When I heard about “Surprise Me!,” a romantic comedy feature film coming out at the end of the summer, I thought it looked like a cute, funny, feel-good movie to watch with girlfriends.
But what I didn’t realize is, there’s a whole other agenda to this darling movie. It has to to do with a cause that’s near and dear to Nancy Goodman, the writer, director and co-producer of “Surprise Me!” In addition to entertaining audiences, Goodman said the goal of the movie is to help women recognize and manage food issues, specifically food addiction, emotional overeating and bingeing.
“This is my crusade to help women turn their focus from dieting (which is a setup to binge and overeat) to their feelings, choices, strength, pain, joy, goals and new passions beyond their taste buds,” said the 59-year-old Chicago native and mom of three.
“Surprise Me!,” which Goodman wrote as a novel before it was a movie, was published In 2012 and as a second edition in 2017.
“I felt like there was still a stigma to openly talking about food bingeing, so I thought, ‘How do I get this message out to all the women who need it?’ Goodman said. “The answer was a fun, romantic comedy that carries the food issues as a subplot.”
Goodman wrote the screenplay for “Surprise Me!” in 2013 and took it to seminar in Los Angeles, where several Hollywood producers, directors and other industry professionals were in attendance. It won first place in a contest there, which eventually led to the production and distribution of the film.
Shot in Chicago and on the North Shore, “Surprise Me!” was fully financed by Goodman, with the support of her family, including her ex-husband, Scott Goodman. “Surprise Me!” Is the story of a surprise party planner who actually hates surprises, and who uses food to deal with stress, relationships and love.
“The movie is a fun display of what I think we all feel in moments,” Goodman said. “It’s also a deeper look at the complications of family, relationships, friendships, love, how food sneaks into the party and how to send it packing.”
Goodman, who has a degree in journalism from Indiana University, said she felt like her battle with food began in high school.
“I was a little heavy so I would diet and that would lead to bingeing,” she said. “I wasn’t anorexic or bulimic, so I didn’t think I had an eating disorder.”
It wasn’t until Goodman was in her 30s that she decided to take action for her bingeing issues by going to therapy for two years at an eating disorder clinic at Northwestern. She said the program helped her immensely, but that her newfound insight caused her to feel frustrated that the media was so focused on diets instead of talking about the feelings associated with eating issues.
In order to bring attention and help others understand overeating, obsessing and bingeing, Goodman wrote the memoir, “It Was Food Vs. Me … And I Won,” which was published first in 2004, and then as a second edition in 2012.
“I learned that overeating comes from strong feelings full of massive energy, looking for a release. Food was a place for thoughts to spin and also for me to find comfort,” Goodman said. “Today I am watchful of my emotions. If there’s a sadness, I need to feel it hard and cry. That replaces the binge. If it’s joy and I have crazy energy from it, I need to exercise. If it’s boredom, I need a project, activity or plan.”
Goodman, who is also the author of the 2005 children’s book, “Cookies Don’t Fix Boo Boo’s,” said other feelings that can cause binge eating include fear, anxiety, stress, rejection, hurt, excitement, celebration, loneliness or vulnerability.
Goodman said “Surprise Me!” has been sold in nine countries, and that she will find out shortly where it can be seen in the U.S.
“‘Surprise Me!’ is very feel good, but it really hits the core,” Goodman said. “It’s a message to bingers: There’s nothing wrong with you! What I say to any binger is, in order to be healthy and happy, sometimes you need to put yourself and your feelings first. Don’t be afraid of pain or the truth. Both are a part of you and need to be felt and heard.”
To learn more about “Surprise Me!” and to watch the trailer, visit: Surprisemethemovie.com.
