Heaven sent
By Daily Bruin Staff
Nov. 1, 2000 9:00 p.m.
 Columbia Pictures (left to right) Lucy
Liu, Cameron Diaz and Drew
Barrymore star as a trio of private investigators in
Columbia Pictures’ "Charlie’s Angels."
By Terry Tang
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Explosive car chases. High-tech equipment. Villainous thugs. At
first glance, it sounds like a day in the life of James Bond. But
this time, the glamour girls are the ones taking on the bad
guys.
Picking up in the 21st century, “Charlie’s
Angels” looks to rewrite the rules of the action genre. This
sleek and stylish update of Aaron Spelling’s ’70s
“jiggle-fest” centers around three brainy and beautiful
female detectives hired by unseen millionaire Charles Townsend.
“Charlie’s Angels” was a pet project for star
Drew Barrymore.
Similar to their TV counterparts, Barrymore and fellow angels
Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu kick some serious butt, except in sultry
wardrobes that would make Tom Cruise blush. At the same time, the
film proves that Bruce Willis or Russell Crowe don’t always
have to lead the way. At least Barrymore likes to think so.
“In this film, we save the men,” said Barrymore, who
was accompanied by her two co-stars at a recent Beverly Hills press
junket. “We save ourselves and it’s really fun to get
to play around (with) the genre … I think you like films, whether
a woman or a man is in the lead.”
Already a fan of the show, the actor heard about a movie version
in development. But she wanted to bring her own vision to the
screen through her production company, Flower Films.
“This was not a business decision,” said producer
Nancy Juvonen, Barrymore’s partner at Flower. “I read
the (original) script. It did not work. It was not the
show.”
 Columbia Pictures In the sexy, high-octane action-comedy
"Charlie’s Angels," Drew Barrymore, Lucy
Liu and Cameron Diaz, along with faithful
lieutenant Bill Murray, bust crime and break
hearts with their arsenal of skills and charms. As a result, both
women asked for a new script that would have the Angels doing
007-like stunts, but without guns.
“The gun is just such a cop-out,” Juvonen said.
“It’s not a big, bold statement as much as it’s
so uncool and too easy.”
Getting the perfect cast proved a greater challenge. While
Barrymore lined up close pal Diaz, speculation from the press was
rampant about who would be the third angel. There was a time when
every hot starlet seemed attached to the project ““ from
Thandie Newton to Lauryn Hill to Posh Spice. But there was an
instant chemistry with Liu.
“I needed someone who could stand out next to Drew and
Cameron,” said first-time director McG. “That’s a
tall order.”
Physically, “Charlie’s Angels” proved to be
one of the most harrowing experiences for the three female leads.
Under the expertise of martial arts gurus who helped cinema stars
like Jackie Chan, all three women trained eight hours a day for
four months prior to principal photography. But all the grueling
punches, kicks and stunt work only joined them closer at the
hip.
 Illustration by JARRETT QUON/Daily Bruin
“We would come to each other all the time to share our
happiness or to vent or anything. We were just nothing but
supportive. And that’s all we know,” Barrymore said.
“We don’t understand how you are the other
way.”
Diaz agreed that the filming would not have been as rewarding if
the three weren’t friends.
“I have no one in my life who’s catty or jealous or
non-supportive. I just don’t have that in my life. I
don’t want it in my life,” Diaz said. “So this
was such a dream to be with these girls who have been more
supportive and that I could be supportive to.”
As for McG, he learned a thing or two about patience when it
comes to getting three women on a set in unison.
“It’s really something to have the head of
production at Columbia Pictures going “˜You gotta get started
earlier every day. You’re taking three hours before you get
your first shot,'” said McG, whose prior directorial
experience includes music videos for artists like Barenaked Ladies
and Smashmouth. “I’m sitting there pulling my hair out
going “˜I’d love to get started earlier but I have no
talent to shoot.'”
With Bill Murray on board as comic sidekick Bosley and John
Forsythe reprising his narrative skills as Charlie, the producers
also wanted cameos from original Angels Kate Jackson, Farrah
Fawcett and Jacqueline Smith. A scene had actually been written
where all six women would pass each other in a crowded airport.
“I called Jackie and she said “˜Sounds great to me.
Better talk to Katie and Farrah,'” said producer
Leonard Goldberg, who worked with Spelling on the original
“Angels” program. “And I thought it was
déjà vu. I had this conversation 25 years ago.”
Although Smith was open to the idea, the other two leading
ladies had different ideas. While Jackson pictured herself as a
femme fatale who squares off against the Angels, Fawcett wanted to
be an unseen advisor like Charlie.
“For three months, we had an ongoing conversation trying
to convince them,” Goldberg said. “We just
couldn’t convince Kate and Farrah.”
Although Barrymore grew up watching all three women, she
identified with Charlie the most.
“Here were three women that did the work, to be police
officers and save the day and be heroes,” Barrymore said.
“And they were given operator jobs and crossing guard and
meter maid (jobs) and this man came in and said “˜But I took
them away from that and now they work for me.’ And I related
to Charlie. I was like “˜I wanna give people
opportunity.'”
FILM: “Charlie’s Angels” opens in theaters
nationwide Friday.
