20. The classic “Perfect Date” line has a special meaning.
Every year on April 25th, memes pop up around Miss Rhode Island's favorite quote from the movie about the “perfect date,” which she misinterprets as her favorite day on the calendar rather than the perfect romantic getaway. As it turns out, screenwriter Mark Lawrence wrote this line, but Donald tweaked it, changing the date to his wife's birthday.
“I just said, 'Could it be April 25th? It’s my wife’s birthday,” the director said. “So I'm really happy that there are so many memes every year on her birthday.”
21. Last laugh
Donald said he deliberately includes extra scenes in early versions of his films in case something pops up to audiences he wasn't expecting, so critics are never invited to these screenings. But, the director and film blogger remembered Harry Knowles sneaked into a test screening and “gave it the harshest and worst review of any film ever made, including accusing me of personally ruining Sandy Bullock's career.”
Luckily, the studio seemed unfazed by the initial negative buzz, and the film was ultimately still a hit, grossing $212 million worldwide against a $45 million budget. “The only thing I can say,” Donald said, “is that I'm very glad that the film was a huge success and became sort of a classic comedy that made a lot of money, so I can gently point my finger at this review and say, 'Heh heh!'
