| Drive Me Crazy | |
| Director: | John Schultz |
| Screenplay: | Rob Thomas |
| Producer: | Amy Robinson |
| Cinematography: | Kees Van Oostrum |
| Editing: | John Pace |
| Music: | Greg Kendall |
| Distributor: | 20th Century Fox |
| Runtime: | 91 minutes |
| Language: | English |
| Budget: | $8.5 million |
| Gross: | $22.6 million[1] |
Drive Me Crazy is a 1999 American teen romantic comedy film based on the novel How I Created My Perfect Prom Date by Todd Strasser. Originally entitled Next to You, the film's title was changed to Drive Me Crazy after one of the songs from its soundtrack, "(You Drive Me) Crazy" by Britney Spears. The film, despite mixed-to-negative reviews, with criticism aimed at its unoriginal plot, grossed $22.6 worldwide, against an $8 million budget, making it a moderate box office success.[2] The soundtrack featured The Donnas, who also appeared in the film.[3]
Nicole Maris, a member of her high school's in-crowd, and Chase Hammond, a rebellious prankster bored with the status quo, live next door to each other and were childhood best friends, until junior high when their opposing interests and the death of Chase's mother from cancer drove them apart. During their senior year, Nicole devotes much of her time and energy into planning their high school's centennial dance, which she expects to go to with a popular basketball player named Brad, but he falls in love with a cheerleader from a rival school, Kathy, and asks her to the dance instead of Nicole. Chase is dating punky, morose Dulcie, though she ultimately leaves him for a socially conscious college student, Joshua, after Chase refuses to attend an animal rights protest with her. One night, Nicole calls Chase and asks him to the dance, suggesting that they pretend to date to make Brad and Dulcie jealous. He agrees to her scheme and they both agree to have an easy out clause in the relationship, so it can end at any time with no hard feelings.
Nicole gives Chase a makeover to blend in with her preppy group, introducing him to social events where he befriends popular kids, realising that he has more in common with them than he thought. Despite insisting to his old friends, Dave and Ray, that it's all a scam and he hasn't changed, they can clearly see the transformation, especially Dave, who resents that Chase has successfully been accepted by the in-crowd where Dave's attempts constantly fail. While Chase does all the activities Nicole asks him to with little resistance, he eventually points out that everything they've done is for her benefit. Nicole agrees to do whatever he wants and they go to a club he used to frequent with Dulcie, where Nicole has a good time and begins bonding with his friends. When Chase has a run in with Dulcie and her new boyfriend, Nicole comes to his aid and kisses him, making Dulcie jealous. Nicole and Chase begin to fall in love but don't admit their feelings, to each other or themselves, and continue their ruse.
Nicole's vindictive best friend, Alicia, seduces Chase at a party, making sure Nicole would see them together, leaving Nicole heartbroken. Chase calls Dave to pick him up, since he is too drunk to drive, and angers Dave when he says that "everyone" was at the party, which Dave says is not true because he and Ray were not there, reminding him they used to be his friends, and Chase retorts that Dave is merely jealous because he has never gotten into the cool clique whereas Chase has. Meanwhile, Brad and Kathy break up due to lies spread by Alicia, and Dulcie also ends things with Joshua. Chase attempts to talk to Nicole about what happened with Alicia, but she rebuffs him, reminding him of the easy out clause. Chase eventually makes up with his friends and gets back together with Dulcie. Brad finally asks Nicole to the dance. Despite getting what they both wanted from the beginning, Chase is unhappy with Dulcie and Nicole turns Brad down, and ends her friendship with Alicia.
The night of the dance, with no date, Nicole calls Ray, who had offered to take her earlier, and goes to the dance with him. While Chase is out with Dulcie, she realizes he doesn't want to be there, or be with her. Ray and Nicole have fun together at the dance, but he departs upon Chase's arrival, knowing that despite their claims that their relationship was never real, Chase is the one she wants to be with. Chase asks Nicole to dance and when she asks who they're trying to make jealous now, he tells her "everyone."
Later, Chase and Nicole come home from the dance and Nicole walks Chase to his door. They passionately kiss, but are interrupted when they find Nicole's divorced mother with Chase's father. Their parents tell them that they're also in a relationship and are going to move in together. Nicole suggests she and Chase discuss the new living arrangements in the treehouse they used to play in as children. Holding hands, they walk into Nicole's backyard and hug and kiss under the treehouse.
Drive Me Crazy was filmed in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, including Sandy and Ogden. The high school scenes were filmed at Ogden High School. The street scene with 'Union Station' in the background features Ogden's Historic 25th Street and Union Station. The dance club scene was filmed inside the now-closed "Club Vortex" on Exchange Place. The mall scene was filmed at South Towne Center in Sandy.
The film opened in the United States and Canada on October 1, 1999, in 2,222 theaters.[1]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a score of 29% based on reviews from 38 critics. The site's consensus states: "Unoriginal story." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 42 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.
The film opened the same weekend as Three Kings in 720 fewer theaters, and opened at number six at the United States box office for the weekend with a gross of $6,846,112.[1] The film went on to gross $17,845,337 in the United States and Canada and $4.7 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $22.6 million.[1] Due to its low budget of $8.5 million, the picture was expected to recover its costs.[4]
The soundtrack was released on September 28, 1999, by Jive Records.
"Turbo-Teen," the film's opening theme by Sugar High, was not included on the soundtrack. "Run Baby Run," by Deadstar, played during the club scene, was not included on the soundtrack. And "Wig-Wam Bam," by The Sweet, played at the end of the film, was not included on the soundtrack.