50 Firsts Dates | Page 2

we were supposed to make this film.
I believe in fate and destiny, but I also feel that you have to gently push things through
the channels of the universe. So when I ran into Jack Giarraputo at a party, I mentioned
to him how much Nan and I loved this story and then I sat down and wrote Adam a
letter.”

What enticed Barrymore about the script was the underlying theme behind its premise,
she says. “I thought that a story about a man who has to make his girl fall in love with
him every day as if each day is new – because in her world it is – was the best thing I’d
ever heard of. I just love the idea of someone trying to make somebody fall in love with
you every day. I think that should always be a goal. It’s a beautiful practice and a
beautiful message.”

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“Sometimes Henry misses and sometimes he hits but I think a person’s determination is
one of his most underrated qualities. It’s what enables Henry to grow.”

Adds Giarraputo, "Adam liked the fact that Henry is a character who becomes a good
guy rather than just being a good guy all the time. You start out with someone who is
like a revolving door with women. Then he meets this wonderful girl that he likes very
much only to discover that there's a fatal flaw."

It was Happy Madison that brought Peter Segal into the mix. Says Segal, “I had just
spent a year and a half with Adam on Anger Management, and we had a blast. We
were deep into post-production when he asked me if I would do this movie and I jumped
at the chance. Making a film is a little like going to war. You become closer because
movies are physically tough and it takes incredible endurance to live through months of
14 to 16 hour days. In the end you become comrades. So it’s nice to keep the family
together."

Continues Segal, “Adam and Drew were fantastic in The Wedding Singer and they had
been looking for the right project to hook up on again. This seemed like an ideal kind of
film for that. They are both very smart business people as well as being talented actors.
And their companies are incredibly prolific, with a number of projects in various stages
of pre-production. It’s very helpful to have actors that know and understand the
business. Drew has made more than 30 films. Nothing can faze someone who’s been
around the camera for that long. She's also one of the nicest people in the world. It’s
very rare that someone comes in every day with a smile on her face, shouting out ‘good
morning everyone’ and telling a joke of the day. No matter how difficult things got,
especially when we were in Hawaii with the sun going behind clouds, then sun again,
then clouds, lots of delays, she kept a wonderful atmosphere on the set.”

5Barrymore, who had never worked with Segal before, warmed to him right away.
“When Nan and I met with Pete, he said every single thing we were hoping to hear
about how we wanted the tone of the film to feel. He understood the great balance
between the comedy and the drama of the story. And this film needed that because it
goes from being very funny to touching on some serious and interesting issues.”

Even after 30 films, given the right project, Barrymore says there’s almost no place
she’d rather be than on a movie set – either as an actor or producer, or both. “There are
moments when I’m working,” she says “when I can’t believe how lucky I am. Not only
am I in an occupation that I chose - which is already a gift - but I’m working on a
particular endeavor with a person that I really love. There’s nothing better than waking
up every morning looking forward to going to work. Each person involved on a film sets
the tone and if they are consistent every day, it makes the whole thing very safe. Adam
provides that consistency and safety and levity. He is always kind and nice to everyone,
which is so important. Then, creatively he is wonderful to work with because he’s so
collaborative. He is always trying to find ‘the funny.’ I’m always learning from him. “

“I think I feel happiest when I’m in an atmosphere with a lot of laughter, and Adam can
always make me laugh,” Barrymore continues. “It’s exciting to make a romantic love
story with someone you truly think