"If you don't take risks, you'll have a wasted soul." - Drew Barrymore.
Last night I set down with my girlfriend to watched a movie called “My date with Drew”. You might think from the title that it’s another chick flick with low creativity usually found in that film style. However It took my by surprise …
“30 days, 1100$ for an ordinary guy to get a date with Drew”
Reads the tagline
This movie surprised me in a few ways, the first being the fact that it is not a fictional film, but it’s in actuality a documentary.
The film depicts the journey of Brian Herzlinger, a 27 year old man from New Jersey, while he tries to get a date with the actress Drew Barrymore whom he has had a crush for his all life. Brian is broke and trying to work on the extremely competitive entertainment business.
It all starts when he wins 1100$ by answering a question in a Tv show. The answer was poetically “Drew Barrymore”. Instead of wasting the money on a new Tv set or in going out and alcohol, as many young man in his situation would do, he had another Ideia. He decides to use that money to fulfil a life long dream… get a date with Drew Barrymore.
Personally my dream would not be to get a date with a movie actress but that aside, I already admire the guy, for going for is dream. He did not get paralysed, he did not get afraid of what could happen and he didn’t waste the money on meaningless stuff.
So the master plan begins… he will try to get the date and he will make a movie documenting the experience. Both of his dreams with one stone. He gets a cheap camera covered a return 30 days money back guarantee return policy (policy he had all intention of taking advantage of) and a couple of his friends to help him. Hence the 30 days( the time they had to make the movie and get the date) and 1100$ he won from the game show.
Immediately he get’s resistance from people, including his family, who say that it is a bad ideia and he should forget about it and so on… However he did not get intimidated and continued on his path.
They start to consider the options and strategies to make it happen. Charlie’s Angels premiere is happening in three weeks… and even thou Brian would like another course of action this is the only concrete one they can see. They start calling everyone they know to see how the 6 degrees of separation would work on Drew. Not that well, some dead ends a few non answered calls, he even metes her cousin but against all odds, her cousin has never met Drew.
They then get the idea to make movie trailer explaining the project. One of his friends is a professional editor, so they get a cut with footage they already have, and they send it to Drew’s company. He even got a professional trailer voice guy to make the voice for him, for free ( Karma, since Brian seems to be a legitimate good person walking his path). They send the Dvd, but it sort of gets lost in the middle of bureaucracy and hierarchy in the company… they don’t get an answer.
Eventually poor Brian gets into personal financial problems… he gets a zeroed bank account and he has to pay his credit card that is now blocked. The film budget is looking pretty good thou… he could have taken some money out of it in order to eat… and put it back later, as it was suggested by some people. But he did not so such a thing, he stayed on his path to do the movie and suffered to it. Again respect to him for staying focus and driven.
Eventually they talk to some other people while trying to figure out if Drew has seen the trailer Dvd or not. Brian goes to Drew’s facial therapist, he meets Eric Roberts, talks to a limo driver that knows her. They get a meeting with John August , the writer of Charlie’s Angels. He confirms that she will probably be at the movie premiere.
We get to see him train for better physical condition (appearance) in a rather funny montage sequence.
It is the day of the premiere, he gets a fake press pass and gets into the after party. After some moments of extreme nervousness and weakness, Brian ends up shaking Drew’s hand. An important mark in his life!
However the 30 days are coming to an end, and with it the temporary ownership of the camera.
The three friends have an ideia to set up a website about the movie. Where they would explain everything about the project and have the trailer available for viewing. Brian goes to a popular radio show to promote it. But just after the show goes on the air, there is a problem with the server… and the site goes down… The last step is always the hardest… So that meant that nobody saw the site and with time running out the 30 day mark soon reached it’s end.
The three friends where sad for not being able to conclude the journey in a better way… specially Brian of course. He returned the camera and started an entry level, dead end job in some reality Tv channel. Things where looking bad.
After a while the server got back on and the site became a hit, Brian gave many interviews. He got the camera back and used the remaining budget. Eventually he got a call from Drew’s business associate saying she would like to talk to him. And so he did!!!
And that is how he got his date with Drew Barrymore!!
Brian chose is journey… from the start he could have had spend that money in hot dogs and champagne, he could have had fallen into the traps that where presented to him or even just quit when things got too tuff.
But he didn’t. He kept on going and he reached his destination. Not only did he got to have dinner with Drew Barrymore but “My Date with Drew” went to become a festival darling and made 85 millions on USA box office alone. (not bad for a 1100$ film) Currently Brian is a Filmmaker with a few titles under is belt.
So… just a chick flick… no… I don’t think so. It is a fun and good at heart movie that will entertain you and bring a smile to your face. You can not help but fell contaminated by Brian’s enthusiasm and the genuine good vibration beaming out of his body.
Here is a guy stuck in a rather bad situation and not only he got out of it, but he achieved his dreams! I could not be happier for him.
Other than being a fun movie for all ages, and very light at the surface, it can teach all of us can a few lessons if we are willing to see. Go Brian!!
“For anyone out there thinking of pursuing a life long dream, take the risk. I highly recommend it!” -Brian Herzlinger