By Mark Shanahan & Meredith Goldstein
Boston Globe
September 17, 2010
We thought it was cool when “Girlfriend,’’ an indie film shot entirely in Wayland, made it onto the bill at the Toronto International Film Festival. But even cooler is the fact that the film has been a hit. Wayland-bred director Justin Lerner has already sold out two screenings in Toronto and has plans to host a third on Sunday.
The film, about a man with Down syndrome who pursues his high school crush, stars Evan Sneider, Shannon Woodward, Jackson Rathbone, and Amanda Plummer. Sneider, Woodward, and Rathbone joined Lerner in Toronto for the premiere of the film, which has been getting attention from media and fans for the past week.
For Lerner, the experience has been overwhelming, but he attributes the success to Sneider. “There are so many celebrities here. But Evan is winning people’s hearts. He’s one of a kind,’’ he told us yesterday.
Sneider told us he plans to continue acting and that his inspirations are Jennifer Aniston and Betty White.