'Hurt Locker' Sued By Soldier, Says its Based on His Life

Fact or fiction?

Everyone's trying to bring down The Hurt Locker. The popular film (and arguable front-runner in the best picture category) was at the center of an email scandal last week, and now its producers are being sued by a soldier who says the movie is based on his life.

Sgt. Jeffrey Sarver says the film's main character, Will James (played by best actor nominee Jeremy Renner), is based on his life as a bomb disposal expert in the U.S Army.

The soldier says in a press release that "virtually all of the situations portrayed in the film, were, in fact, occurrences involving Master Sgt. Sarver that were observed and documented by [screen writer Mark] Boal."

Sarver says Boal spent 30 days on detail with him, where he picked up many of the film's situations. Sarver also claims he came up with the phrase "the hurt locker."

Sarver plans to sue Boal, director Katherine Bigelow and the film's producers because he claims he has been cut of "financial participation in the film."

But Boal says Sarver's accusations are without merit.

"I think Sarver is a brave soldier and a good guy," he told the LA Times. "Like a lot of soldiers, he identifies with the film, but the character I wrote is fictional. The film is a work of fiction inspired by many people's stories."