Fans Flock To Titanic Victim’s Grave, They Think He’s The Movie Character

Immediately upon its release, the 1997 movie Titanic became a huge hit.

The romantic drama, set amidst the historical RMS Titanic’s sinking disaster, quickly found its place in cinematic history. The movie, directed by James Cameron, was critically and commercially successful.

At the time, it was also the most expensive movie ever made, with a budget of $200 million. But that investment paid off when it became the highest-grossing movie of all time (until being surpassed by Avatar in 2010) and the first movie to reach the billion-dollar mark in ticket sales.

Many people love the movie because they’re fascinated by the sinking of the real Titanic. But arguably just as many adore it simply for its timeless central love story. Because the movie blends fact and fiction, so many teen girls and women have totally fallen in love with the character Jack Dawson without even knowing whether he was one of the film’s inventions or a real-life person.

Adding to the confusion is the fact that there actually was a Titanic victim by the name of “J. Dawson” — and many are convinced that he’s the character from the movie.

Thumbnail Photos: Facebook / Titanic // Flickr / Hamburger Helper

 Facebook / Titanic

Jack was played by Leonardo DiCaprio in the 1997 film.

 Facebook / Titanic

In the movie, he’s a penniless artist and orphan from Wisconsin who wins third-class passage on the Titanic — to travel from Europe back to the United States — in a poker game.

 Wikimedia Commons

While several characters in the movie were based on real victims of the sinking (like the older couple who died cuddling in bed), almost none of the lead characters were. That includes both Jack and his love interest, Rose DeWitt Bukater.

Despite the fact that James Cameron and the movie’s producers have come out and said that Jack and Rose aren’t real, some fans aren’t convinced — partially thanks to a grave for one “J. Dawson.”