Drive Me Crazy

Plot

Nicole Maris, part of her high school's in-crowd, and Chase Hammond, a rebellious prankster, were childhood best friends and next-door neighbors. In junior high, they drifted apart due to opposing interests and the death of Chase's mother from cancer. During their senior year, Nicole plans the centennial dance, expecting to attend with popular basketball player Brad Seldon, but he falls for a cheerleader from a rival school and asks her instead. Chase is dating Dulcie, who leaves him after he refuses to join an animal rights protest.

Nicole calls Chase and proposes they pretend to date to make Brad and Dulcie jealous, with an easy out clause. Nicole gives Chase a makeover to fit in with her preppy group, and he befriends popular kids, though his old friend Dave resents his acceptance. Chase notes that their activities have only benefited Nicole, so she agrees to do whatever he wants; they go to a club he used to frequent, where Nicole bonds with his friends and kisses him to make Dulcie jealous.

They begin to genuinely like each other but hide their feelings. Dulcie asks Nicole about Chase, and after learning an enlightening detail, she becomes nice to him again. Nicole's friend Alicia kisses Chase at a party, making Nicole heartbroken. Chase, drunk, calls Dave for a ride and angers him by saying everyone was at the party, retorting that Dave is jealous because he never got into the cool clique.

Release

Drive Me Crazy opened in the United States and Canada on October 1, 1999, in 2,222 theaters. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a score of 29% based on 38 critics, with the consensus stating "Unoriginal story." It opened the same weekend as Three Kings and ranked sixth at the domestic box office with a weekend gross of $6,846,112. The film earned $17,845,337 in the United States and Canada and $4.7 million internationally, totaling $22.6 million worldwide against its $8.5 million budget.

Soundtrack

Jive Records put out the soundtrack for Drive Me Crazy on September 28, 1999. The album features Britney Spears’ “(You Drive Me) Crazy (The Stop Remix!),” Jars of Clay’s “Unforgetful You,” a Jack D. Elliot Radio Mix of Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way,” Barenaked Ladies’ “It’s All Been Done,” Plumb’s “Stranded,” Matthew Sweet’s “Faith in You,” Phantom Planet’s “Is This Really Happening to Me?,” a Tony Moran 7" Mix of Steps’ “One for Sorrow,” The Tamperer featuring Maya’s “Hammer to the Heart,” Don Philip’s “Sugar,” Mukala’s “Regret,” Silage’s “Original,” Less Than Jake’s “Help Save the Youth of America from Exploding,” and The Donnas’ “Keep on Loving You.” Several songs heard in the movie did not make the soundtrack: the opening theme “Turbo-Teen” by Sugar High, the club-scene track “Run Baby Run” by Deadstar, and “Wig-Wam Bam” by The Sweet, which plays at the film’s end.

Did You Know?

• High school scenes were filmed at Ogden High School in Utah.
• The dance club scene was filmed inside the now-closed Club Vortex on Exchange Place.