The countdown to college admission is filled with anxiety. As a parent, I've been through it with both of my children and lived to tell about it. In fact, I documented the experience, humor, and strategy in a book. College Bound and Gagged: How to Help Your Kid Get Into a Great College Without Losing Your Savings, Your Relationship, or Your Mind is a parent survival guide for the college-bound journey. It's always easier to talk about college admission once the experience is behind you. Little did I know that, after the book's publication, I'd be wrapped up in another exciting admission decision.
In early 2012, I was contacted to sign a release for my book to appear in Admission, a feature film starring Tina Fey and Paul Rudd. After confirming this wasn't a hoax by mean-spirited strangers or family pranksters, my shock turned to excitement. College Bound and Gagged might be in a movie. True, it wasn't like I had been offered a cameo, but in many ways it was better. Authors become attached to their work, so when people recognize our books it's like complimenting our children. Besides, my book cover would fare much better in HD than I would.
I've often compared the college-bound process to childbirth. Both include plenty of labor, anxiety and know-it-alls telling you what to do. My new admission (the movie) situation wasn't as stressful, but there have been tense moments. First, the countdown to acceptance (or, in this case, the verdict regarding book inclusion) was longer than a pregnancy. Your mind can cover a lot of positive and negative ground in 11 months.
What if the book is accepted? What if it ends up on the cutting room floor?
Maybe the book cover will have a close-up! What if the production assistant spills coffee on it right before the scene?
Maybe Tina Fey and Paul Rudd will say something funny about it. What if Tina Fey and Paul Rudd make fun of it? (I now would be happy with either of these options.)
When I'm done with the optimism/pessimism imagery, I spend my spare time compulsively checking IMDb for delivery updates. After all, it is the film industry's sonogram.
Admission opens in theaters nationwide March 22, but thankfully, this week I'll have my Admission answer. I've been invited to the preview screening. My excitement is tempered only by the pressure of this event. Admission will require more concentration than Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy if I am to spot a fleeting image of College Bound and Gagged. This higher ed version of Where's Waldo? is sure to keep me glued to the screen.
What if I'm laughing so hard, I miss a glimpse of the book?
What if I snooze like I did during Lincoln?
What if I drop my popcorn and miss the big moment?
What if I need a bathroom break?
Yes, I know enough about the film industry to realize that scenes change and stuff happens, especially in post-production where editors trim out the nonsense to make magic. And at the risk of sounding all Oscar-y, I'm happy that College Bound and Gagged made it onto someone's radar even if it may not make it on the screen. And of course, you're not out of the game until you scour the DVD outtakes.
Spoiler Alert: You'll have to wait until March to see Admission, but my exciting news is that College Bound and Gagged got accepted!!! You can watch the trailer here, but you'll have to wait for the release to see my book's close-up (If only I could get that close to Paul Rudd and Tina Fey). Follow my posts for more behind-the-scenes college comedy, psychology, and interviews on the countdown to Admission.
PS: You'll love the movie. Only Tina Fey and Paul Rudd (and amazing screenwriters, cast and crew) could make parents want to sit through college admission all over again.