Nate Cooper (Joel David Moore) has been smitten with Cristabel Abbott (Paris Hilton) since he first laid eyes on her at the impressionable age of six. But before he could try and snuggle up to her at nap time, or maybe send her a valentine, his family moved away. In the intervening years there have been other women in Nate’s life, but none who could measure up to Cristabel. Convinced she’s the only girl for him, Nate decides to move back to L.A. and track her down.
The good news: she’s still single and stunning. The bad news: there’s a reason she’s still single. Cristabel’s still best friends with the same ugly little girl Nate remembers from first grade, June Phigg (Christine Lakin). The two are inseparable. They live together. They go to yoga together. They would even go on double dates together… if only June could get a date. And Cristabel simply refuses to leave dear June home alone.
Determined to spend as much time as possible with Cristabel, Nate sets out to find a boyfriend for June. But even when he pays them, guys all flee at the sight of her. And then it hits him: June needs a makeover. But as Nate and June become friends and she emerges from her cocoon, Nate slowly realizes that the girl of his dreams isn’t the hottie at all. It’s the nottie — who turns out to be something of a hottie herself.
Producer’s Statement from Hadeel Reda
I love gross-out comedies that test the boundaries of taste. Just as the lines of good taste are being crossed, the humor opens the door to a world where sensitive societal issues can be addressed. THE HOTTIE & THE NOTTIE has universal themes about love, beauty and self-confidence, which we explored while developing the project. We wanted a “Nottie” character we could laugh at and relate to at the same time.
In our body-conscious culture, we hope that people judge us for who we are and not just our appearance. It does not matter if we are supermodel or troll, we each feel like a “Nottie” at some point. Ironically, the “Hottie” is afflicted by the same issue as the “Nottie.” Being stunningly gorgeous, the character of Cristabel Abbot is also judged by her appearance. More than anything else, she wants someone to fall in love with her and not just her “perfect breasts.”
In addition to the themes of beauty and self-image, the project explores the theme of lost love and obsession. Every person can relate to the character of Nate Cooper, who wonders if Cristabel is “the One that got away.” This is what makes us so vested in his journey. Nate’s longing for Cristabel is symptomatic of all the characters in the film still living in a childhood fantasy. He has loved her since first grade, and he has been emotionally stunted since then. All our characters carry childhood baggage. Nate is haunted by the beautiful memory of Cristabel, Cristabel remains the hovering protector of June, June is still living in the “Hottie’s” beautiful shadow, and in the most extreme case, the character of Arno Blount, still lives with his mother… and we’re not quite sure what is going on with those two. This film is about all of them (with the possible exception of Arno Blount) growing up and growing out of their childhood trauma.
The Look of the Show
The characters’ stunted growth is expressed in the design of the show. The director, Tom Putnam, collaborated with his key crew to create a colorful look for the film. Cristabel and June’s apartment is bright, cheery and decorated with drawings and handmade objects from growing up together. The two girls are tightly bound together and their home is almost childlike and fanciful. Arno’s house is obviously stuck in a bygone era where mother offers childhood comforts like holiday candies and cozy print blankets.
Originally, the script was set in Boston. The director thought Los Angeles could be a more fitting character in the show. In a story about a “perfect 10” and an “ugly duckling,” there is no better place than L.A. to show our preoccupation with beauty and image. In a town where fashion and plastic enhancements are required to get noticed and accepted, we really felt that June could be just about any woman living in L.A. Los Angeles’ fixation on fitness trends, such as yoga, also makes Nate feel like a bit of a “Nottie” himself.
Casting
Paris Hilton (“Cristabel”) was the natural choice to play the “Hottie.” Besides her well-known catch phrase, “That’s hot,” Paris is someone who is inherently judged in the media on her appearance. Everyone has assumptions about what she is really like. This is the same mistake Nate makes with Cristabel in the film. The challenge was in trying to find a “Nate” and a “June” to fill out the cast.
We auditioned many talented actors and actresses for the roles, but when Joel David Moore came in, we knew we had our Nate. He has the air of the “Everyman” about him, which makes audiences want to root for him to get the girl. Joel’s combination of wit, determination and charm was perfect for the role.
When it came time to find our “Nottie,” we auditioned many beautiful and talented actresses, but Christine Lakin stood out when she gave June a tomboyish vulnerability that impressed the casting directors as well as the director. The hardest part in casting Christine for the role was making her look ugly. Make-up artist Randy Westgate and hairstylist Dugg Kirkpatrick transformed Christine into the “Nottie” by creating prosthetic teeth, mole and hairpiece. Shapely legs became hairy and an infected toenail was too real for many members of the cast and crew to look at without having a physical response.
For the role of “the male Cristabel,” we had to find someone who could be threatening to Nate while still being the ideal “perfect guy” for women. No muscle-bound jock would do. The character’s name was originally “Brad,” but when we met Johann Urb, it was hard to know where the line would be drawn between the character and actor. The director thought it would be appropriate to rename the character after Johann. Johann even wrote his own song in the movie. Originally, the song to be sung in the coffee shop was “Wildfire,” perhaps too dated for our audience. So, when Johann invited us to hear his song, we realized “Someday” was the right song to watch the budding relationship between June and Johann.
Financing and Production
The challenge of making an independent picture is to find all the pieces that can fit together at the same time. When we found the director and Paris, the rest fell into place… with a good amount of coaxing.
Even though we had funding, the film was envisioned at a larger budget and we had to get creative with the budgeting of resources and time. It was a quick 21day shoot in Los Angeles with one of the most photographed people in the world. Extra security was called in to help with the invasion of paparazzi, but every day Paris Hilton was working, an encampment of cameras was set up just beyond the perimeter of our set.
The paparazzi provided some entertainment for us when filming at a Venice nightclub. They were lying in wait at a parking lot across the street when one of the production’s white SUVs pulled up. Suddenly, the paparazzi jumped over the hoods of parked cars and dodged security to get in front of Paris on the sidewalk. They lowered their cameras and let out a collective groan when they saw that it was Paris’s stunt double.
Besides herding paparazzi, the production also had to contend with weather in Los Angeles, which is usually not a factor. L.A. is well-known for its fun in the sun, but poor Paris Hilton found herself clad in a tiny white bikini on a day of record-breaking cold in January while crew members kept warm in their hats and gloves. Mother Nature showed she had a wicked sense of humor when we were shooting for Nate’s cold climate apartment in Maine. On that day, Los Angeles had near 90-degree weather. The crew was running around in shorts and t-shirts while the actors were sweating in wool coats.
The cast and crew worked incredibly hard on this film and we congratulate them on making such an endearing comedy about love lost and found in the funniest of places.
Production notes provided by Regent Releasing.
The Hottie & The Nottie
Starring: Paris Hilton, Joel David Moore, Christine Lakin, Adam Kulbersh, Kathryn Fiore, Erin Cardillo, Samantha Bailey
Little Girl
Directed by: Tom Putnam
Screenplay by: Heidi Ferrer
Release Date: February 8, 2008
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for crude and sexual content.
Studio: Regent Releasing
Box Office Totals
Domestic: $27,696 (1.7%)
Foreign: $1,568,536 (98.3%)
Total: $1,596,232 (Worldwide)