Eddie's second feature film was released in August of 1996. The 27-year-old writer-director’s first film—an independent film he self-financed by cobbling together a $28,000 budget from friends and family—grossed over $10 million at the box office the year before.

Remarkable to say the least.

For his sophomore effort, Fox Searchlight Pictures granted him a tidy sum of $3 million to make the film. In filmmaking parlance, that number is considered “low-budget” by the studio.

Nevertheless, he rounded up a cast of future Hollywood stars and a couple superstars-to-be. Eddie wrote, directed, and starred once again.

For the second screenplay, he came up with his title while listening to Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run album. As for the film itself, “I really didn’t know what I wanted to do for music,” said Eddie.

With his bout of newfound semi-fame, Eddie thought there was a small chance that he'd be able to convince Springsteen to perform a track on his new film, but figured getting The Boss was still a longshot.

So, Eddie noodled on it some more and figured that a band like Jakob Dylan's The Wallflowers—who were coming off the hit single, 6th Avenue Heartache at the time—could do adequate service to the title track, a Springsteen cover.

But he still wasn't sure.

After Eddie finished the initial rough-cut for the movie, he inserted temporary music throughout and still did not have a soundtrack or, more importantly, a score.

Yet, since he was now a "hot" director, the rough-cut, pupal version of the movie was getting passed around Hollywood.

Out of the blue one day the president of Fox Music called up Eddie. “Tom Petty has seen the movie and wants a meeting.”

“Jesus, yeah, of course,” said Eddie, a huge Petty fan. “What’s the deal?”

“You’ll have to fly back out to L.A. and meet with him.”

“Sure. Just say when.”

At this point, Petty was between albums but he had also wanted to do a soundtrack for a long time. As fortune favors the prepared, Eddie spoke with Petty—one of his heroes—about performing on his movie.

Tom happened to play some stuff he was working on. Eddie was intrigued.

Petty then spoke with his manager. Two weeks later, Eddie was back in Los Angeles in a meeting with Tom, producer Rick Rubin, and the rest of the Heartbreakers. The day after that, the band was in the studio, recording music.

Originally, the plan was to use just one of the new Heartbreakers songs in the film. More negotiations took place and they decided that not only would Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers do 3 original songs for the soundtrack, they would also score the film.

Ultimately, Petty added 2 more original tunes and ended up releasing a 15-track album as the companion piece to the movie. It served as a standalone album for the Heartbreakers as well.

“Growing up a Tom Petty fan, that may have been … my coolest moment … in my short movie career,” said Eddie.

The film?

She’s the One

“Mickey Fitzpatrick drives a cab. His brother Francis is a Wall Street hotshot. About all these two have in common is the advice of their loving father.”

Good film. Very good soundtrack. Great part of the career of a terrific filmmaker.

The writer/director/actor?

Edward "Eddie" Burns. He writes about all of it, and more, in Independent Ed: Inside a Career of Big Dreams, Little Movies, and the Twelve Best Days of My Life.

One regret Burns had about the script is making his character a 27-year-old white cab driver in New York City. He didn’t think that was so realistic.

While I have never called myself "white"—rather preferring the more accurate terms "alabaster" or "pink" or "pasty"—I started driving a cab in my 30s and did it for 5 years.

I did not drive in New York City, granted, but I loved that job. So, it would be realistic from my end.

The soundtrack?

Songs and Music from She’s the One by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

The key?

Doing it your own way. The careers of both Petty and Burns are a testament to bucking popular trends where you don't just do things just because "everyone else does."

Can't figure out how to do it your own way? Well, we teach it and put talk into action with our coaching and consulting programs.

To find out more:

As always,

Brian