real. This is an important documentary that touches on things like identity, acceptance, betrayal, and finally the unmasking of the true genius behind the books, and the creation of JT Leroy.
Turn your brain off....the filmmaker did
whereismikeyfl4 June 2021
Fascinating for what it unconciously reveals. The filmmaker, like the other dupes, whats to believe that JT LeRoy is something more than a hoax.
So this film is remarkably uncritical. Laura Alpert is taken completely at her own valuation. Like her writing, the film slickly plays on the audiences fantasies and fears.
Laura's infatuation with celebrity seems to be behind a lot of the hoax, but the filmmaker never explores this. He seems to be just another one of her dupes and ignores the issues raised by Laura, accepting them without question. The advantage of this approach is that Laura reveals more of herself than she probably intended. But the film never probes the material.
This is very disturbing, because of blindness of the filmmaker and the subject. They seem to be insight-free, which probably explains why this hoax could be perpetrated to begin with.
So this film is remarkably uncritical. Laura Alpert is taken completely at her own valuation. Like her writing, the film slickly plays on the audiences fantasies and fears.
Laura's infatuation with celebrity seems to be behind a lot of the hoax, but the filmmaker never explores this. He seems to be just another one of her dupes and ignores the issues raised by Laura, accepting them without question. The advantage of this approach is that Laura reveals more of herself than she probably intended. But the film never probes the material.
This is very disturbing, because of blindness of the filmmaker and the subject. They seem to be insight-free, which probably explains why this hoax could be perpetrated to begin with.
Say what you will about Laura Albert
brianevansgbo3 November 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Most view this film as a documentary about a girl who experienced abuse as a child who had a knack and skill for writing. Although the story is absolutely fascinating, I find it a repeated indictment of Hollywood and their insatiable desire to grasp onto fiction mixed with truth of absolute depravity. They all relate to it because they have likely been the same victim of the same or similar crime to adolescence that is then well crafted as mere tabloid reading at a collegiate level. They are forever damaged, unable to move forward in a normal sense, medicate themselves through all types fixes and eventually die empty and broken. No real resolution is ever offered and so the cycle continues perpetuating the pain and creating the ever new depraved Sin cycle for others to mimic and rinse and repeat what they just watched. Soo many were fooled into believing the lie bringing confirmation to what was has been for-told in the "Real" 'good book if you catch my drift. She Laura is undoubtedly brilliant but troubled and I pray for her healing and repentance. May God reach out to you and redeem you Laura Albert and my you come to full repentance and salvation.
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