Just Write (1997)

[Edgy MD]

In the romantic comedy you understandably missed in its first go-round (and second and third), but are probably still kinda surprised you never heard of, an ordinary shmoe finds himself entertaining the company of a big shot Hollywood starlet, after indifferently pretending to be a screenwriter.

Oh, the height of the jinks that ensue!

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

that looks like the worst movie I never saw. One star based on the VHS cover

[Edgy MD]

18 minutes ago, Johnny Lunchbucket said:

that looks like the worst movie I never saw. One star based on the VHS cover

It does, doesn't it?

The stars they ended up with tip the hands of producers, too.  Sherilyn Fenn is clearly who they settled for after Marissa Tomei was initially attached but bailed over money, and then Renée Zellweger passed outright.  And then, suddenly, they were forced to shop from the B-list, and not the top of the B-list either.

They probably wanted John Cusack for the male lead, but John went for Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil instead, but told the studio he'd only take it on the condition that they give this other film they were pitching to him to his BFF Jeremy Piven instead.

That may be wrong, but I'm thinking that nobody opens an elevator pitch with, "I've got this great idea for a romantic comedy — I'm thinking Piven and Fenn!"

And yet, there I found myself, watching ... watching.