I'm happy to say one of the films I was most looking forward to this year actually lived up to my expectations -- and though it's still very early in the festival, Bart Got a Room is easily my personal favorite so far. It's not complex, it's not much different from other nerdy-teen-needs-date-for-prom flicks, but it sure as hell packs a ton of heart and has a lot of fun. It's alive, it's colorful, it's got well-written characters and more than a handful of memorable scenes; if I had to describe this film in one sentence, my pitch would go something like: Picture a contemporary version of Brighton Beach Memoirs if it featured an only child and was set in South Florida. That's Bart Got a Room.

Danny's (Steven Kaplan) a skinny Jewish kid with low self-esteem, eccentric, over-protective parents and no prom date. While he can easily take his best friend Camille (Alia Shawkat), Danny would rather take a girl he might have a romantic chance with. Like the pretty, flirtatious blonde cheerleader he carpools with, or the reserved Asian classmate who writes exotic, pornographic poetry. He'd let his friends set him up with "that girl who sleeps around," he'd throw open the phone book and dial up a girl he hasn't seen in years -- all of which makes Danny a man on a mission. And that mission becomes even more complicated (and important) when Bart, the school's biggest loser, not only secures a prom date ... but also a hotel room. Yup ... even Bart got a room.

We're going to have plenty of Tribeca Film Festival coverage here as the festival revs up in the next week. In the meantime, if you're fortunate enough to be headed to the pricey, exclusive fest, Variety has posted a primer to the movies that have a good chance of getting picked up for distribution based on their reception there -- movies that are "piquing interest among execs." Making the list are the William H. Macy comedy Bart Got a Room; a psychological thriller called From Within that sounds oddly similar to this summer's The Happening; a documentary about a senior citizen hip hop dance team called Gotta Dance (also known as Young@Heart 2); Tennessee, a road movie starring Mariah Carey; and 6 others.

Not too much is known about most of these, but I can tell you that Bart Got a Room features the big screen debut of one Brandon Hardesty, who became a YouTube sensation by posting dead-on reenactments of famous movie scenes in which he played all the characters. He's one of the few instances of YouTube popularity that stems from actual talent -- he's an amazing impressionist, and a really funny guy -- so I'm thrilled for him. I hope the movie's good.

Stay tuned for Erik Davis's dispatches from Tribeca, including his own must-see list.

One of the films I'm most looking forward to at this year's Tribeca Film Festival is Bart Got a Room, directed by Brian Hecker (in his feature debut) and starring William H. Macy, Cheryl Hines, Steven Kaplan, Alia Shawkat and Jon Polito. Before I go any further -- I'm sorry, but how awesome does Macy look with that haircut? Only he can pull off the White Man's Fro and do it with style (click on the image to enlarge).

Bart Got a Room centers on any teenage kid's worst nightmare: Imagine the school's biggest dweeb not only secured a date for the prom before you, but he also got a hotel room. That's what happened to Danny (Kaplan), and now he's on a desperate quest to find a date while his divorced parents, Beth and Ernie Stein (Hines and Macy) independently search for love. Oh man, a skinny Jewish kid with major prom anxiety and nutty parents. This film will certainly take me back a few years.

We'll have a full review and interview with writer-director Brian Hecker later on this month. Oh, and when a trailer is available, we'll let you know.

It is hard enough being a nerdy kid searching for love. It is doubly hard to be that kid when you know love sucks and rarely works out. I remember being a teen conflicted by the desire for a date and the constant reminder that divorce is the best-case scenario for what that date will lead to. Now it seems Plum Pictures is making the story of my life, in the indie teen comedy Bart Got a Room. According to Variety, the film will star Steven Kaplan as a nerdy kid living with his parents (William H. Macy and Cheryl Hines) in a retirement community in Hollywood, Florida. At the moment in his life when he's seeking love, or at least a prom date, his parents are going through a divorce. Playing his best friend -- and let me guess also his eventual love interest -- is Alia Shawkat, who is best known as "Maeby" from the best television show ever, Arrested Development. The film is the feature debut of writer-director Brian Hecker and it will be produced by Grace is Gone's Celine Rattray, Galt Niederhoffer and Daniela Taplin Lundberg.

I have to point out -- because my mom reads Cinematical -- that my own parents divorced much, much earlier than my teen years, and I wasn't actually completely traumatized nor did the divorce ruin my ability to find love. So, Bart Got a Room will not parallel my life, though I do think I could relate to it anyway. And I'm sure I won't be alone there. The high school years are probably the most formative time in our lives regarding love and relationships, and certainly we look around us, to our parents, friends and relatives for guidance in how to figure it all out. Certainly a failing marriage in the home could have a negative impact on the experience, and I'm sure that's what Hecker is focusing on here. It kinda reminds me of Sixteen Candles, actually, in that it probably deals with a selfish lack of attention on the parents' part. Of course, with great talents like Macy and Hines at the reigns of Bart's family, we'll hopefully see more concentration on the parents in this than in that.

Welcome back to The Write Stuff! I'm thrilled that there is such a strong interest in screenwriting out there. Thank you all so much for your comments last week, both here and on my site. All of your questions and comments will be addressed in the coming weeks, so stay tuned and keep them coming!

The first interview for the column is with red-hot screenwriter Adam F. Goldberg. Adam is living the dream. He writes for both television and film, and his upcoming movie projects include Fanboys, the live-action Jetsons movie, and They Came from Upstairs. Cinematical spoke with the incredibly busy Goldberg about his scripts, his process, and Goonies: The Musical.

Cinematical: You said you were being "enslaved by a director," what are you working on? And should I call the authorities?

Adam F. Goldberg: Perhaps call them for my hacky writing! It's called They Came From Upstairs for Fox. It's a family movie, kinda like Gremlins -- but with aliens. The spec was written by Mark Burton and was sold for like $1.7 mil. I believe I am making about .0001212 of that. It's been a really cool project. The movie was in pre-production and the studio realized the script wasn't ready and shut it down pretty late in the game. I came aboard to get the train back on the tracks which is always high pressure and very difficult to do. I handed in 40 pages and they re-greenlit the movie and we're casting and location scouting now. I'm on draft two currently, working next to the director and bringing his vision into it.

Cinematical: Is that an awkward process at all -- being brought in to re-write a fellow writer? Do you ever run into hurt feelings or bruised egos? I guess the $1.7 million makes the pill easier to swallow.

AFG: Well, I come from the TV world, writing on sitcoms and that's very collaborative. You have to sit in the room and watch 10 other writers tear apart your script right in front of you. That bruises your ego. As for movies, more often than not a writer can only go so far and it's your job to bat clean up. It's never a great feeling to have your screenplay rewritten, but hopefully you've moved onto your next project, so it doesn't sting so much. And believe me, that $1.7 payday is like winning the lottery. I hope I can sell a spec one day. I've had little luck in that department.

Imagine if you will the incredible team-up of Morgan Freeman, Christopher Walken and Wiliam H. Macy -- not simply in the same movie, mind you, but as an on-screen trio. Now, imagine that they are playing the old security guards from Night at the Museum. OK, you've got a good mental picture of what The Lonely Maiden might look like. According to Variety, the three actors have been cast in the comedy, which was written by Michael LaSieur (You, Me and Dupree). The plot follows these three guards at an art museum (unlike Night's Museum of Natural History) who have become really attached to the paintings and other works they watch over every night. So, when some of the pieces are transferred to another location, the guys decide to pull a heist and steal the works in order to return them to their museum. Maybe they could have simply gotten jobs at this new place, but whatever.

The plot is very different from Night at the Museum, obviously, but I really can't get it out of my head that Freeman, Walken and Macy make for an almost perfect parallel to their respective counterparts Bill Cobbs, Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney. It's like this is a prequel to that hit Ben Stiller comedy. Sorta. Anyway, I'm excited to see these three actors working together. It's a much better mix for Macy than Wild Hogs, and it kinda reunites him with a fellow Another World cast member (did he and Freeman ever appear in an episode together?). Most importantly, though, is the fact that The Lonely Maiden will be just as much fun to listen to than to watch; rarely are such distinct and enjoyable voices grouped together in a non-animated movie. The Lonely Maiden (the title probably refers to a painting) will be be directed by Peter Hewitt (Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey) and begins shooting in Boston on November 12. Maybe at the Museum of Fine Arts?

I still can't help but think of J.D from Heathers whenever I see Christian Slater. But, one glance at the poster for his latest, He Was A Quiet Man, and that sexy trench-coat wearing psychopath is long gone. He's replaced by a convincingly nebbish type clutching what looks to be a homemade bomb -- J.D would be proud. Now, the trailer for the slightly odd romantic drama has just popped up on the web. The story centers on the unassuming office drone (Slater) who stops a workplace shooting spree, only to move up the corporate ladder and find love with one of the victims. Also starring is William H. Macy, and Elisha Cuthbert as Slater's love interest. The role is a nice change for Cuthbert who has spent too much screen time with either Paris Hilton or a hook up her nose -- and I'm not sure which would be more painful. But, she seems to be branching out from her current horror fare with this film and the upcoming remake for the South Korean film My Sassy Girl.

Quiet Man was written and directed by Frank Cappello, who has a relatively short resume as a director. Unfortunately, I've had some experience with his work in the relatively cheesy cop thriller No Way Back, but anyone worried that this film will be a return to those roots only has to look at the trailer for reassurance. This film seems to be aiming for a vibe that is quirky with a capital Q. So far, a release date has not been announced, but now that the trailer is making the rounds, we should hear word soon.

I've always visualized Christian Slater as being the age he was in Heathers and Pump Up the Volume -- the kid with aspirations of being Jack Nicholson. I never thought of him as having anything in common with character actor Stephen Root until I saw He Was a Quiet Man at SXSW, and it was rather a shock to remember that Slater is nearly the same age I am, which is not exactly teen-aged.

He Was a Quiet Man opens with a voice-over monologue from Slater, one of those "angry white guy" speeches about the state of the world today and why a man can't be a man anymore. Societal changes, especially feminism, just ruined it for everyone, y'know. When we finally see Slater peeking over the edge of a cubicle, it's a shock. He looks just like Milton, Stephen Root's red-stapler-loving character in Office Space. Only instead of cradling a red stapler and muttering about burning the office down, Slater's character Bob is cradling a loaded gun and pondering whom in the office he would shoot if he went on a killing spree. He targets his jerk of a boss, the chick who busts him for looking at her bust ... everyone except the lovely Venessa (Elisha Cuthbert), whose smile "lights up a room," as everyone keeps saying. You can imagine him doing it, too.

Actress Kristen Bell, who I first encountered as a teenage hooker and thief named Flora in the TV show Deadwood, has been steadily building up credits for the past few years, and now appears poised for a breakthrough. Production Weekly has learned that Bell will headline a romantic comedy called Forgetting Sarah Marshall during her next hiatus from the television show Veronica Mars. The film will mark the directing debut of Nick Stoller, who I assume is the same Nicholas Stoller who wrote the Jim Carrey vehicle Fun With Dick and Jane. Bell and co-star Jason Segel will play a boyfriend and girlfriend who break up and then accidentally head to the same vacation resort to get away from each other. Production on the film is scheduled to commence in April, in Hawaii and Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, Bell has also lined up another role, this time co-starring alongside William H. Macy in the film Antique, from Renji Philip. Bell's role will be Claire, a girl who befriends a homeless man played by Macy, and presumably learns some kind of life lessons from him. Anne Archer, Rachel Leigh Cook and Lolita Davidovich also have roles in the film. Other upcoming projets for Bell, previously announced, include Fanboys, about some youngsters who embark on a road trip to see Star Wars: Episode 1, and the animated film Flatland: The Movie.

Toward the end of Wild Hogs, I couldn't help but recall a scene from Three Amigos!; three unemployed, clumsy actors attempt to become the heroes they've played on screen so many times before in order to rescue an innocent woman from an evil clan of Mexican bandits. The two films have a lot in common: they both feature a group of simple men who pretend to be bad-ass rebels, but wind up disturbing the real-life warriors they so want to emulate. They both feature small towns (or villages) overrun by a gang of misfits out to take what they want, when they want it. Lastly, they both feature a crop of familiar Hollywood talent that, with the right script, are capable of providing an entertaining and satisfying moviegoing experience. Unfortunately, Wild Hogs got wrong everything Three Amigos! got right, and the result is a campy, poorly-written flick that relies too heavily on its physical comedy, without taking advantage of its diverse, multi-talented cast.

For the first half hour, pic repeatedly hits us over the head with the fact that our four main characters have grown into middle-aged boring men who wouldn't know fun and adventure if it came squealing into their driveways. Doug (Tim Allen) is a dentist who fails to earn respect from his wife and son because he's not a real doctor ... he's only a dentist. Woody (John Travolta) used to be a successful businessman, but is now flat broke after his supermodel girlfriend decided to toss him to the curb. Bobby (Martin Lawrence) is a plumber who takes orders from his wife as if he were the family pet, instead of the family man. And Dudley (William H. Macy) is our token geek; single, clumsy, stubborn and the butt of most of the sitcom-esque jokes -- in fact, I was half expecting a laugh track to pop up each and every time Dudley fell off his motorcycle (which, mind you, happens so often we can spot the joke coming from a mile away.)

I'm surrounded by four gregarious guys who ride Harleys, blow up bars and throw down with a rival biker gang named the "Del Fuegos." And strangely, I'm not afraid of getting my ass kicked. Perhaps that's because the aforementioned Harley pilots are John Travolta, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy, and they did all of that stuff in their new road-trip comedy Wild Hogs. The guys and I are in Boston, the second stop on their Wild Hogs promotional tour. Yesterday, they were in Atlanta, where long-haired, bearded, diehard bikers turned out in droves of thousands to follow the foursome as they cruised the streets on their hogs. A similar event -- a police-escorted bike ride from Beantown's Four Seasons Hotel to City Hall -- had been planned for later today, but alas the 18-degree temperatures and 40 mile-per-hour winds have crapped all over that plan like a pigeon on a motorcycle helmet. Instead, John, Tim, Martin and Bill will arrive for a ceremony with the Mayor Thomas Menino in big, warm, comfortable Suburbans. (More on that later).

For now, however, we're sitting in a warm hotel room at the Four Seasons listening to Allen work on one hell of a hilarious non sequitur in his patented Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor manly yawp: "I'm Spartacus. Who's Spartacus? I'm tired of dying. I'm tired of eating soup. Who's Spartacus? I'm Spartacus!" He's got me and his Hogs co-stars in stitches -- that is, until he blurts out, "Does it involve a spanking?!" Then the silence hits -- but only briefly, before another bout of prolonged laughter.

Two minutes in, and it's already clear that these four guys don't just play pals in a movie; they are pals. When Travolta claims, "I have to edit everything Tim says," Allen retorts with a comical threat in his best Arnold Schwarzenegger accent. And when asked who the most skilled rider is, they bust each others chops mercilessly one moment, then dole out Coca-Cola-sweet compliments the next.

For a while now, I wondered what on earth William H. Macy was thinking by being a part of Wild Hogs. While it is great to be silly now and then, it helps to not have audiences groaning when the trailer comes on, and shouting: "Why, Macy? Why?" at the screen. Okay, the last part is exaggerated, but I've been on the search for the "why" for a while now, and I think I finally have my answer -- he was doing a dorky family film to raise money for his passion project -- The Deal -- a film he wrote with long-time collaborator and the feature's director, Steven Schachter.

Erik shared news of the film last year, when Macy was going to co-star with Friends alum, Lisa Kudrow. Now Variety has Macy headlining the feature with Meg Ryan -- so either Phoebe has been axed, or downgraded, or maybe they didn't consider her big-screen material. The film was originally going to be a Showtime original movie, but it was re-imagined for wide-release. Then again, it's not like Ryan's career is roaring either. These days, the most she seems to drum up is questions about whether she's had work done to her face, and what happened to her chest.

The movie, in short -- Macy plays a struggling movie producer who cons a studio into letting him head a big-money action flick. The lead is kidnapped and the movie is shut down, but Macy's Charlie Berns (not Charlie Burns) uses the money for a secret picture without the studio's consent. While it might seem like just a goofy comedy about movie-making, it's also been Macy's labor of love. He's spent the last few years raising close to $8 million for the picture, all from non-Hollywood investors -- ones who have been quite understanding, according to Variety. The film will begin production this March in South Africa.

I admit I follow the news about actor William H. Macy a lot more closely than, say, Justin Timberlake. I'm very fond of many of Macy's films (The Cooler is fabulous), although I won't go so far as to watch certain movies just because he's in them (I'm probably going to skip Wild Hogs). So I was pleased to learn from Variety that Macy is planning his feature-film directorial debut this year. The actor will work behind the camera on the film Keep Coming Back, which will start shooting in July. Macy previously directed a made-for-HBO movie in 1988, Lip Service, and was an executive producer for Transamerica, which starred his wife, Felicity Huffman.

Keep Coming Back has a cast of familiar faces -- besides Macy, the current lineup includes Salma Hayek, Steve Buscemi and Mos Def. The film is about an inexperienced teen boy who crushes hard on an ex-stripper. It's a coming-of-age film and sounds pretty standard from the description, but perhaps it'll include some intriguing characters and plot twists. It's an indie film, in case you didn't guess from the cast, and ContentFilm (Thank You for Smoking, Party Monster) has agreed to handle international sales. I expect we'll see Keep Coming Back on the festival circuit sometime next year.

Okay, where in the world did this one come from? Well, we know where the rumor came from (Teletext UK) and who picked it up (our friends from FilmRot), but if it is indeed true then how come there hasn't been an explosion yet here in the States? Wait, let me back up for a minute: According to a story in Teletext UK, it appears as if folks finally found their Magnum P.I. Not only that, but a director is attached, a cast is set and a release date of Summer 2008 has been slapped on to seal the deal!

Um, perhaps I should back up even more: See, Hollywood has been attempting to bring the TV show Magnum P.I. to the big screen for quite awhile now, with folks like Ben Affleck, George Clooney and Vince Vaughn circling the project at one point. Needless to say, none of you liked those choices -- in fact, the Clooney rumor really pissed people off. Shut it down. Turn it off. Months go by ... and, now, here comes Matthew McConaughey to save the day. America's number one stud and the perfect (in my opinion) choice to take over a role owned and originated by the ultra cool Tom Selleck.

Teletext UK also informs us that Rawson Marshall Thurber (Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story) has been tapped to direct (off his own re-write of the script) with Steve Zahn and William H. Macy returning for a little Sahara reunion to play Rick and Higgins respectively. If that's not enough to whet your Magnum appetite, then I should also tell you that (apparently) Tyrese Gibson has signed on to play the role of T.C. All I can say about that is ... wow. For now, we'll officially chalk this one up as a rumor, but it's the best news I've heard about this project yet. What do you think?

Once upon a time, a guy in the throes of a midlife crisis would buy himself a red sports car. But these days, any balding, potbellied man worth his salt trades in his SUV not for a Corvette, but for the biggest, fastest motorcycle he can find. Four wheels bad, two wheels good!

That's the premise behind the upcoming comedy 'Wild Hogs,' which stars John Travolta, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy as suburban schmoes who hit the road, badass biker-style. Of course, they find that being badass isn't quite as easy as the brochure made it sound, even if they are sporting those studly black do-rags and leather jackets.

You can watch the trailer at the official site, but you can only see the poster right here. Click on the image for the super-size version, and then tack it to your wall while you wait for your own hog to arrive from the shop. Your wife/mom/grandma won't mind. 'Wild Hogs' opens March 2, 2007.

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