Is ‘The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat’ Based on a True Story? How Author Edward Kelsey Moore Was Inspired by His Life

If you’re in the mood to cry this weekend, go ahead and stream The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat movie on Hulu. Be sure to have a tissue box nearby.

Based on the 2013 best-selling book of the same name, this movie adaptation—which began streaming on Hulu in the U.S. today—was directed by Tina Mabry, and written by Mabry and Cee Marcellus. It stars Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Sanaa Lathan, Uzo Aduba as three best friends who call themselves “The Supremes” and go through the tumultuous journey of life together. Through the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, these three friends always come back to gather at their favorite restaurant, Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat Diner.

Also starring Kyanna Simone, Tati Gabrielle, and Abigail Achiri as the younger versions of The Supremes, this movie is a sweeping, feel-good drama that feels like it’s straight out of the ’90s. There’s something so familiar and comforting about slipping into the world. The characters have an authenticity to them that makes the film feel like real life. So is The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat movie based on a true story?

Is The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat based on a true story?

The Supremes at Earl’s at All-You-Can-Eat is not based on true story, but it is based on the 2013 Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat book, written by Edward Kesley Moore. Originally from Indiana, Moore is also a professional cellist, in addition to being an author. In a 2013 interview with Mosaic Magazine, Moore said that while he was inspired by women he grew up with in Indiana, his best-selling novel is not based on real people.

“I didn’t fashion any of the characters in The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can- Eat after specific women, but I definitely drew inspiration from the women in my life,” Moore said. “I had the good fortune of hearing great female storytellers when I was young, and I’ve never forgotten how exciting it was to hear them talk to each other.”

In a more recent interview with RogerEbert.com, Moore also said that while he did not frequent an all-you-can-eat diner in his youth, he did base Earl’s diner on a buffet he would go to with his family.

“My dad was a preacher, and we would go to the same buffet place after church,” Moore said. “You’d see all these other people from our church and other churches. It was just, I don’t know, the second act of church. Certainly, I was evoking that feeling of the place where you go to see all the people you know again. So, yeah, I did go to a place very much like Earl’s.”

No doubt Moore was also inspired to make one of his main characters, Clarice (played by Aduba in the film), a classical pianist by his own background in classical music. Before publishing his first novel, Moore played as a cellist in orchestras in the Chicago area.

So there you have it! Even though The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat is not based on true story, it is imbued with the kind of authenticity that makes it feel like a true story. That’s how you know it’s a great one.