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Binghamton pride was out in force Sunday afternoon as 1,200 people viewed a special screening of 鈥淭he Rewrite,鈥� starring Hugh Grant and what writer/director Marc Lawrence 鈥�81 calls his 鈥渓ove letter to Binghamton.鈥�

If you were to ask anyone in the audience, you鈥檇 hear that the movie is a hit and Lawrence and Grant are a match made in heaven, but Binghamton was the star of the film. That became apparent every time a scene from the campus filled the screen and applause filled the Osterhout Concert Theater.

Listening to the pair鈥檚 self-deprecating responses to audience questions following the screening gave a clear message that Lawrence and Grant are close friends who work well together 鈥� and like to laugh.

How was this movie different than the other three you鈥檝e done together?

Lawrence: 鈥淲e had no money. There are film hubs around the country, and Binghamton is not one of them, so if we were to shoot up here we would have to bring the entire crew 鈥� 150 people for about six weeks and that costs more than shooting the film around New York City.鈥�

Grant: 鈥淚t鈥檚 sad we couldn鈥檛 have filmed more of it here.鈥�

How did the green light work for this movie/when did you get a commitment it would be a film?

Lawrence: I鈥檝e never written an outline for a script. I wrote the script and worked with Castle Rock, and so after I had a finished draft, I showed it to Hugh and he said 鈥楲et鈥檚 do it.鈥欌��

Grant: 鈥淲e did it differently, with private money and the luxury of doing it the way we liked.鈥�

The family theme was heartfelt in the film. Was it drawn from experience?

Lawrence: 鈥淭here certainly was a lot of family involved in the movie. My son, Clyde, wrote and performed the score, and my wife and son, Linus, are briefly in the movie, but not specifically otherwise. There is one character who Hugh and I both know from Hollywood and Hugh is actually the one who said let鈥檚 see how long this takes to make him cry. So it鈥檚 bits and pieces and some from professors I had in Binghamton. They鈥檙e in the movie a bit, but nothing directly.鈥�

What鈥檚 your favorite place in Binghamton?

Grant: 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to choose, but in the end, it might be the Red Robin.鈥�

Lawrence: 鈥淗ugh liked Wegmans and learned to drink bourbon at Number 5.鈥�

How have your experiences living in Binghamton shaped other things you鈥檝e written?

Lawrence: 鈥淭he very first script I wrote that got me an agent was called 鈥淭he World鈥檚 Most Famous House鈥� about my experiences at 130 Oak St., which is now a parking lot and strangely in better shape now than when I lived there. That got me an agent and started me off, so my first and most recent scripts were Binghamton based. I can鈥檛 think of any other special stuff, but I have an affinity for certain aspects of life here and they may have shown up in some other scripts.鈥�

We鈥檝e read that acting is something you fell into and you鈥檙e not super passionate about. Have you found anything to fill that gap?

Grant: 鈥淭he acting thing, yes. It鈥檚 true I like to moan a bit about acting. Film acting can be a bit slow and tedious, but once I鈥檝e signed on the dotted line, then I鈥檓 very dedicated and serious 鈥� and annoying as an actor. I interfere with every aspect of the film. Have I ever found what would make me happy? Not at all.

Lawrence: 鈥淗ugh asks a lot of questions. I enjoy that kind of thinking. He鈥檚 very, very easy for me and the attention to detail is great. When I look in his trailer, his script is open and he鈥檚 marking it up. 

Grant: 鈥淢arc鈥檚 script when you get it is very damn good. He鈥檚 already done hundreds of versions.鈥�

How many scripts did you write before you were happy with one when you first started out?

Lawrence: 鈥淲hen I started writing in 1982 or 1983, it was pre-computer and I don鈥檛 really remember how many. No less than 10 for a 30-minute television show and then I sent that out. Most writing is rewriting for me. I wish I could do outlines, but an outline goes right out the window when I start writing the script. My wife, Linda, has read through and suffered through my scripts, from 鈥淔amily Ties鈥� to this thing I鈥檓 writing now.

Do you consider yourself to be a romantic?

Lawrence: 鈥淚t is ironic. Do I consider myself to be a romantic? A lot of my favorite movies are romantic comedies, but it鈥檚 really because I鈥檝e done nothing with my life. I don鈥檛 take vacations. I鈥檝e no spirit of adventure or wanderlust or desire to meet new people. My life story is really boring, so that鈥檚 what I know a little bit about and having kids. So it鈥檚 probably a lot of that.鈥�

Why do you love Binghamton?

Lawrence: 鈥淚 met Linda and most of my best friends here. I played in a band that was just brilliant. I met incredible professors here. I loved the campus, loved living off campus. It was a little world at the end of four years and I think we felt like we owned it. It was a great four years and a cherished memory for me and for the rest of my career I鈥檝e tried to extend that environment.鈥�

Any advice for students?

Lawrence: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 really have any. It depends what you do here. If you鈥檙e a writer, you have to keep writing. There are no shortcuts. Stay true to the 11-year-old in you. I learned how to dig down 鈥� to the hood of my car in the Newing parking lot.鈥�

What are the top skills we can learn at school that industry people are looking for?

Grant: 鈥淭he film touches on all that. There has to be a bit of talent, but apart from that, the one thing I鈥檝e noticed is that there鈥檚 no industry where the discipline is better than in the film industry. People never turn up late or call in sick or don鈥檛 get along with the crew. There鈥檚 no slacking.鈥�

Did you have any experiences in general that made you want to be a writer?

Lawrence: 鈥淚 went to law school for a year. Actually, I took no creative classes here and never had any formal training, which is probably clear. I always loved to write but hadn鈥檛 shown anything to anyone and the year at law school was the spark I needed. At Binghamton I was hoping to be a rock star, but was bad on so many levels including lack of talent. But four years here prepared me in many, many ways to do what I am doing, even though I wasn鈥檛 conscious of it.鈥�

The movie doesn鈥檛 end with a kissing scene. Why not?

Lawrence: 鈥淲e did a kiss scene.鈥�

Grant: 鈥淲e all shuddered and we cut it.鈥�

Did you write this movie with Hugh in mind?

Lawrence: 鈥淗ugh was like the eighth or ninth choice. No, I absolutely wrote this with Hugh in mind. He reads a script and if he likes it, he鈥檒l do it. It鈥檚 been that way with every movie we鈥檝e done.鈥�

Grant: 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to do any of his movies, I just felt sorry for him. But no, for me, his scripts always make me laugh and it鈥檚 impossible to resist.鈥�

Cast members Annie Q., Emily Morden and Steven Kaplan also attended the screening. Kaplan鈥檚 two older brothers and a sister-in-law are Binghamton graduates, so this wasn鈥檛 his first time on campus.

Prior to the screening, Lawrence was honored at a reception, which included a proclamation by the Alumni Association for his extraordinary accomplishments in the motion picture industry and his sustained engagement with his alma mater.

Surprised at the recognition, he joked that he 鈥済ot a lot of this treatment as an undergraduate,鈥� then added that 鈥淚 love this place. It absolutely made me who I am. I met my wife here, a lot of my closest friends are from here, and Bill Spanos, my favorite professor of all time. Professors made an enormous difference to me, so it was an easy call to set the movie here.鈥�

When asked at the reception about what he thought of Binghamton, Grant said that he 鈥渨ill always have a special place in my heart for the Red Robin and spiedies,鈥� adding that 鈥淭he Rewrite鈥� is 鈥渜uite a celebration of Binghamton and I feel by proxy very fond of Binghamton and a bit Bearcat-y myself.鈥�

鈥淭he Rewrite鈥� will be released in some cities Friday, Feb. 13, though Binghamton is not included on the list. However, those wishing to see it will find it on video on demand and iTunes.