The write thing pays off for Hach
Moviegoers get "Freaky"
By Leah Franklin

Heather Hach with Jason Hearne. The two were married Dec. 23.

Think you can go out and write a movie? "I didn't think I could do it," said Heather Hach ('93). "Screenwriting was something other people did."

But last summer the Loveland native found she had penned her own Hollywood screenwriting success story.

It took a year for Hach and her co-writer, Leslie Dixon, to write the screenplay for the Disney remake of "Freaky Friday." The movie, which features Jamie Lee Curtis as a mother who magically switches lives with her daughter, was released last summer and topped the $100 million mark in ticket sales.

Hach wrote two drafts, the second of which "cracked it," she said, adding that the biggest challenge was writing in the voice of someone who was in another character's body.

"I had to stick Post-Its on my desk (that read) 'Tess is Anna' and other dense reminders because it got baffling," she said.

Hach said she encountered other obstacles when trying to create new twists to make the film more modern. It all fell into place when Hach and Dixon realized they should make the mother a psychiatrist who thought she knew everything about adolescents but didn't know how to communicate with her own teen-age daughter. Hach said that and a wedding slant were crucial elements.

"Freaky Friday" was Hach's first assignment for Disney and as a professional screenwriter. Though she was under a great deal of pressure, Hach said she had a lot of support from her producers and director. She also learned to temper her enthusiasm.

"You can't get too excited; you need to be detached," Hach said. "It's hard, but it saves you from getting too disappointed."

Hach said a screenwriter's key to survival is a healthy dose of skepticism and not taking anything too seriously.

As soon as a project is declared a done deal in Hollywood, it's not, she said.

Jamie Lee Curtis and Mark Harmon star in "Freaky Friday," a film about a mother who magically switches lives with her daughter.

"Freaky Friday" is at last not only a done deal but a huge success, grossing $110 million.

Since then, Hach has been busy writing screenplays for movies and television shows. She is working on a movie screenplay titled, "Me and My Boy." She said she is hoping that Lynda Obyst will produce and direct the film and that actress Kate Hudson will star in it. Obyst produced "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," in which Hudson played a leading role. Hach said Obyst discussed "Me and My Boy" with Hudson and that the actress loved the idea.

Hach also is developing a screenplay about a governor's wife who wants to become America's first lady. She recently sold a television program to Fox, which she says is a modern Brady Bunch kind of show called "Live Better."

"I don't want to limit myself," Hach said. "I love the immediacy of television. Movies can drag and drag."

Hach's route to screenwriting began after a stint as a research assistant at The New York Times Denver bureau. She said she realized journalistic writing was not what she was supposed to do, but she didn't think screenwriting was a feasible career.

After a rough divorce, Hach decided in 1998 that she had nothing to lose by pursuing her dreams. Realizing that she could just go home if she failed, she decided to spend five years in Los Angeles. A week after arriving in California, she began Writer's Boot Camp, a six-week career development program that helps aspiring screenwriters with their creative writing skills.

"Writer's Boot Camp gave me the skills to write screenplays," Hach said.

She eventually won a fellowship with Disney, which led to her writing the screenplay for the remake of "Freaky Friday." Hach was soon working with famous directors and actors, including Curtis.

"It's surreal to hang around movie stars and directors, but you also realize they're just people," she said. "Most of them have gigantic issues anyway, but they are an entertaining lot."

She said one of her friends, Zooey Deschanel – one of the stars of the film "Elf" – is a wonderful person. Hach has pitched ideas to Jennifer Aniston, who Hach said was very nice and just as adorable as anyone could imagine. Hach said Aniston nearly cried at the end of the pitch.

However, Hach said she would prefer to keep movie stars on pedestals sometimes.

"I hate it when I find out a star is really just a jackass and not the family man he claimed to be on Oprah," she said.

Hach was the guest of honor at a fall reception for SJMC alumni in Los Angeles, hosted by Dean Paul Voakes.

Her advice to those who want to follow in her footsteps: Watch a lot of good and bad movies because they can both be very informative. She also recommends reading the screenplays of favorite movies.

Writing lots and lots of screenplays, novellas, short stories and anything else is also important, she said. Complete a 110-page screenplay, she said, and the process will be demystified.

"Don't worry if your first one stinks," she said. "Just be true to your own voice because that is what will get you recognized."

She recommended living in Los Angeles or New York City and harvesting Hollywood contacts.

"Above all else – and not to sound too Miss America – believe in yourself and your voice," Hach said.

As for Hach, she said she plans to continue her screenwriting career. She said she doesn't want to limit herself to films, so she is expanding into television. "I'm just going with the flow," she said.