# To Write Love on Her Arms (film)

To Write Love on Her Arms (also known as Day One; formerly Renee) is a 2012 American biographical drama film written and directed by Nathan Frankowski and starring Kat Dennings, Chad Michael Murray, Rupert Friend, Mark Saul, Juliana Harkavy, and Corbin Bleu. The film is based on the life of troubled teenager Renee Yohe and the founding of To Write Love on Her Arms by Jamie Tworkowski, after he and others helped Yohe to overcome her challenges enough to be able to enter rehab. The film premiered at the Omaha Film Festival on March 11, 2012, and was eventually released on DVD on March 3, 2015.

## Plot

It is 2006, and 19-year-old Renee Yohe has always loved fairy tales: the idea of a princess, a hero and a happily ever after. However, her life is that of a darker tale. As she battles with drug addiction, bipolar disorder, self-harm and other life issues, she receives love and support from numerous friends and new acquaintances, including Jamie Tworkowski and David McKenna. When Yohe is turned away from drug rehabilitation, with open wounds from self-cutting making her too great a treatment risk, McKenna takes her into his home for five days of detox, while Tworkowski posts an article on Myspace, titled "To Write Love on Her Arms" (in contrast to Yohe having written "Fuck Up" on her arm, with a razor blade), to fundraise the cost of rehab. Their efforts for Yohe are successful, and leads to Tworkowski founding the charity group To Write Love on Her Arms, offering similar support to other people who have depression, suicidal thoughts, addictions, or struggles with self-harm.

## Cast

* Kat Dennings as Renee Yohe
** Lindsey Riesen as young Renee
** Isabella Iannuzzi as little Renee
* Chad Michael Murray as Jamie Tworkowski
* Rupert Friend as David McKenna
* Juliana Harkavy as Jessie, Renee's best friend
** Samantha Castro as young Jessie
* Corbin Bleu as Mackey
* Mark Saul as Dylan
** Drayton Ball as young Dylan
* Rus Blackwell as Conrad Willard
* Sri Charan as Robert
* Brian Patrick Clarke as Tom Yohe
* West DeLarosa as Michael
* Kristi Engelmann as Amanda
* Whitney Goin as Dena Yohe
* Katherine Shepler as April Yohe
* Ryan Kirkland as Kirkland
* Michelle LaBret as Nikki
* J. LaRose as Echo
* Steve Robertson as label rep Stevo
* Brianna McCoy as Lacey
* William Peltz as Sean
* Juan Santos as Michael's father
* Michael Sapp as Trappy
* Chelsea Talmadge as Sarah

## Production
### Pre-production

Josh Lujan Loveless, Bob Massey, Jamie Tworkowski, and Renee Yohe all served as story consultants for the film, collaborating with Frankowski for the script. The film is produced by David Blair McKenna, a long time friend of Yohe's who provided her his home as a place to get sober, as depicted in the film, so she could enter rehab.

### Filming

Principal photography started on February 23, 2011, exactly five years after Yohe and Tworkowski first met. Filming went until March 29, 2011, and was shot entirely in Yohe's home town of Orlando, Florida. Various scenes were shot at Valencia Community College, The DAVE School, Full Sail University and Wall Street Plaza.

## Soundtrack

The film features songs from Travis McCoy, Paper Route, Rachael Yamagata, Dead Man's Bones, Corbin Bleu, Between the Trees, Kye Kye, Flint Eastwood, Flagship, Gatlin Elms, Duologue, Danny Leggett, Civilian, Savannah, Alex Bennett, and Bearcat.

## Release

The film opened the 21st Florida Film Festival on April 13, 2012, playing at the Regal Winter Park Village. The film was released directly to DVD three years later, on March 3, 2015.

### Piracy

On November 27, 2014, the film was leaked onto several peer-to-peer file sharing websites four months ahead of its intended public release. The film was one of five Sony Pictures films leaked, though fewer than 20,000 people downloaded To Write Love on Her Arms, compared to the 1.6 million combined downloads of Fury, Annie, Still Alice, and Mr. Turner.

## Awards and accolades

| Year | Result | Award | Category | Recipients |
| 2012 | Won | Omaha Film Festival | Encore Award | Nathan Frankowski, Kim Dawson, David McKenna, Two Streets Entertainment |
| 2012 | Nominated | Visual Effects Society Awards | Outstanding Visual Effects in a Student Project | Syrena Edmonds, Zack Heimbegner, Brian Mullen, Nathaniel Skinner |
| 2012 | Won | Crystal Reel Awards | Best Actress | Kat Dennings |
| 2012 | Won | Crystal Reel Awards | Best Casting | Amy Severson |
| 2012 | Won | Crystal Reel Awards | Cinematography | Stephen Campbell |
| 2012 | Won | Crystal Reel Awards | Best Sound / Sound Mixing – Feature Film | Michael Orlowski, Dave Chmela |
| 2012 | Won | Crystal Reel Awards | Best Special Effects (CGI) | Lee Stringer |
| 2012 | Nominated | Crystal Reel Awards | Best Director | Nathan Frankowski |
| 2012 | Nominated | Crystal Reel Awards | Best Picture | Kim Dawson |