Meet Bill
| Meet Bill | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Bernie Goldmann Melisa Wallick |
| Written by | Bernie Goldmann Melisa Wallick |
| Produced by | Bernie Goldmann GreeneStreet Films |
| Starring | Aaron Eckhart Jessica Alba Elizabeth Banks Timothy Olyphant Logan Lerman |
| Distributed by | First Look International |
Release dates | May 9, 2008 |
Running time | 97 min |
| Country | United States |
| Languages | English Spanish |
| Budget | $5 million |
| Box office | $62,597 |
Meet Bill (formerly known as Bill) is a 2008 comedy film written and directed by Bernie Goldmann and Melisa Wallick and starring Aaron Eckhart as the titular character.
Plot
Meet Bill (Eckhart) — a doormat if there ever was one. A man reduced to a mere accessory to his family by working a dead end job at his father-in-law's bank, Bill's wife Jess (Banks) is loathe to explain her "friendship" with the local news anchorman (Olyphant). But Bill's fate begins to change when he becomes mentor to a self-assured boy (Lerman) who engineers Bill's recovery with the help of a cute lingerie sales girl named Lucy (Alba). Together, the trio confronts Bill's hapless life with humor and energy while forcing him to capture his dream of being financially independent and self-confident.
Cast
- Aaron Eckhart as Bill
- Jessica Alba as Lucy
- Elizabeth Banks as Jess
- Timothy Olyphant as Chip
- Logan Lerman as The Kid
- Craig Bierko as Sergeant
- Marisa Coughlan as Laura
- Kristen Wiig as Jane Whitman
- Jason Sudeikis as Jim Whitman
- Andy Zou as Donald Choo
Recasting
- Lindsay Lohan was originally cast as "Lucy", but she was fired because of her behavior and showing up late on the set. She was replaced by Jessica Alba.
- Amanda Peet was also going to star in the film as well, but dropped out around the same time that Lohan did as well. Peet was replaced by Elizabeth Banks.
Production
The film was shot in St. Louis, Missouri from June 11 - July 20, 2006; the school scenes of the film were shot at Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School (MICDS) and additional scenes were filmed at Washington University in St. Louis. A scene was also shot at the Oberweis Dairy in Oakville, Missouri. Additionally, scenes were shot at the Dick's Sporting Goods store at West County Mall, in Des Peres, Missouri, Missouri. Additional scenes and interiors were shot at the Saint Louis Galleria in Richmond Heights, Missouri. Although shot in the St. Louis area, the setting of the movie is Minnesota, as indicated by the license plates of vehicles, and a "Twin Cities Realty" for-sale sign.
Premiere
The film officially premiered on September 8, 2007 at the Toronto International Film Festival and was immediately picked up for distribution. It was released in limited engagement on April 4 in St. Louis and Minneapolis, 2008[1], with a wider release in 36 theaters on May 9, 2008 [1].