SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- Just right, this romantic comedy starring Sherilyn Fenn and Jeremy Piven is a dreamy project that started when producer Heath McLaughlin, a former military pilot turned struggling actor, met an endodontist on the set of "Cheers" in 1992.
The Wisconsin natives struck up a friendship, and several years later (after McLaughlin failed to land a role in "Courage Under Fire"), they decided to make their own movie.
Ads soliciting scripts were placed in this publication and others in Chicago. Commercial director Andrew Gallerani came on board, and several other Wisconsin dentists became investors. After sifting through some 350 submissions, the filmmakers chose Stan Williamson's sweet fable of a career tour bus driver who meets a rising Hollywood starlet and pretends to be a screenwriter.
The result, "Just Write", was greeted enthusiastically by weekend audiences at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, where it is competing for the Best of Fest Award. International rights were acquired by Curb Entertainment, and a domestic distribution deal for the low-budget production can't be far behind. With a cast that includes JoBeth Williams, Wallace Shawn and Alex Rocco, the film has all the right elements to win over audiences starving for a love story that's a bit old-fashioned but with endearing characters.
Piven ("Larger Than Life", ABC's "Ellen", HBO's "The Larry Sanders Show") is just perfect as Harold McMurphy, son of the owner of Trolleywood Tours, a small outfit on the brink of financial ruin. Living with his working-class father (Rocco), Harold collects old movie posters and revels in Hollywood lore, but he's 30 and romantically discouraged.
By chance, he meets Amanda Clark (Fenn), an actress on her way up with a high-powered agent (Williams). Harold claims to be a writer with an equally powerful agent he's never laid eyes on. At first he's accepted with no questions asked, and he agrees to read a script Amanda's having doubts about.
Unhappily involved with a slick TV star (Costas Mandylor), Amanda responds to Harold's sensibility and perceives him as that rarest of Tinseltown denizens -- an honest and talented guy. When Amanda asks him to rewrite the script, Harold is backed into a corner and risks his neck to meet the agency president (Shawn He) claimed represents him. In one of many hilarious, not altogether satirical scenes poking fun at the business, Harold gets a big advance and a new life.
The problem is he has no training or experience as a writer. In the film's one monumental leap of faith, Harold sits down at the typewriter with a few instructional books and starts banging away. Meanwhile, Amanda's jealous beau and suspicious agent try to derail the budding romance, while Harold's father offers only discouraging advice.
From the savvy banter at parties and lunch dates to the humanization of minor characters like parking valets, Williamson's script is loaded with insider jokes and subtle observations. Jeffrey Sams is memorable as Harold's best friend, an actor-bartender, while Stephanie Miller is deliciously wicked as the assistant to Shawn's character. Williams is a scene-stealer and provides many of the comedy's most deliriously funny moments.
Fenn turns on the charm as Amanda, and she and Piven have plenty of chemistry. First-time director Gallerani generally lets the actors carry the show but pulls off some remarkably elaborate scenes considering the film's $1 million-plus budget.
The Wisconsin natives struck up a friendship, and several years later (after McLaughlin failed to land a role in "Courage Under Fire"), they decided to make their own movie.
Ads soliciting scripts were placed in this publication and others in Chicago. Commercial director Andrew Gallerani came on board, and several other Wisconsin dentists became investors. After sifting through some 350 submissions, the filmmakers chose Stan Williamson's sweet fable of a career tour bus driver who meets a rising Hollywood starlet and pretends to be a screenwriter.
The result, "Just Write", was greeted enthusiastically by weekend audiences at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, where it is competing for the Best of Fest Award. International rights were acquired by Curb Entertainment, and a domestic distribution deal for the low-budget production can't be far behind. With a cast that includes JoBeth Williams, Wallace Shawn and Alex Rocco, the film has all the right elements to win over audiences starving for a love story that's a bit old-fashioned but with endearing characters.
Piven ("Larger Than Life", ABC's "Ellen", HBO's "The Larry Sanders Show") is just perfect as Harold McMurphy, son of the owner of Trolleywood Tours, a small outfit on the brink of financial ruin. Living with his working-class father (Rocco), Harold collects old movie posters and revels in Hollywood lore, but he's 30 and romantically discouraged.
By chance, he meets Amanda Clark (Fenn), an actress on her way up with a high-powered agent (Williams). Harold claims to be a writer with an equally powerful agent he's never laid eyes on. At first he's accepted with no questions asked, and he agrees to read a script Amanda's having doubts about.
Unhappily involved with a slick TV star (Costas Mandylor), Amanda responds to Harold's sensibility and perceives him as that rarest of Tinseltown denizens -- an honest and talented guy. When Amanda asks him to rewrite the script, Harold is backed into a corner and risks his neck to meet the agency president (Shawn He) claimed represents him. In one of many hilarious, not altogether satirical scenes poking fun at the business, Harold gets a big advance and a new life.
The problem is he has no training or experience as a writer. In the film's one monumental leap of faith, Harold sits down at the typewriter with a few instructional books and starts banging away. Meanwhile, Amanda's jealous beau and suspicious agent try to derail the budding romance, while Harold's father offers only discouraging advice.
From the savvy banter at parties and lunch dates to the humanization of minor characters like parking valets, Williamson's script is loaded with insider jokes and subtle observations. Jeffrey Sams is memorable as Harold's best friend, an actor-bartender, while Stephanie Miller is deliciously wicked as the assistant to Shawn's character. Williams is a scene-stealer and provides many of the comedy's most deliriously funny moments.
Fenn turns on the charm as Amanda, and she and Piven have plenty of chemistry. First-time director Gallerani generally lets the actors carry the show but pulls off some remarkably elaborate scenes considering the film's $1 million-plus budget.
- 9/28/1998
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.