Something Extra

Doer Profile

JOSH HERMAN

City: Los Angeles
Kudos: Coming Of Age

Josh Herman hopes to make his
Farmington Hills alma mater, Hillel Day
School of Metropolitan Detroit, a house-
hold word with his firstfiature film, "Boys
to Men," based on the experiences of a
group of friends during their bar mitzvah
year
Although Josh has a seemingly glam-
orous "day job" as a writer for the super-
market tabloid Star magazine — report-
ing on the latest Hollywood gossip involv-
ing stars such as Brad Pitt, Jennifer
Aniston and Angelina Jolie — film is his
first love. He also has written for "Skits-o-
phrenia," a live comedy show in the style
of Second
Josh is the son of Sam and Mindy
Herman of Farmington Hills, where he
grew up and attended Hillel. He caught
the movie bug while he was an under-
graduate at the Universi y of Michigan in

t

Ann Arbon where he wrote "Boys to Men"
as a class assignment. The script won him
the prestigious Hopwood Literary Award
which had been won by such notables as
screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan and play-
wright Arthur Miller.
He attended graduate school at the
American Film Institute in Los Angeles,
where his thesis project, a short film titled
"Hope To Die," garnered a Student
Academy Award nomination.

Tell me about Boys to Men.
"It's basically about a group of four
friends during their bar mitzvah year at
Hillel. I'm the narrator, the observer
who sits back and watches. The story
revolves around one of the boys named
Andy and how he became a man that
year by being true to himself and over-
coming peer pressure. The 'real' Andy is
an actor now, and he's going to be in the
film.

Why Hillel, and why Andy?
"People always tell you to write about

what you know,
and my years at
Hillel, especially
that last year,
had a lasting
impact on me. I
grew because of
what happened
to Andy. He
was the chubby,
unsure under-
dog that every-
body roots for,
and he paved
the way by being an individual and
standing up to his friends. Everybody
needs an Andy."

What challenges have you encountered?
"This is a difficult kind of film to get
produced in Hollywood because of the
Jewish content. The major studios want
films that are more mainstream, like
Porky's or American Pie. They don't want
movies that are "too Jewish.
"I have a director and a producer

lined up, but I need more investors,
preferably local people who want a proj-
ect they can really have some fun with.
"There are lots of references to local
icons, like the Pistons, the late [philan-
thropist] Max Fisher, [dance instructor]
Joe Cornell and other names that
Detroiters will recognize. I plan to do all
of the filming here in Michigan." ❑

— Ronelle Grier,
special writer

REPORT A DOER...:Know a Doer — someone of any age doing interesting, meaningful things in their life outside of their job? Share suggestions with Keri Guten Cohen, story devel-
opment editor, at (248) 351 5144 or e-mail: kcohen@thejewishnews.com

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