Movies

EW Presents...

Exclusive star interviews

EW Games

Movie Preview

Serving Sara

A film shot around a rehabbing star, in anticipation of an actors' strike? Doesn't sound like an easy way to reach that bar.

More

'SARA' Wrap Hurley has a hold on Perry

Serving Sara: Ron Phillips

Silly scenarios abound in Hudlin's fish-out-of-water romantic comedy, which has Hurley and Perry meeting not-so-cute. He's the guy, in fact, who's serving her with divorce papers on behalf of her shameless Texas husband (Campbell) -- and soon gets swept into a cross-country jaunt to save her fortune. ''I liked the idea of playing an English girl caught up in chaos on a Texan cattle ranch,'' says Hurley. ''It's like putting a boy from Brooklyn in Buckingham Palace.'' Or having a supermodel actress perform goosey physical comedy. ''Liz is a good sport,'' says director Hudlin (''The Ladies Man''). ''She's a beautiful lady, but she's more than willing to hop off the pedestal and do a pratfall.''

Appropriately, the script was honed by former ''Seinfeld'' scribe Carol Leifer and her writing partner Chuck Martin, then tweaked even more during rehearsals. ''I wanted it to have a ''Midnight Run'' feel to it,'' says Perry, who in fact, screened some of that movie for the filmmakers. ''It also has a little bit of ''Fletch.'' And [I'd offer] other ideas that came out of my freakish little brain.'' ''Sara'' wasn't all smiles, however: Last February production was halted for two months after Perry checked himself into rehab for a second time. His costar, however, says the dilemma didn't bleed onto the set. ''Matthew is very gifted comedically, and was always terribly sweet,'' says Hurley, ''even when he was having personal problems.'' In the end, Hudlin hopes he's created a hybrid of ''His Girl Friday'' and ''Midnight Run.'' ''Those touchstones were things Matt and I clicked over,'' he says. ''It's like: There's the bar!''

Posted Apr 19, 2002 | Order Article Reprints