Aileen Wuornos: American Boogeywoman- Are Lewis Gratz and Jennifer Fell Based on Real People?
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aileen wuornos american boogeywoman
Yes, Lewis Gratz and Jennifer, the characters of ‘Aileen Wuornos: American Boogeywoman’ are real-life personalities. The horror thriller movie indeed is based on a true story. Aileen Wuornos was the first woman serial killer of the country.
Aileen Wuornos: American Boogeywoman – The storyline
‘Aileen Wuornos: American Boogeywoman,’ written and directed by Daniel Farrands, revolves around the life of a serial killer Aileen Carol Wuornos. She was responsible for the murders of 7 men in a span of 1 year between 1989 and 1990. She awaited her execution in jail after receiving a life sentence for six murders. As portrayed in the film, she did marry Lewis Gratz, the yacht club president who is much older to her. The woman in her twenties married a 69-year-old man in 1976. The murders occurred much later.
In the film, it is portrayed that befriending and marrying rich guys for a brief period of time seems to be a profitable alternative for Aileen. Lewis Gratz Fell was already married at the time he met Aileen. He soon realized its not going to be an easy affair, as he had to bail his wife out of jail the day following their wedding.
Shortly after their wedding, Lewis Gratz and his daughter Jennifer became victims of Aileen’s assaults. It was a turbulent marriage as stories reveal Aileen severely assaulted them in several occasions. Consequently, she even went to prison for the same. In addition, there were reports stating that she assaulted Fell with his cane. Fell had to get a restraining order against his wife. The two got a divorce within 9 weeks of their marriage.
The film depicts that after smothering her brother, Aileen shoots her brother. In reality, her brother died of esophageal cancer. There is a mention of the same in the film. The film utilizes an abundance of details about Aileen’s life to make the narrative feel authentic.
Where Are They Now?
Reports state that in 1928, Lewis married Katherine Reeves Royce. They even had a daughter named Katherine Reeves Fell. It is probable that Katherine may have inspired Jennifer’s character. However, several parts of the movie are just fiction, so no one can be sure,
Lewis Gratz Fell was born on June 28, 1907, and died at the age of 92. Some reports reveal that he married another lady named Elizabeth. However, the news still stands unconfirmed. His daughter Katherine stays away from the eyes of the general public. She prefers to keep her life private. As a result, not much is known about her whereabouts. Moreover, Fell never spoke about his time with Aileen after the couple divorced in 1976, and the movie concludes appropriately with a postscript.
Riddha Kundu
I'm Riddha Kundu, a 23-year-old aspiring Chartered Accountant from Kolkata, and I'm passionate about writing contents.
