Can't Buy Me Love (1987) by John Sylva Rating: C
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Patrick Dempsey stars as Ronald Miller, a geeky teenager in Can't Buy Me Love, a mediocre, yet mildly entertaining film directed at the teen audience that hopes it's target audience won't realize how average it really is. Steve Rash's uneven film focuses on Ronald and his journey to the top of his school, and predictably back to the bottom. After saving popular cheerleader Cindy Mancini (Amanda Peterson) from having to spend $1000 on an outfit of her mother's she ruined, she agrees to act as his boyfriend for a month. Ronald sees this as an opportunity to become the popular idol he's always wanted to be, but Cindy sees it as the opportunity to crush her reputation and lifestyle. Can't Buy Me Love is a highly predictable film whose screenplay (written by Michael Swerdlick) is so formulaic and cliche, it's sickening. Of course, just like present day teeny bopper flicks, the featured couple slowly fall in love, and end up going to the prom, which by movies like these I'm led to believe prom is the most important thing in life, but then at that prom, they get in a fight, and their entire, one-dimensional world collapses! Oh no! The film pulls a few admittedly funny gags, and Patrick Dempsey is impressive as his well-written character, but the true highlight of the film is the use of the Beatles' masterful tune, "Can't Buy Me Love," in both the opening and closing credits. It's awkward that the filmmakers couldn't make a movie to complement the song, but rather the Beatles hit is used to complement the movie.
The Bottom Line: Can't Buy Me Love can't buy my interest!
Reviewed November 26th, 1999.
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