Film Opening This Week Based on Real-Life Hudson Valley Woman

The film Megan Leavey opens this weekend, telling the real story of a local woman and her hero dog.

Actress Kate Mara will play the role of Leavey, a real-life Marine who bonded with her bomb sniffing K-9. During a tour in Ramadi, they were both injured. The film shows the great lengths Leavey went through to be reunited with her hero dog after being discharged.

Leavey was born and raised in Rockland. In the film they say she joined the Marines after her best friend died and she lost her job. According to History vs Hollywood, Leavey's story wasn't quite as dramatic. In fact those events never happened. After being a standout softball player in high school she tried college and then enlisted in the military. According to her, the events of 9/11 are what prompted her to pursue a career as a Marine.

The fact checking website shows that while many parts of the film are true, some dramatic license was taken with key events in Leavey's story. The movie shows Leavey as a troubled soldier who met her dog, Rex, while cleaning up the base's kennel as some sort of punishment. In real life she was assigned the K-9 after signing up for duty.

More important plot points like Leavey and Rex being injured by an IED and the Marine's quest to adopt the dog are all very accurate. Leavey's purple heart was also actually stolen in real life, as depicted in the film, and eventually replaced during a ceremony at Yankee Stadium, where she was honored by her favorite team.

Megan Leavey opens nationwide this Friday.