My Date with Drew (2005)

SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Brian Herzlinger, a real life gentleman attempting to break into Hollywood film making as a director, is struggling. It's a tough town to make it big, after all. His parents wire him money if he needs it, which is rather often than not. So, how can Herzlinger prove himself and gain a higher profile? After all, so many times in Tinseltown its WHO you know. A plan is hatched. Having had a crush on Drew Barrymore since her E.T. days, with the bonafide fan club cards to prove it, why not making a funny documentary of trying to get a date with Drew? Never mind that she's already involved with someone and doesn't know Brian from Adam. It's Kismet, really, as Brian has just won over a thousand dollars by answering a trivia question with her name on television. So, this aspiring director buys a video camera, many tapes, and enlists a crew of pals. His attempts to "meet" Drew involve setting up appointments with Drew's personal trainer, beauty consultant, and various other individuals in hopes that ONE of them will make the introduction. Along the way, Brian discovers he can't do 30 push ups, has blackheads, and other fun stuff. Will anyone of this pan out? This is a sweet film and it has some comical moments. No, its not as good as 20 dates, to which it has some similarities. But, Herzlinger is one determined guy and he has produced a movie which gives a good glance inside the difficult entrance into Hollywood's inner circle. Despite being a low budget film, it looks good, has interesting camera shots, and enough comedy and intrigue to keep the viewer going. As a result, Herzlinger probably did benefit from the making of the movie, Barrymore turned out to be helpful and cameos with such folks as Eric Roberts and such are pretty interesting as well. Make a date with Date, romance fans. You'll savor its sweetness.

Picture it: Mid-2000s. The idea of a documentary involving stalking, er, trying for a date with the person of your dreams was, in fact, original back then. Especially when that person is a fairly big Hollywood star and you're a nobody.Fast forward to today, it's no big deal. It's happened several times this year, alone, thanks to some honorable military personnel and YouTube.But for argument's sake, we'll stick with what they conceive as an almost internet-barren 2003 (that's when it was allegedly shot.) It's been awhile since then, but I don't remember having too much difficulty navigating the web 8 years ago.I digress. This had 2…TWO…things going for it at that time: originality and the actual date itself. C'mon, that's not a spoiler; it's the freaking title! Okay, here's the problem. Beyond the fake money scheme they added for "tension," and I hated this self-absorbed, selfish and arrogant pr|ck. Sorry, let me back up.We have Brian who's had a crush on actress Barrymore since he was a sperm cell and his mission is to get a date with her. He becomes obsessed with this. The date, that is. Does he really care about Drew? No, she's just an object to him. His mission is strictly the date…WHETHER OR NOT SHE WOULD WANT IT.So, he convinces his closes friends to illegally scam the now-defunct Circuit City for a video camera (they purposely purchase said camera in order to use it for 30 days and then deceitfully return it within the 30-day return policy) and follow him everywhere. Never (or barely) does he thank these guys who dropped everything to chase him as if they were his own disciples. It's always: JUST ABOUT HIM AND HIS Obsession. The more the movie crept along, the more I hated him.Anyways, he's won some game show with the amazing first place prize of $1,100 and he plans to use that plus the fraudulent Circuit City video camera to make it 30 days without a care about a place to live (RENT anyone?), transportation (cars need gas…EVEN in 2003) or heck, I don't know, FOOD. This hairy dude – believe me, he loves to show the world, he has a lot of body hair – doesn't look like he (or his ignorant followers) are missing any meals and yet, they never accounted for this simple flaw.He's also mooching off his parents an entire $100 so he can continue his foolish and selfish quest of landing the meaningless date? If you've seen this, or even half of it, he unbelievably complains he can't get their money fast enough. And yet, he still has most of the HUGE game-show money left. That doesn't matter to him – that's for his obsessive behavior in regards to the date. What matters to him is: taking is parent's money. (News flash, #1: Both Western Union/Money Gram existed in 2003, so if he really needed to use his victimized parents for money, he could've gone that route VS having to get a check in the mail and cashing it RIGHT before both the post office and the bank closes. Was this guy's schedule so full, he always had to wait until the last minute to take someone else's hard-earned money? And #2 $100 ain't gonna do sh|t in regards to food, transportation or living arrangements. ESPECIALLY in L.A.)Oh, and poor Drew. She's about to promote her terrible Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle movie – and this is Brian's way in to stalk her some more by criminally breaking into the movie premiere without a bit of remorse.During all this, said creep Brian, accepts a job he knows he'll hate, he doesn't want and he's quick to criticize the job he hasn't even started yet. Ahh, before you judge, he's just upset it will get in the way of his stalking. It's been awhile since this was shot, but if his employer sees this…please fire this idiot. If not for insubordination, just plain stupidity.It boils down to: Drew FINALLY finds out about his scheming and accepts the offer for a date despite her being in a committed relationship.Saying this movie isn't about stalking, is like saying The Punisher isn't about revenge. But, beyond the obvious stalking this guy is so obsessed with having a date with Drew, he shows zero repentance for all laws he's breaking, the friends he's using and most definitely, for Drew herself. She's no longer a human to him, she's just a goal.Mercifully, the two finally have the said date, in which, he pretty much dominates. Let me tell you: if I was star-struck by someone, I would want to hear them speak. But, this egotistical brat must think he's hilarious – BELIEVE ME, HE'S NOT A BIT FUNNY – since he controlled the entire conversation with his boring banter. He even says things he knows she'll agree with him on.I'll admit, the original concept at the time, and I'm talking long before the stolen camera began recording, and the actual date itself were good, but the rest of the 85 minutes weren't worth 5 minutes of your time.Here's a better documentary: (making of Boondock Saints) Overnight. The movie's "even-worse-than-Brian" writer/director Troy Duffy. At least in that documentary, you know the guy's an @ss up front and you root for him to fail throughout. With My Date with Drew, you're actually supposed to cheer on his criminal activity, his selfishness and his stalking. He was, in all reality, a real-life Borat.Well, I didn't cheer or remotely agree. I couldn't get onboard. Kudos to Drew for being flattered, albeit, illogically calm and being willing to participate – even though, I'm certain her security men were close. Very close.Like most awkward first dates (and Drew's had a least 50 of them) you'll want this to be over the moment it starts.

As a fan of Drew Barrymore (easily the cutest, charming, funny and down to earth Hollywood actress there are!) I didn't know of the existence of this movie till my colleague told me about it. I immediately rented it and wow, what a great film! To me movies like these again prove that you don't need big bucks to make great entertainment - as long as you have the right original script/ideas, cast and crew.The idea of trying to meet your big idol is something everybody can relate to. Brian Herzlinger is a real Drew-fan so his motivation comes from the heart. He knows how to present himself in front of the camera and his voice over is also professional and confident. And of course all the dramatic ingredients in the story are right: Brian has a strict deadline to arrange the date with Drew because he can keep the camera only for a month), he has no money (which causes a lot of pressure) and he sort of has a main plan (getting invited for the Charlie's Angels 2 premiere). Like in all scripted movies, the main plan doesn't work. But as a viewer you know he will meet Drew Barrymore someway (hence the title). How will it be done? What I also liked about this movie is that Brian and his friends somehow know how to entertain the viewers. Most of their 'scripted' ideas work, especially the one in which he organizes a Drew Barrymore casting call to find a look alike with whom he can practice the actual date. The evaluation after wards with his friends is pretty hilarious.Another highlight. In order to get Drew's attention Brian makes a trailer for his movie and wants to send that one to Drew's production company. He gets the help of some famous trailer voice (don't know the name) who wants to help out Brian for free. The trailer - also shown in the movie - is fantastic.My date with Drew is 85 minutes of amazing film. It's lighthearted, optimistic, inspiring and as a viewer you really want to know how it all ends (can't say that about most Hollywood blockbusters!). Of course this movie could not have been made for the 1100 dollars that the makers claimed they used, but on screen it works very well. The finale (watch out, here comes a spoiler!) when he does meet Drew is a nice and satisfying ending of a remarkable quest. The only thing I wonder is what Brian Herzlinger did after the movie. On the IMDb I read that he's (finally?) directing a mainstream movie with Heather Graham (also a nice actress whom I give an 8 on the Drew Barrymore cuteness scale). I'm curious what the end product will be like. Is Brian also a good director? Wasn't My date with Drew Barrymore not only just a brilliant idea but also a flash in the pan? I wish Brian all the best!

I rate movies 1 when I feel like turning it off, which was many times during this film. I didn't, though it seemed to get worse...He wins a grand, decides to get a date with Drew, the whole movie follows him throughout a very long 90mins and thats it.There were some entertaining moments, but a movie about a guy getting a date with a celbrity is all you're going to see and how knowing someone who knows someone else might know Drew.Eventually a website is made, which catches Drew's business partners attention, and Drew herself.Don't watch unless you want to see this excuse for a movie.