30 days, $1100, a video camera, and Drew Barrymore

With all this talk about Hollywood blending with independent cinema, I felt like I needed a film that brought back the simplicity and charm that we seldom see nowadays. I recently rented the film, “My Date with Drew.” The film is a documentary about one man’s quest to get a date with Drew Barrymore. The film was kind of structured like “Supersize Me” in that the audience follows a certain driven individual as they reach a goal under a strict timeframe. In “My Date with Drew,” this certain individual is Brian Herzlinger, an awkward, yet enthusiastic production assistant living in Los Angeles. After many years of dead-end jobs and limited connections in the entertainment industry, Brian decides to do something “big” with his life and try to reach the unreachable – Drew Barrymore, his crush of over 14 years. What sparks this decision is Brian’s recent victory on a game show in which the winning answer was “Drew Barrymore” and Brian receives $1100. Brian, as well as two of his friends, buy a video camera at Circuit City with the intentions of returning it within 30 days for a full refund. Then, using the $1100 as their film budget, the three filmmakers embark on a journey full of phone tag, missed connections, and enormous frustration.

The film did not exactly move mountains or provoke any profound thought, but I found the film incredibly endearing. As an independent film, “My Date with Drew,” gives the audience an inside look at the crazy world of Hollywood. Although it is very cliché, the film proves that getting anywhere in the film industry is all about who you know. Constantly throughout the film, Brian cuts the action and offers the audience an updated list of his “degrees of separation.” Example: “I know Kerry, who worked on a film with Jon, whose sister is engaged to McG, the director of ‘Charlie’s Angels’.” Brian has to fish through assistants, receptionists, limo services, and distant relatives in order to reach a personal connection with Drew. In the end, Brian does not even reach his goal in the time allowed due to missed calls, incorrect information, and people who basically just “don’t give a shit.” The audience feels Brian’s frustration because after awhile the circumstances become a little ludicrous. Why can’t people just be reliable?!

Although the filmmakers’ camera has to be returned to Circuit City after the 30 days are up, all hope is not lost. The team finally decides to put their footage on the Internet and let their mission grow in popularity through word-of-mouth. Their website becomes so popular that it finally reaches Drew’s “people” and (spoiler alert!) Brian finally gets the date. The triumph is so great it feels like Brian just won the World Series. Although the premise appears rather superficial (an ordinary guy seeks a date with a celebrity), the film is all about rooting for the underdog. It is refreshing to see that three guys with limited means can create such a splash. Hollywood may be intimidating, but this independent film proves that tenacity and ambition can prevail in such a negative environment.