“Drivers Wanted” first premiered at independent theaters five years ago and had a successful two week run at the Little Theatre this summer, but now after being picked up by Regal theaters, director Tim Beideck hopes that the film will amass a greater following.
“I think that they will think it’s something that they haven’t seen before and will see a different approach of telling a story,” he said in a recent interview with the Campus Times.
Beideck made the film on his own, as he wrote the script and music, produced, edited and acted as the marketing director.
The story follows seven pizza delivery drivers – Sheldon, Friendly, Mang, Rupert, Tyler, Little Debbie and Peter – who represent the different ways that people react to the job. With about three years of delivery experience before writing the script, Beideck was well-versed in the plight of the pizza delivery driver. Head of marketing and distribution for their future projects Rich Angell, likes the character of “Friendly” the best.
“He represents the person who’s truly friendly but finds himself in positions where he is not friendly anymore,” he said.
Both Beideck and Angell have ties to Rochester, as Beideck is a native and Angell attended the Margaret E. Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development. After two years of college at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, Beideck dropped out, as he realized that having a degree probably wouldn’t help him make films. In reference to making “Drivers Wanted,” Beideck said that “being away from New York City helped. You think in terms of what’s around you, so I would have never written a story about pizza delivery drivers if I were there.”
“Drivers Wanted” is appropriately set in Rochester, as Beideck felt that it provided the perfect backdrop for a movie about delivery drivers.
“I think that it has everything that you need visually,” Beideck said .
“I wanted the area to have a lot of different things – the city and a more rural area like the beach. I wanted [someplace] that had a lot going on in a two mile radius, an area that would be an actual setting for a pizza delivery guy.”
The characters in the film work for Bob’s Pizza, which is set in an actual Pontillo’s Pizza shop. But, once the delivery drivers leave Bob’s Pizza, they are exposed to a different world.
“I look at it like a war movie, “Beideck said. “[It’s] the war that nobody sees, except that it’s a funny war.”
Angell agrees and feels that everyone can relate to it on some level.
“If you have ever had a job that you didn’t like, then you will connect with it and will be laughing out loud,” Angell said. “It’s entertaining, it’s relatable, it’s a good night out and it’s novel.”
Catch the Regal premiere of “Drivers Wanted” on Friday and get a glimpse into the entertaining world of pizza delivery.
Katz can be reached at jkatz@campustimes.org.
