I personally never thought “based on a true story” added anything at all to the appeal of a movie, because 1) you’re going to have to take some liberties just to get the story into two hours, if nothing else, and 2) if there’s a way you can tweak the story for no other purpose other than to make it more interesting, you’re either revisionist for doing it, or bland for not doing it.
Some stories are interesting to me, some are not, and whether or not they’re fictional really doesn’t enter into it. And a story about a fictional politician following the Ted Kennedy arc wouldn’t really appeal to me. But then what do I know, I liked Cabin Boy.
Well this film is not a fictional politician following the arc, it is a story about Ted Kennedy. As for creative license on these things, agree it’s a double edged sword.