The story-line of the daughter writing a tell all about her abusive mother was loosely based upon two real life memoirs. Christina Crawford's "Mommie Dearest" described an abusive, cruel, and mentally unstable Joan Crawford. The book was published after Joan Crawford's death, but her friends and family denounced it as sensationalized fiction. It was later dramatized into an award-winning film. "My Mother's Keeper" by BD Hyman described Bette Davis as a manipulative, selfish, alcoholic mother and battered wife. Davis disinherited her daughter and wrote an open letter to her in her second memoir. "Your book is a glaring lack of loyalty and thanks for the very privileged life I feel you have been given. If my memory serves me right, I've been your keeper all these many years."