10 Modern Romance Movies Inspired by Real Love Stories

Val Kilmer stars as a man who undergoes surgery to restore his sight in this 1999 film. Though the names are changed, the story is inspired by Shirl Jennings, whose story is told in the 1993 New Yorker piece "To See and Not to See." Mira Sorvino plays the loving girlfriend who persuades Shirl (named Virgil in the film) to pursue an operation. Jennings went on to write a book about his experience after the release of the movie.