In fact, if Nebraska resident Lana Tisdel gets her way in court, the studio will be barred from taking the flick into nationwide release.
A lawsuit, filed on Tisdel's behalf Tuesday in Los Angeles, charges that the film invades the woman's privacy, portrays herin a false light and places her own very real life at risk.
The suit names Fox, director Kimberly Peirce and producer Christine Vachon, among others. It accuses the filmmakers of portraying Tisdel in a false light and using her name and likeness without permission and seeks unspecified damages.
The film, which opened to rave reviews October 8 in limited release, is scheduled to open in theaters across the country on November 5.
The court battle is the latest trauma to stem from a story of tragic proportions. Boys Don't Cry tells the true story of a young woman by the name of Teena Brandon who reinvented herself as would-be male "Brandon Teena." In 1993, Teena/Brandon was raped and murdered by two men in Falls City, Nebraska, when her/his secret was discovered.
In reel life as in real life, Lana Tisdel (played by Kids alum Chloe Sevigny in the movie) was Brandon's unwitting girlfriend. Teena/Brandon is portrayed in the flick by ex-Beverly Hills 90210 resident Hilary Swank.
One of Tisdel's main beefs with the film stems from the murder scene: In the film's depiction, Tisdel is present at the time of the slaying; Tisdel says she wasn't there.
Tisdel says she has received death threats from Teena Brandon's mother and lost her job as a result of the flick's version of events.
"I feel outraged at the filmmakers' depiction of events," Tisdel said in a statement. "Vachon and Peirce have made a film that destroys the memory of Brandon as badly as the two killers destroyed his body. It is the second murder of Brandon Teena."
No direct comment from Fox yet on the lawsuit.
Director Peirce, meanwhile, maintains her intent was to honor Teena/Brandon.
"The media coverage was very sensational from the beginning. No one ever really knew about the love story," Peirce told Reuters. "My whole point was to explore the mechanics of hatred so that this stuff [murder] didn't happen again."