Is 2 Hearts movie a true story? Real events that inspired drama on Netflix, is it based on Jorge Bacardi

Despite being released in 2020, romantic drama 2 Hearts has seen a resurgence in fan love following its Netflix release. The film landed on site in the UK on Sunday 16 April and has become a hit, landing in the top 10 films.

2 Hearts follows two parallel love stories over a period of years as both pairs of lovers eventually cross paths in an unexpected and tragic way. The movie was filmed across Vancouver, British Columbia, and Hawaii, and was released in October 2020 in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. It went onto gross just $1.2 million as cinemas across the US and internationally were closed.

Not only did the film flop on its release, it was also critically panned - with Variety describing it as a ‘softheaded piece of morbid romantic treacle’. But despite the barrage of criticism that the film attracted, it’s not put off Netflix viewers who have been streaming the title in droves.

The film is billed on the website as being based on a true story, but how accurate is 2 Hearts, who was it inspired by - and what happened to them?

*Spoilers ahead for the plot of 2 Hearts*

Is 2 Hearts based on a true story?

The film follows the story of Chris who falls in love with a woman named Sam while in college, and Jorge who begins a romance with Leslie, who he meets on a flight to Cuba. 

The couples face trying times, including making their relationship work across long distances, and dealing with a terrible illness. Towards the end of the film it is revealed that both couples have been connected all along.

And it turns out that the film is based on a true story. It is adapted from a book written by Eric Gregory, the real life Chris’ father. The book, All My Tomorrows: A Story of Tragedy, Transplant and Hope, published in 2017 follows Eric’s journey of grief through the loss of his son, and the hope he felt through the five people that received organ donations because of Chris.

In the film Chris does die suddenly from a brain aneurysm whilst at college, as happened in real life in 2008. His girlfriend Sam is inspired by Chris’ real girlfriend, Jenn.

And, just like in the film, Chris’ organs are donated to several people, some of whom were near death when a match was found - one of these people was Jorge.

Who was Jorge Bacardi?

Jorge Bacardi was a Cuban exile who has been living in the Bahamas at the time of Chris’ death. He had a life threatening lung disease called primary ciliary dyskinesia which was only diagnosed when he was in his 50s. By the time that Chris died, he was in desperate need of a double lung transplant and waiting for a match.

He got news of a potential match and immediately travelled to the US - he received a successful double lung transplant at the Florida Mayo Clinic in 2008 - he later met Chris’ family and they remained in touch until his death on 23 September 2020, just 23 days before 2 Hearts was released in cinemas.  

Jorge is also a descendant of the Bacardi rum company founder - the brand was established in 1862 in Cuba by Don Facundo. The Bacardi link is not mentioned in the film as it was not relevant to the story. In the film his name is changed to Jorge Bolivar.