Features: Spanish
Editor's Note
Humorous, inspiring, and surprisingly heartbreaking, this low budget ($1,100 to be exact) documentary follows Hollywood hopeful Brian Herzlinger's attempt to get a date Drew Barrymore, who he has adored since childhood. While low-level industry jobs have left Brian's bank account empty, his creative ambitions remain intact. After winning the grand prize on a pilot game show (for giving the answer "Drew Barrymore"), Brian uses the winning money, his creative friends, every possible film-world connection, and Circuit City's generous 30-day return policy on video equipment to document his against-all-odds mission in meticulous detail. Though his friends and family describe him as a great, funny guy, it is at first hard to imagine why a movie star like Drew would bother with this fumbling, self-described Average Joe. Starting off small, MY DATE WITH DREW initially offers viewers little hope that its director/star will get his sought-after date, much less result in a coherent documentary. But as the film moves along, the viewer feels the odds changing. Over time, Brian's onscreen personality starts to match the magnetic one described by his friends and family--his funny, hopeful, and genuine charm appeals to the dreamer in everyone. Brian's awkward quirks and insecurities provide plenty of amusing moments, and make him an empathetic character. The point of Brian's quest becomes not only to get a date with Drew Barrymore, but to really see his idea through, no matter what the end result may be. What matters here is not so much whether or not Herzlinger and Drew ever meet, but rather that he succeeds in going for his dream--proving that getting out there and taking a chance is where it all begins.
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