AllMovie

Inspired by the remarkable real life story of one boy's cinematic awakening, writer/director Patrick Read Johnson's semi-autobiographical drama 77 follows the story of an enthusiastic young film fanatic from Wadsworth, Illinois who sets out to produce home-brewed sequels to his favorite sci-fi films, and eventually finds himself at an advance screening of the film that will virtually define the entire genre for generations of movie lovers. Ever since his first viewing of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Patrick Read Johnson (John Frances Daley) has been a die-hard science fiction fan. But life for a movie geek isn't easy in the Midwest, so in order to pass the time, Patrick and his friends begin crafting cheaply budgeted sequels to the sci-fi classic that inspired them. Later, while visiting Hollywood, Patrick meets American Cinematographer editor Herb Lightman (Austin Pendleton), and talking special effects with an ambitious young director named Steven Spielberg. Upon receiving an invitation to an advance screening of a small science fiction film entitled Star Wars, the young film enthusiast from Illinois finds himself at the creative epicenter of a true big screen phenomenon.