Just Write (1997)

Every once in a while, the critics miss one.
For Just Write, it's easy to see why. What could be more far-fetched than a plot where an underachiever who got "D's" in English and who's a terrible speller - now has to produce a top-notch screenplay if he hopes to hold onto the girl of his dreams?
Not much, you'd think, but Director Andrew Gallerani hits the high points so skillfully it just doesn't matter. The setup might be goofy, and sure, we've seen the plot turns before, but somehow this one makes them seem fresh again. It all clicks, and to our surprise and pleasure the sum becomes much greater than the total of the pieces. Simply put, this one is a delight from start to finish.
Six stars for casting. The principles, up-and-coming actress Amanda Clark (Sherilyn Fenn), and tour bus driver Harold McMurphy (Jeremy Piven), have great chemistry in their scenes. JoBeth Williams was made for her role as agent Sidney Stone. Diminutive Wallace Shawn is great as crusty, high-powered agent Arthur Blake, and so is Stephanie Miller as his caustic Personal Assistant. Yeardley Smith plays Lulu and her scene with Harold's dad (Alex Rocco) works to perfection. Kudos to the production staff. This one's a keeper.
Art Tirrell - author of The Secret Ever Keeps, coming March 2007 ISBN 978-1-60164-004-8.

Who's been hiding this movie from us?
This overlooked charmer achieves the feel-good level that many high-budget romantic comedies strive for...and miss. Sure it requires us to suspend a certain amount of disbelief (A big literary agent with a soft heart? Come on!), but that's part of the fun.

Sherilyn Fenn radiates girl-next-door charm, something she doesn't get to do often enough. Thankfully, she isn't relegated to a role of "dumb starlet," but rather that of a young actor fighting for more quality in her scripts. A look at Ms. Fenn's uneven filmography makes one wonder if she identified a bit with her character, Amanda. This happy, unpretentious film treats her and her fans very well. Such natural talent...and, oh, those eyes!

Jeremy Piven, whose work can sometimes inspire a yawn, shines here. It's difficult to imagine anyone else pulling off this role as well, and we want to cheer for him all the way.

It's even fun to see JoBeth Williams as Amanda's control-freak agent, too busy making deals to worry about pesky things like script quality.

This movie obviously is several years old, and it isn't going to get the marketing spotlight. Like many other reviewers here, I ran across this DVD by accident. My suggestion: Run across it on purpose -- and enjoy.

What happens when your way in over your head
This movie is a hidden treasure. I picked this movie up at a video store when it was the new release that they only have one copy of, so you can see what I mean that it went unseen by the public. This is a movie for everyone who has every dreamed of dating an actor or actress and knew they would make a bumbling fool of themselves if they even tried to ask the actor/actress out. It is a light hearted comedy about the plight of a slightly dopey but lovable tour bus driver(Jason Pivens) when he falls in love with a very famous actress and gets himself way in over his head. A definite must see.