The Shocking True Story of The Vow

The Shocking True Story of The Vow

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re discussing The Shocking True Story of The Vow.

For this video, we will be comparing the romantic film to the autobiographical book it's based on, which means we’re going to spoil parts of both.

Did you know this movie was inspired by real events? Let us know in the comments below.

Early in their marriage, Kim and Krickitt Carpenter befell an accident that caused the newlywed wife to lose memory of her husband. Following the tragedy, the couple co-authored a book about their relationship titled “The Vow.” While the 2012 feature of the same name begins with an incident that is similar to what the Carpenters endured, it takes liberties in basically every other department.

The Husband

The romantic leads presented in the movie are pretty different from their real-life counterparts. Channing Tatum plays the role of Leo Collins, a handsome hipster who lives in Chicago. But while the character works in a creative field, the person he’s based on was more athletically inclined. Kim Carpenter was a lover of sports, specifically baseball. In fact, he was the head baseball coach at New Mexico Highlands University when he first met his future wife. Even though one is an artist and the other an athlete, both men are committed husbands. At least, it seems that way in the beginning.

The Wife

Played by Rachel McAdams, the fictional sufferer of brain trauma is quite unlike the person she’s based on. The character Paige Collins, née Thornton, is a young woman from an upper-middle-class family. She’s a student at the Art Institute of Chicago when she meets her romantic interest. Krickitt Pappas, on the other hand, was living in California when she began dating her future spouse. The young woman of Greek descent worked as a tele-salesperson for a sportswear company. Neither she nor Kim have much in common with the characters they inspired, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that most of the story is pretty much an original fabrication.

How They Met

In the movie, Leo approaches Paige outside of the DMV and the two immediately hit it off. The couple finds love where they least expect it, and the same can be said for their real-life counterparts. As the head coach of a baseball team, Carpenter telephoned a sportswear company hoping to purchase jackets for his staff. He was struck by the odd name of the sales representative that answered and continued to call back hoping to speak with her. Despite the fact that Krickett lived in California, the New Mexico resident eventually got her landline number and the two began a long-distance relationship.

Dating & Wedding

A series of quick scenes sum up Leo and Paige’s road to marriage. After meeting outside the state office, the producer and artist begin to date and eventually move in together. Unconventionally, the pair elopes at the Art Institute before kissing under the famous Cloud Gate. The same pre-marriage romance would have been impossible for the actual couple, considering they were based in completely different cities. After first speaking over the phone in late 1992, Kim and Krickitt continued to stay in touch. In June of 1993, he arrived at her home in California donning a suit and bearing a bouquet of flowers. The coach asked the sales representative for her hand, and the two were married the following September.

The Car Accident

The fictional married couple is on their way home from the cinema when Paige makes a dangerous decision. Leo is at the wheel when his wife coyly suggests trying for a baby. She unbuckles her seatbelt moments before a truck slams into their car from behind, sending the young woman through the windshield. The accident is as tragic as the one actually endured by the Carpenters in 1993, but there are a few notable differences. The newlyweds were on their way to Phoenix to celebrate Thanksgiving with Krickitt’s family. She was driving and he was reclining in the back when they were involved in a three-vehicle collision. Despite wearing her seatbelt, Krickett suffered terrible injuries.

After the Accident

Following the collision in the movie, the couple is transported to a hospital and Paige is placed in an induced coma. When she finally comes to, she doesn’t recognize Leo. Having lost all memory of the past few years, the young wife has no recollection of her marriage. This is the part of the story that is most similar to the Carpenters’, but it’s still not exactly the same. While Krickett didn’t mistake Kim for her doctor, she did deny being married. When pressed to remember her husband, the patient guessed the names of various men in her life, but never her spouse’s. Krickett also suffered severe impaired cognitive, verbal, and mobility skills. She never fully recovered her memory.

Going Home

When the doctor in the movie clears Paige to go home, there’s a discussion among her family members about which home that should be. She can either go with her husband, who she has no recollection of, or her parents, from whom she is estranged. In the hopes of regaining her memory, the character chooses to return to Leo’s artsy apartment, but soon starts to feel out of place. Unable to remember why she left her old life to begin with, Paige falls back into her old self and grows distant from her spouse. She eventually leaves his home in favor of living with her parents.

In reality, geography was a big factor in determining where Krickett went after leaving the hospital. When she got married, the newlywed moved from California to Las Vegas, New Mexico. However, she, along with her spouse and their companion, was on her way to Phoenix to visit her family when the crash occurred. Krickett spent much of her recovery at the Barrow Neurological Institute and was expected to continue outpatient treatment after being discharged. This left practically no choice in the matter, and the young woman stayed in Phoenix with her parents. Despite her apathetic attitude towards him, Kim continued to be there for his bride, commuting by plane between two cities. After a couple of months, Krickett returned to her home in New Mexico.

Family Relations

Paige’s family dynamic is a main source of drama in the film. In addition to not remembering her husband, the character can’t remember falling out with her parents. Leo’s first time meeting them is at the hospital, and they don’t exactly see eye to eye. While it makes for an entertaining story, Krickett was not estranged from her parents when she fell in love with Kim. In fact, she insisted that he ask her father’s permission for her hand in marriage. Kim did in fact receive Gus Pappas’ blessing to wed his daughter before getting down on one knee.

Religion

As the title suggests, both the movie and book focus on the marital vow a couple makes. The artsy elopement seen in the film is perfect for its free-spirited romantic leads, but not at all accurate to what happened. Kim and Krickitt were both devout Christians when they met, and their shared faith was one of the things that drew them toward each other. The two married in the church, so their vow had religious implications. Their book about the accident and its long-term effects has heavy Christian themes. After the movie’s release, Kim came out publicly and said he wished it had retained a faith-based message.

Divorce or Happily Ever After

Despite Leo’s commitment, the couple from the film struggle to maintain their relationship. Paige’s dad Bill pressures them to get a divorce, and they eventually do. It’s not until months later that Leo and Paige rekindle their romance. The movie ends happily with the artsy couple making a new memory together. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the Carpenters. After the accident, Kim and Krickett stayed true to their promise to be married for over two decades. In 1996 they even renewed their vows. But after 25 years of marriage, it came out that Kim had had an affair. The two divorced in 2018, six years after the movie’s release.