The story of buddies turned criminals, leading one of the friends to have to decide between his real life and his friend, has been done before. But apparently Real Men Cry is taking a unique approach to what could be a clichéd story: by basing the story on the true story of actor-turned-director Brian Goodman, who will be directing the movie based on his own life for Yari Film Group.

The movie will star Mark Ruffalo and Ethan Hawke as characters Brian and Paulie and are based on Goodman’s experiences with a friend who, in the real world, is serving a life sentence for armed robbery. The story follows the two men as they face life in South Boston surviving through petty robbery. According to The Hollywood Reporter the two join a gang of criminals, which conflicts with Brian’s relationship with his wife (Amanda Peet) and child.

YFG CEO Bob Yari in particular sounds enthusiastic about the project, despite Goodman’s status as a first time director, stating that, “Everyone who's read the script for Real Men Cry has been blown away by its authenticity and drama.”

Real Men Cry starts filming in Boston in November.