20. The classic “Perfect Date” line has a special meaning
Every April 25th, memes pop up to celebrate the Miss Rhode Island film’s popular quote about the “perfect date,” which she mistakenly interprets as her favorite day on the calendar rather than her ideal romantic getaway. It turns out that screenwriter Marc Lawrence wrote the line, but Donald tweaked it by changing the date to his own wife’s birthday.
“I just said, ‘Could it be April 25th? This is my wife’s birthday,'” the director revealed. “So I’m very glad that all of these memes are running around on her birthday every year.”
21. Get the last laugh
Donald said he purposely included additional scenes in the early cuts of his films in case something shows up with the audience that he wasn’t expecting, so critics are never invited to these screenings. But the director remembered film bloggers Harry Knowles snuck into a test screening and “gave him the most scathing, worst of all films, including the call for personally ruining Sandy Bullock’s career.”
Fortunately, the studio didn’t seem impressed by the early negative sentiment, and ultimately the film was still a hit, grossing $ 212 million worldwide from a $ 45 million budget. “The only thing I can say,” said Donald, “is that I’m sure I’m glad that the film was a huge hit, a kind of classic comedy, and made a lot of money that I can turn my finger gently. ” at this review and go, ‘Heh, heh!’ “
