Capote

New film tells the story of how Truman Capote wrote his book, In Cold Blood | Gene Edward Veith

In 1966, Truman Capote published In Cold Blood, an account of two drifters who murdered a family of four in rural Kansas. In doing so, he invented the "nonfiction novel," telling a true story using the artistry and techniques of fiction writing. This new approach took off, and to this day still dominates magazine features and bestseller lists.

Capote (rated R for brief language and violence)—generating Oscar buzz for its strong performances—tells the story of how Capote wrote his book. The New York socialite (Philip Seymour Hoffman)—with his high lisping voice and effeminate mannerisms—goes to Kansas, accompanied by Harper Lee (Catherine Keener), author of To Kill a Mockingbird, whom he describes as his personal assistant and bodyguard. (She later becomes his conscience.) After some culture shock on both sides, he and the bereaved townspeople connect with each other. But when authorities capture the killers, he connects with them, too, particularly Perry Smith, a brutal murderer with a sensitive side.