Jon Poll has made a distinguishing career as an editor in blockbuster comedies such as Meet the Parents, Meet the Fockers, the last two Austin Powers, and Scary Movie 3. After directing a second-unit crew in Fockers and being an executive producer of The 40-Year-Old Virgin, he got the chance to direct his first feature-length film, which is the high school prescription-drug flick, Charlie Barlett.
Even though he has been an editor for most of his career, Poll says, "I consider myself a filmmaker. I went to film school; I directed a lot for short films. But, I had a great career where I got to work on all kinds of entertaining films." Most directors do not really start directing films until they are in their 30s, so Poll's opportunity was certainly one that took a career to earn.
Yet, choosing to do Charlie Bartlett was no easy decision. Poll states, "I read a hundred scripts and I turned down a lot of things that were broad comedies that didn't appeal to me, and then I found something that I liked." Poll had a specific idea of a film he wanted to do. "I was looking for something with humor, heart, and something on its mind. I've been around directors enough to know that they have no life. If you're going to give it up and sleep for four hours a night for a year, you might as well care about it." With these requirements, Poll chose Gustin Nash's script, Charlie Bartlett, a teen movie that deals with complex themes of prescription drugs and the art of psychiatry.
The film's script had some business faults though; it is a teen movie that is clearly an R-rated script. The rating is not the result of language or nudity (although it has a little of both), but rather because the film shows kids buying, selling, and using drugs - something the Motion Picture Association of America doesn't take very lightly. How do you market a movie to teens who cannot even see the movie? Because of this dilemma, studio heads told Poll, "You're out of your mind. This is an R-rated teen movie. Not only are we not going to make this movie, but no one's going to make this movie." Yet Poll loved the script so much that he continued pursuing the film, and got an independent distributor to bravely fund the film and make it with a lower budget.
2008 Woodie Awards
