by SARAH ROWLAND

Pathetic schmo with not much going on in his life or Average Joe fulfilling a lifelong dream? Brian Herzlinger walks this line throughout most of My Date With Drew, a doc that chronicles his quest to land a date with Drew Barrymore.

The inspiration for this so-so comedy came to Herzlinger after he won first prize on a smalltime, charades-type game show, in which the score-topping answer was "Drew Barrymore." Having been a diehard fan of Barrymore's since he first laid eyes on her in E.T., Herzlinger took this stroke of luck as a sign that he should not only make his childhood fantasy a reality, but record the whole process.

The catch is that the skint, unemployed, yet strangely resourceful amateur filmmaker has only his $1,100 (U.S.) in prize money, and not a penny more, for a budget. As well, his equipment consists of no more than one camera that his friend buys for him under the condition that Herzlinger return it within 30 days of purchase in order to recoup a full refund. With these confines, he sets out to woo Drew away from her on-again, off-again rock star boyfriend, drummer Fabrizio Moretti.

Much of the film's appeal depends on your tolerance for the neurotic, self-deprecating Herzlinger, who tends to take his self-imposed challenge just a little too seriously at times. In one scene, his eyes actually start to well up when attempts to hook up with Barrymore's assistant's assistant's etc. don't pan out. (Breakdowns of the degrees of separation appear regularly on the side of the screen to guide you along.) He's most likeable, though, when he can laugh at this insane mission, like in the scene where he optimistically auditions Drew look-a-likes for a practice date.

But what really keeps Herzlinger from coming across as just another celebrity hound is the team of friends, family and even industry people cheering him along as he does things like get a Colin Farrell makeover to increase his chances with the Full Throttle star - who, by the way, is a total champ about the whole thing. Which is lucky for Herzlinger because if it weren't for her, My Date With Drew would have been nothing more than a how-to-stalk instructional video and not a very funny one at that.

My Date with Drew opens Friday, Aug. 12

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