Is Trial By Fire on Netflix based on a true story?

Trial By Fire is a biographical drama directed by Edward Zwick from a screenplay by Geoffrey S. Fletcher. It is based on the true story described in David Grann's 2009 The New Yorker article, 'Trial By Fire.'

The film is about the the conviction of Cameron Todd Willingham in the Willingham v. State of Texas case. Willingham was accused of triple homicide after his three little girls died in a house fire which he himself managed to escape.

The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2018, before releasing widely on May 17, 2019. It stars Jack O'Connell, Laura Dern, Emily Meade, Jeff Perry, and Jade Pettyjohn in prominent roles, and is currently available for streaming on Netflix.

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Trial By Fire is based on the Cameron Todd Willingham case

As mentioned above, Trial By Fire uses David Grann's 2009 article from The New Yorker as a reference point to tell the true story of Cameron Todd Willingham's prosecution and execution. On December 23, 1991, a fire broke out at Cameron's house in Corsicana, Texas, in which he lost his three daughters - Amber, Karmen, and Kameron Willingham.

Trial By Fire begins with Cameron trying to save his daughters from the fire. However, in the film and real life, he did not succeed. His wife Stacey Willingham was not home at the time and Cameron managed to escape with minor injuries. Upon investigation, the authorities claimed that Cameron himself started the fire to hide the abuse of his children and wife.

The film is centered around Cameron's case which went on for 12 years and ended in his execution on February 17, 2004. A sympathetic playwright, Elizabeth Gilbert, got interested in the case and became close to Cameron, trying to save him from capital punishment. However, she did not succeed, despite Gerald Hurst's conclusion that there was no foul play involved in the fire.

Trial By Fire is available for streaming on Netflix. Here's how the platform describes its plot:

"A woman who develops a close relationship with a man on death row sets out to prove that he was wrongfully convicted of killing his children in a fire."

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Cameron's wife initially supported his plea

The most peculiar aspect of Cameron Todd's case was the perspective of his wife. She initially said Cameron was abusive towards her, but denied any abuse against the children. Stacey maintained that her husband loved their daughters and would never do such a thing.

In a campaign to release him, she wrote to the governor of Texas that read:

"I know him in ways that no one else does when it comes to our children. Therefore, I believe that there is no way he could have possibly committed this crime."

However, Stacey changed her stance later, and began to believe that her husband was guilty of the crime. She eventually divorced him, but was present at the time of his execution.

In an interview with The Huffington Post, she said:

"Todd is guilty, the criminal justice system and the courts confirmed his guilt, and he should not be pardoned for his crimes."

Though the accusation of arson against Cameron was proven false by forensic expert Gerald Hurst, Stacey's social media posts suggest that she did not believe in her ex-husband's innocence. In a December 11, 2019, Instagram post, she wrote:

"My daughters are the only Victims! If you feel differently I will be standing right in front of you tell what todd did that morning on December 23rd 1991 all because a woman was divorcing a monster."

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Stay tuned for more news and updates about Trial By Fire and other films and TV shows on Netflix as the year unfolds.