Dumb Story Idea #16 Lars and the Real Girl meets Bad Boys--Two cops must protect the sex doll of a Mob boss because it contains evidence that could lock him up. Feel free to check out all the @DumbStoryIdeas on Twitter .

I kind of like the original story as it stands with a mash-up of Up and Harry and Tonto thrown in. The heroine begins the round-the-world trip with the cutout, still not ready to let go of the father she loved. Along the way, she finds the usual tourist traps empty without the real father to share. Suddenly (think Gusteau from Ratatouille or maybe Harvey), the cutout comes to life, but only to her, and leads her to explore the back-alley hideaways where she finds the "real" people, and through several such encounters learns to come to grips with death, loss and moving on. At last she gives her late father the farewell she couldn't in real life, a last hug, then ties balloons to the cutout and sends it skyward as she imagines his spirit finally ascending to his deserved eternal rest.

What are the legalities behind adapting this? Since it's inspired by a real event. Or if all that's 'borrowed' is the "Son/daughter take mom/dad's cutout around the world" idea, would the writer be free to do that? So long as one doesn't take actual details from her blog postings?

That's an interesting twist, Will, where her need for closure is so profound, her father comes to 'life'. Imagined or perhaps real in some supernatural way, he acts as a guide in her physical journey to these unique, deeper places, but is also guiding her into her sorrow, enabling her to process it, then release him. Nice!

Hector, I'm no lawyer, but I would think the kernel of the idea -- a person takes some talisman object of a deceased individual on a worldwide trip -- is generic enough to use. Heck, there's a story in my wife's family whereby multiple members of the clan took a sleeping bag belonging to one brother around the world, took photos of it at a variety of famous locations, then returned the sleeping bag to the brother with a photo album. I don't remember why the sleeping bag, started off as a joke, but evolved into a much bigger thing. But again, I'm no lawyer, so you'd be best to check with one who is.