Official Description: After a dysfunctional group of unpublished writers with the motto all for one accept Hannah Rinaldi (Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting) into their fold, the last thing they expect is her overnight success – but that’s exactly what they get. While her career takes off, her eccentric and envious colleagues (Chris Klein, Teri Polo, Dylan Walsh, Dennis Farina and Jonathan Bennett) struggle to find their own paths to publishing fame and fortune. Tensions rise, rivalries form, and hearts are broken. Rejection turns to desperation. Good thing they’re only armed with pens…
Unofficial Description: As someone who has been in several writers groups, I am amused. Mostly because I saw a lot of people I’ve known or met in the characters of this movie, which pokes fun at writers and writers groups. I know not everyone can take that, or likes it when Hollywood ‘laughs at us’ instead of with us. There’s not really anything I can do about that.
What I don’t like? The Hollywood portrayal of writers living in Beverly Hills mansions. Sigh.
What I do like? The interactions between these characters, who react very much the way I’ve seen a lot of people react. When the young, attractive member of the group gets an agent (and then a book deal) – of course she must have slept with him. There’s no way she could get an agent through her talent as a writer. And everyone does their best to ignore the part where she (Cuoco) writes constantly, every day, focused on her craft and getting better. Her motto? “Writing comes first.”
There are a LOT of stereotypes and cliches in this movie – so be forewarned. You’ve got the ‘leaders’ of the group who think the rules don’t apply to them. The writer who has read everything, but barely writes and is shocked you haven’t read this or that or the other thing. The military guy who worships at the altar of all things Tom Clancy (“Everything that John K. Butzin has learned about writing comes down to two simple words: Tom Clancy.”). The romance writer with her secret alcove for writing and collecting her thoughts (which requires ear plugs due to nearby construction), etc.
The portrayal of a vanity press experience is particularly amusing to me.
“The back cover of the book is entirely in Chinese!”
You’ve got some decent little cameos here and there, too. It’s an amusing little movie. Catch it on Netflix if you can (I wouldn’t pay to rent it).
