A Flick and a Wine Pick
Christopher Sawyer, professional wine writer and the official sommelier of the 2006 Sonoma Valley Film Festival’s Cinema Epicuria, gives WineCountry.com readers the low-down on great movies, and great wines to drink while getting your film fix.
Movie: My Date with Drew
Wine: White Bordeaux
Movie: My Date With Drew
 It’s fairly safe to say that most people fantasize about what it
would be like to go on a date with superstar. In the same respect,
I think we are all content with the fact that chances are very slim
that such an event will ever happen. That is, unless you are someone
like Brian Herzlinger, the star of My Date with Drew, a fabulous
documentary now out on DVD.
In a nutshell, Herzlinger is a man who has had a serious crush
on actress Drew Barrymore since he was a teen and now, twenty years
later, he is passionate about asking her out on a date. From the
beginning, the odds are against him. First, he has yet to receive
a response to the mail he sends to her fan club. Second, he is a
broke 27-year old aspiring filmmaker from New Jersey and she’s Drew
Barrymore, a famous actress who’s starred in blockbuster films including E.T.
The Extra Terrestrial, Donnie Darko and the Charlie’s
Angels series. Yet, despite all these cold hard facts, Brian
takes matters into his own hands.
With a $1,100 budget based on his winnings from a game show and
a video camera he acquires from Circuit City with the help of a
friend’s credit card, Herzlinger assembles a “Drew Crew” team composed
of film school pals (John Gunn and Brett Winn) and a television
producer (Kerry David) to document his journey to ask Drew out on
a date.
To make the situation a tad tougher, the team has only thirty days
until the return policy for the camera expires. Thus, as the sense
of urgency and drama unfolds, we watch Herzlinger attempt to tap
into every possible resource to make his plan work. This includes
crashing numerous Hollywood parties in an attempt to see Drew in
person; repeatedly asking favors from comedian Andy Dick; and getting
a bit of romantic sage advice from actor Eric Roberts.
However, when all these creative endeavors fail, the team makes
a last ditch effort to get additional help by building a Drew Crew
website. With some help from an appearance on a Los Angeles radio
show, the site receives 150,000 hits within a two–day period as
well as contact from another important ally, Drew’s personal public
relations firm. From there, well, you just have to watch the movie
to find out what happens.
The greatness of My Date with Drew is the way the film captures
true human emotions and the true personalities of the characters
on the screen. In essence, the more the plot thickens, the more
we see Brain’s image of himself change. This is especially visual
in the way he suddenly transforms from an average guy with a conservative
wardrobe and big curly hair to the critical point where he takes
on a completely new look of a nicely dressed, clean cut and passionate
young man on a mission.
In brief, My Date with Drew is not only funny and charming film,
but it is a truly inspirational documentary that makes you want
to cheer for the main characters until the very end. In addition
to winning the Audience Award for best feature film at the HBO Comedy
Arts Festival and the Best Documentary Award at the Vail Film Festival,
My Date with Drew also swept the 8th Annual Sonoma Valley Film Festival,
bringing home the Audience Award for Best Lounge Feature, the Grand
Jury Award for Best Feature Film and the Geller/Davenport Award
for Best First Time Feature.
In the future, I foresee this movie not only being recognized as
a classic date flick available on DVD, but also being recognized
as an important documentary for its unique cinematic abilities to
capture genuine human emotions, passion and the true pursuit of
love on the screen.
Wine: Imagery
Estate 2004 WOW Oui White Bordeaux, Sonoma County, $24
If you are the type of person that doesn’t mind living on the
edge like My Date with Drew star Brian Herzlinger, then
you would know that great resources are vital. The Imagery Estate
2004 Wow Oui, White Bordeaux-style wine is made with sauvignon
blanc grapes from the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County and
a smidgen of Muscat Canelli grapes grown organically from the
Bartolucci in Lake County.
Together this unique blend results in a wonderful wine brimming with
floral aromas, tangy flavors of pink grapefruit, white peach, tropical
fruit and Meyer lemon zest, and, much like My Date With Drew, a
charming and romantic finish. Furthermore, the crisp acidity of the wine
can compliment many different styles of cuisine. Try pairing this movie
and wine with fresh cheeses, gourmet salads, light entrees or take-out
Chinese or Thai cuisine.
For more information about the WOW Oui and other wines that are part
of the Imagery Artist Collection, check out the winery’s website at www.ImageryWinery.com.
Imagery Estate is also one of the special wineries participating in the
upcoming 9th Annual Sonoma Valley Film Festival, April 5-9, 2006.
Purchase exclusive tours and film festival passes online. Some
venues sell out early, so don’t hesitate to get your reservations
for the 9th Annual Sonoma Valley
Film Festival, Cinema Epicura.
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