To Write Love on Her Arms
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To Write Love on Her Arms (also known as Day One; formerly Renee) is a 2012 American biographical drama film written and directed by Nathan Frankowski and starring Kat Dennings, Chad Michael Murray, Rupert Friend, Mark Saul, Juliana Harkavy, and Corbin Bleu. The film is based on the life of troubled teenager Renee Yohe and the founding of To Write Love on Her Arms by Jamie Tworkowski, after he and others helped Yohe to overcome her challenges enough to be able to enter rehab. The film premiered at the Omaha Film Festival on March 11, 2012, and was eventually released on DVD on March 3, 2015.

Plot

It is 2006, and 19-year-old Renee Yohe has always loved fairy tales: the idea of a princess, a hero and a happily ever after. However, her life is that of a darker tale. As she battles with drug addiction, bipolar disorder, self-harm and other life issues, she receives love and support from numerous friends and new acquaintances, including Jamie Tworkowski and David McKenna. When Yohe is turned away from drug rehabilitation, with open wounds from self-cutting making her too great a treatment risk, McKenna takes her into his home for five days of detox, while Tworkowski posts an article on Myspace, titled To Write Love on Her Arms (in contrast to Yohe having written Fuck Up on her arm, with a razor blade), to fundraise the cost of rehab. Their efforts for Yohe are successful, and leads to Tworkowski founding the charity group To Write Love on Her Arms, offering similar support to other people who have depression, suicidal thoughts, addictions, or struggles with self-harm.

Cast

  • Kat Dennings as Renee Yohe Lindsey Riesen as young Renee Isabella Iannuzzi as little Renee
  • Lindsey Riesen as young Renee
  • Isabella Iannuzzi as little Renee
  • Chad Michael Murray as Jamie Tworkowski
  • Rupert Friend as David McKenna
  • Juliana Harkavy as Jessie, Renee s best friend Samantha Castro as young Jessie
  • Samantha Castro as young Jessie
  • Corbin Bleu as Mackey
  • Mark Saul as Dylan Drayton Ball as young Dylan
  • Drayton Ball as young Dylan
  • Rus Blackwell as Conrad Willard
  • Sri Charan as Robert
  • Brian Patrick Clarke as Tom Yohe
  • West DeLarosa as Michael
  • Kristi Engelmann as Amanda
  • Whitney Goin as Dena Yohe
  • Katherine Shepler as April Yohe
  • Ryan Kirkland as Kirkland
  • Michelle LaBret as Nikki
  • J. LaRose as Echo
  • Steve Robertson as label rep Stevo
  • Brianna McCoy as Lacey
  • William Peltz as Sean
  • Juan Santos as Michael s father
  • Michael Sapp as Trappy
  • Chelsea Talmadge as Sarah

Production

Pre-production

Josh Lujan Loveless, Bob Massey, Jamie Tworkowski, and Renee Yohe all served as story consultants for the film, collaborating with Frankowski for the script. The film is produced by David Blair McKenna, a long time friend of Yohe s who provided her his home as a place to get sober, as depicted in the film, so she could enter rehab.

Filming

Principal photography started on February 23, 2011, exactly five years after Yohe and Tworkowski first met. Filming went until March 29, 2011, and was shot entirely in Yohe s home town of Orlando, Florida. Various scenes were shot at Valencia Community College, The DAVE School, Full Sail University and Wall Street Plaza.

Soundtrack

The film features songs from Travis McCoy, Paper Route, Rachael Yamagata, Dead Man s Bones, Corbin Bleu, Between the Trees, Kye Kye, Flint Eastwood, Flagship, Gatlin Elms, Duologue, Danny Leggett, Civilian, Savannah, Alex Bennett, and Bearcat.

Release

The film opened the 21st Florida Film Festival on April 13, 2012, playing at the Regal Winter Park Village. The film was released directly to DVD three years later, on March 3, 2015.

Piracy

On November 27, 2014, the film was leaked onto several peer-to-peer file sharing websites four months ahead of its intended public release. The film was one of five Sony Pictures films leaked, though fewer than 20,000 people downloaded To Write Love on Her Arms, compared to the 1.6 million combined downloads of Fury, Annie, Still Alice, and Mr. Turner.

Awards and accolades

Year Result Award Category Recipients
2012 Won Omaha Film Festival Encore Award Nathan Frankowski, Kim Dawson, David McKenna, Two Streets Entertainment
Nominated Visual Effects Society Awards Outstanding Visual Effects in a Student Project Syrena Edmonds, Zack Heimbegner, Brian Mullen, Nathaniel Skinner
Won Crystal Reel Awards Best Actress Kat Dennings
Won Best Casting Amy Severson
Won Cinematography Stephen Campbell
Won Best Sound / Sound Mixing – Feature Film Michael Orlowski, Dave Chmela
Won Best Special Effects (CGI) Lee Stringer
Nominated Best Director Nathan Frankowski
Nominated Best Picture Kim Dawson

Year 2012
ReleaseDate 2015-03-03
RuntimeMins 102
RuntimeStr 1h 42min
Plot A drama centered around Renee Yohe and her battle with drugs, depression, and other life issues that ultimately leads to the founding of charity group To Write Love on Her Arms.
Awards Awards, 6 wins & 3 nominations
Directors Nathan Frankowski
Writers Kate King Lynch, Nathan Frankowski, Renee Yohe
Stars Kat Dennings, Chad Michael Murray, Rupert Friend
Produced by Ralph Clemente,Kim Dawson,Larry Frenzel,Darcy Loughran,Josh Lujan Loveless,Pattie Mallette,David McKenna,David Nixon,Steven Okin,Rick Ramsey,Paul Sirmons,Jayson Stringfellow,Tom Swanson,Steve Warner
Music by Robbie Bronnimann,Andy Hunter
Cinematography by Stephen Campbell
Film Editing by Nathan Frankowski,Gordon Grinberg
Casting By Amy Baker
Production Design by Mark Garner
Art Direction by Kirk Walchek
Set Decoration by Christian Guevarra,Ronald Quiliche,John Tegethoff
Costume Design by Beverly Safier
Makeup Department Cori Adkins,Barry Anderson,Regina S. Chaney,Irene Ferdinand,Jayson Harper,Jose Hiram Hernandez-Urdaz,Yolanda Winters
Production Management Rob Micai,Paul Sirmons
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director Michael Finn,Krystian Lagowski,Levon Mergian
Art Department Jessica Beddingfield,Neil Bernard,Joan Bernier,Celeste Brown,Dan Buckley,Trevor Crews,Cameron J. Curey,Michael Edling,Forrest Gillespie Jr.,D’Asia Grace,Bradley Hagelin,Bryce Huffman,Bret Kane,Ryan David King,Jeffrey Mars,Hannah Mericle,Bron Moyi,John Ogonoski,Timothy Pierce,Ronald Quiliche,Luis Restrepo,Ray Richardson,Tommy Scoggins,Gene Siegmund,Frank Sleeman,Dan Stewart,Brian Stuckey,Lia Studholme,Kurt Thoresen,Kirk Walchek,Andrew White,Douglas Winters,Jan Wittman,Ryan C. Wolfgang
Sound Department Chelsea Bray,Sergio Burgos,Dave Camella,Jeff Cannon,Carl Carden,Dave Chmela,Colin Hart,Matt Hovland,K.C. Ladnier,Whitney McElveen,Troy Mueller,Michael Orlowski,Michael Retherford,John Statzell,Brian Swanson,Nick Mortillaro
Special Effects by Charles Beck,Tom Blasco,Jeremy S. Brock,George Hirst
Visual Effects by Saham Ali,Todd M. Constantine,Peter Cromwell,Mark A. Davis,Matt Dolemba,Syrena Edmonds,Aine Graham,Jon Gress,Zack Heimbegner,David Heizer,Heath Jepson,Nathan Kawalec,Anthony Marigliano,Alberto Tito Matos Jr.,Carlos McEntire,Sherryl Morgan,Visherryl Morgan,Brian Mullen,Brandon Nnadi,Alvin Pollard,Steve Porter,Jake Pye,Nathaniel Skinner,Daniel L. Smith,Stephen T. Spurlock,Lee Stringer,Isaac Von Leu,Chris Wren,Michael A. Young
Stunts Jennifer Badger,Antony Matos
Camera and Electrical Department Bobby Arnold,Anel Bencosme,Alexander Bright,Ian Campbell,Gary H. Clay,Nick Colvin,Ryan Patrick Dean,Tanya Draskovic,Joshua Earles-Bennett,Cliff Erickson,Carlos Escobar,Chris Garofalo,Mike L. Germaine,Hatem Habashi,Stuart Hall,Charlie Harrold,Jeremy Hicks,Billy Kidd,Ho Jung Kim,Joe Mast,Ryan Meng,Ryan Moench,Jerny Morales,John Muliler,Jennifer Nass,John Oliveri,Andre Ortiz,Gene Page,Stephanie Power,Patrick Redmond,Terry Schroth,Richard Scioli,Bob Scott,James Slater,Sara A. Smith,Victor Smith,Alan Solomon,Phil Stevenson,Daniel Stilling,Matthew Whalen,Will Williams,Sean Wilson,Sean R. Wilson,April Yohe
Casting Department Michael Dris,Sarah Ferdinandt,Adair Findley,Christian Gabriel Guevara,Danielle Lunetta,Lauren Perchitti,Kia Riddick-Taylor,Danae Stringfellow
Costume and Wardrobe Department Craig Alaire,Angela Bush,Lance Hamilton,Ash Harris,Armando Pompa
Editorial Department Frank Gould,Ron Heidt,James Koon,John Petersen,Kira Prince
Location Management Brian Burger,Chad Diaz,Kerby Hypolite,Benjamin Lyda,Joshua Story
Music Department Josh Lujan Loveless,Calen Rhome,Ashley Slone
Script and Continuity Department Wendy Delouche,Denise Lockwood,Stephanie Lowell
Transportation Department Robert E. Byrd,James Holliday,Jeff Hooie,Kevin Kinglesmith IV,Julio Palomino,Bobby R. Smith
Additional Crew Anthony Annone,Dan Barentine,Ryan Barnes,Travis Bell,Kirk Bonacci,Ernest Britt Jr.,Shaun Burkhart,Jeremy Camp,Aubrie Campbell Canfield,Andrew Campbell,Cheryl Cummings,Lindsay Davis,Lindsay A. Davis,Ruth Feliciano,Wilmore Fowler,Alex Frasier,Hannah Grombol,Andrea Hathaway,Lisa Marie Hill,Ciara Nicole Holland,Ryan David King,Anna Kirby,Michael Kuzenka,Zachary Layner,Jon Longstaff,Michael J. McCarthy,Alyssa McCraw,Ned McLeod,Levon Mergian,Mandi Milks,Max Miller,Dimitri Molimis,Daniel Muller,David Nichols,Jamie Dasting Nisbett,Jamesy Pena,Donald Phillips,Monica B. Real,Annie Robinson,Nic Roc,Kellina Rutherford,Ognjen Sarovic,Sheryl Sirmons,Loren Marie Story,Cid Swank,Tyler Wells
Genres Biography, Drama, Fantasy
Companies Birchwood Pictures, Noble Pictures, Two Streets Entertainment
Countries USA
Languages English
ContentRating PG-13
ImDbRating 6.5
ImDbRatingVotes 3057
Keywords childhood flashback,title appears in writing,waking up from a nightmare,garden,bipolar disorder