▁Tre vor ▁Mack en zie ▁Sid well ▁Gra ff ▁as ▁Case y ▁Cha un ce y ▁Leop ardi ▁as ▁Edd ie ▁ ▁Development ▁Gr ash aw , ▁a ▁California ▁native ▁who ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁the ▁San ▁Fernando ▁Valley , ▁but ▁with ▁" no ▁connections ▁to ▁the ▁industry ▁what so ever ," ▁wrote ▁the ▁first ▁draft ▁of ▁the ▁screen play ▁right ▁out ▁of ▁high ▁school ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁ ▁The ▁idea ▁came ▁years ▁prior ▁when ▁a ▁friend ▁of ▁his ▁was ▁taken ▁from ▁his ▁home ▁in ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁night ▁to ▁a ▁reform ▁facility . ▁ ▁When ▁Gr ash aw ▁saw ▁him ▁again ▁after ▁this ▁experience , ▁he ▁had ▁in ▁Gr ash aw ' s ▁words , ▁" lost ▁it ." ▁ ▁The ▁script ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁was ▁called ▁' The ▁K ids ▁of ▁Crist o ' ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁top ▁ 3 0 ▁final ist ▁entry ▁in ▁the ▁original ▁H BO / M ir am ax ▁Project ▁Green light ▁competition ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁a ▁contest ▁for ▁struggling ▁film m akers ▁launched ▁by ▁Ben ▁Aff le ck ▁and ▁Matt ▁Dam on ▁after ▁their ▁success ▁with ▁Good ▁Will ▁Hun ting . ▁ ▁Pen ney , ▁a ▁Canadian ▁exp at ▁in ▁California ▁purs uing ▁screen writing ▁and ▁acting , ▁was ▁also ▁in ▁the ▁contest ▁and ▁began ▁cre atively ▁collabor ating ▁with ▁Gr ash aw . ▁ ▁Gr ash aw , ▁who ▁grew ▁unh appy ▁with ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁his ▁script , ▁describing ▁himself ▁as ▁" very ▁limited ▁when