Drive Me Crazy (1999)

Nicole and Chase used to be BFFs, then junior high happened. The high school centennial dance is coming but Nicole gets dumped. So does Chase. They stage a relationship to get at their exes. They visit each other's worlds. Love in the air?

Director:

John Schultz

Writers:

Todd Strasser (novel), Rob Thomas (screenplay)

Stars:

Melissa Joan Hart, Adrian Grenier, Stephen Collins

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Melissa Joan Hart	...	Nicole Maris
Adrian Grenier	...	Chase Hammond
Stephen Collins	...	Mr. Maris
Mark Metcalf	...	Mr. Rope
William Converse-Roberts	...	Mr. Hammond
Faye Grant	...	Mrs. Maris
Susan May Pratt	...	Alicia
Kris Park	...	Ray Neeley
Ali Larter	...	Dulcie
Mark Webber	...	Dave
Gabriel Carpenter	...	Brad
Lourdes Benedicto	...	Chloe Frost
Keri Lynn Pratt	...	Dee Vine
Natasha Pearce	...	Sue
Derrick Shore	...	Tom

Storyline

Nicole (Melissa Joan Hart) and Chase (Adrian Grenier) are neighbors but are from two very different worlds. Despite their differences their love lives have a common theme. Their most recent plans for love have fallen through putting them both in a desperate state to fix them. Both Nicole and Chase conspire to pretend to find a romantic interest in each other, with the hopes of attracting the "ones who got away" from them. Leading up to the big school dance, Chase and Nicole find that their scam worked out better than they had planned.

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Plot Keywords:

opposites attract | teenage protagonist | rival | rivalry | prom | 

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Taglines:

They were best friends. Then they fought. Then they faked. Then they fell.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for teen alcohol and drug use, and for language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 October 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Girl Gives Birth to Prom Date

Filming Locations:

Foothill Boulevard, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,846,112, 3 October 1999

Gross USA:

$17,845,337

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$22,593,409

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox, Amy Robinson Productions, Grand March Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ogden High School was also the school used in Three O'Clock High (1987).

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Goofs

The length of Nicole's hair is different when she is on the school news from when she is at school watching the news. The news was supposedly filmed the same day (as you can see, since she is wearing the same shirt), but her hair is clearly a different length.

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Quotes

Eddie Lampell: The key to pleasing a woman is sweet talk. You're so beautiful. Have you lost weight? And then there are the three words that always seal the deal for me...
Chase: Another tequila shot?

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Alternate Versions

15 seconds of dialogue was removed from the Cinemax movie premiere to obtain a 1:30 runtime.

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Connections

References Space Invaders (1978)

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Soundtracks

Sugar
(contains elements of "I Want You Back")
Written by Carl Sturken, Evan Rogers, Berry Gordy (as Berry Gordy Jr.), Fonce Mizell (as Alphonso Mizell), Freddie Perren (as Freddy Perren) and Deke Richards
Performed by Don Philip
Courtesy of Jive Records

User Reviews

Thoughtful teen comedy

I went to this film expecting it to be just a formula teen film. It does have formula to it -- such as ending with the big dance -- but it actually has some interesting ideas too. It is about the images that people hide behind, the distortions that they manufacture to escape from painful reality.

One symbolic scene takes place in a carnival fun house with mirrors that twist and pull reflections into any shape the person wants. This of course is the metaphor for what is happening with all the characters. Another interesting bit of symbolism is the MTV-like video showing the zombie-like behavior of the high school in-crowd compared to images of animals and Nazi rallies.

Yes, it's a teen romantic comedy, but it actually has some real thought in it, and the talented cast play characters that show some depth. The film is a pleasant surprise.