In Trainwreck, the new romantic comedy starring comedian Amy Schumer, Schumer portrays a woman working at a magazine in New York City who can't quite seem to find true love, until she meets a man who turns her whole world upside down. If this sounds like your typical rom-com, you can scratch that notion immediately because Trainwreck is more emotional, more raw, and more real than any romantic comedy you've seen before. The reason for this is because its star, who has already conquered television, doesn't just appear in the movie she wrote it, too. So just how much of Trainwreck is based on Amy Schumer's real life?
Like any autobiographical movie, there are many parts of Trainwreck are strongly influenced by Amy Schumer's life. There are several parts of the movie that seem to be lifted straight from her life with almost no change, some exaggerated sections that wear their inspiration on their sleeve, and some parts that share only a passing resemblance to the the truth. And then of course, other parts of the movie are completely made up with no basis in reality. Here's a rundown of what's real and what's fake:
Real: Amy's Father Has MS
Schumer's father, Gordon Schumer (same name in the film), does have Multiple Sclerosis in real life. He was diagnosed when Amy was 12, and her parents divorced shortly afterward.
Fake: Amy's Father Taught Her Monogamy Was A Lie
Unlike in the film, Schumer's father in real life did not instill in her a belief that monogamy couldn't be achieved. However, his struggle with MS did affect how she views potential relationships. "It affects your relationships for sure," Schumer told CBS Sunday Morning With Charles Osgood of having a father with MS. "Everybody I meet and I'm like, 'Yeah, he's cool, but would, like, would I push him in a wheelchair? You know, would I want him to push me?' So, yeah, I go there pretty quick ... It just changes your perspective."
Real: Amy Has A Sister Named Kim
Just like in the film, Schumer's sister in real life is named Kim, and they're super close. Kim lives only six blocks away from Amy, and also serves as part of the writing staff on Inside Amy Schumer .
Fake: Amy Is Afraid Of Relationships
Schumer is no stranger to relationships; she dated fellow comedian Anthony Jeselnik off and on from 2009 until at least 2013. Hardly sounds like a commitment-phobe to me.
Real: Amy's Had Sex With A Professional Wrestler
One of the crazier scenes in Trainwreck is Schumer's rather amorous scene with a character played by WWE star John Cena, but it's actually based in reality. Schumer used to date pro wrestler Dolph Ziggler, and she told Howard Stern the reason they broke up was because "the sex was too athletic."
Fake: Amy Works For A Men's Magazine
As you're probably aware, Schumer is a stand-up comedian and has her own TV show, and she doesn't work for a Maxim clone. However, she has written an article for Men's Health before, and as you can imagine, it's about sex.
Somewhat Real: Amy Leads A Partying Lifestyle
While she is much more settled down now than her character in Trainwreck, Schumer admits that who she was during her time in college was an inspiration for the film. She told Access Hollywood, "This was really written about my sophomore year of college ... the numbers went up, and I was drinking my own bodyweight every night ... there's a lot of me in [the movie]."
Real: Amy Is The Less Sensitive One In Relationships
Amy admits that in her dating experiences, she's usually the one who becomes less attached. "This is how I am and how a lot of girls are where the guy ends up being a little more sensitive and more invested," she said at a Trainwreck press conference. "So the scene where I get high and then John [Cena's] character looks through my phone, and then instead of comforting him I ask if I can leave – that did happen in my real life."
As Trainwreck proves, for good and for bad, Schumer's life certainly makes great fodder for movies.
Images: Universal Pictures; Giphy (8)
