It’s the mid-1980s. After decades spent composing respectful profiles of successful women such as Katharine Hepburn and Tallulah Bankhead, Lee Israel finds herself out of step with emerging trends. Her agent has given up on her, and her finances have nosedived. Teaming up with an old acquaintance who just got out of prison, Lee begins selling stolen and forged correspondence of dead writers and actors. The gig is a success, but success has a way of drawing unwanted attention. The film is based on a true story which came to light in 1993.