Diane Keaton and Jon Heder in Mama’s Boy (2007). If it’s true that people are born to do certain things, then Hank Nelken was born to be a moviemaker. Because whether he was filming Bar Mitzvahs as a kid to fund his own short films or editing wedding videos right out of USC Film School to buy bread, Nelken has always known what he wants to do with his life: Make movies.

Perhaps best known for penning the cult classic Saving Silverman , starring Jack Black, Steve Zahn and Jason Biggs, Nelken’s latest film, Tim Hamilton’s Mama’s Boy , starring Jon Heder and Diane Keaton, is in theaters now. Nelken is also currently making his directorial debut with the romantic comedy Something Borrowed , due out in 2008. Though he’s not a household name yet, neither was Kleenex in the beginning.

But one thing is for sure: The future is awfully bright for this ambitious writer-director. James Menzies (MM): In the early days of your writing, when you were trying to make ends meet, how did you stay motivated? Does it take brass balls or something else entirely? Hank Nelken (HN): It wasn’t so much brass balls as it was the fear of having to move back home and face all the people I ‘њpromised to remember’ќ when I made it big. I find fear in general is a big motivator.

Fear and the desire to drive a nice car. Also, I’ve wanted to make movies since I saw E.T. at the age of nine and as challenging as it has been to break into the business, the truth is I couldn’t imagine giving up because I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Mainly because I’m not good at anything else. Also, I have an incredibly supportive family, especially my parents, who have always encouraged and believed in me. And my wife, whose strength, love and support makes anything seem possible.