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Can't Buy Me Love (1987)

6.4
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Ratings: 6.4/10 from 14,324 users  
Reviews: 61 user | 20 critic

A nerdy outcast secretly pays the most popular girl in school one thousand dollars to be his girlfriend.

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Title: Can't Buy Me Love (1987)

Can't Buy Me Love (1987) on IMDb 6.4/10

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
...
Tina Caspary ...
Barbara
...
...
Mrs. Mancini
...
Patty
...
David Miller
Cloyce Morrow ...
Judy Miller
...
Iris
Cort McCown ...
Quint
...
Big John
Gerardo Mejía ...
Ricky
...
Fran
...
Lester
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Storyline

Ronald Miller is tired of being a nerd, and makes a deal with one of the most popular girls in school to help him break into the "cool" clic. He offers her a thousand dollars to pretend to be his girlfriend for a month. It succeeds, but he soon learns that the price of popularity may be higher than he expected. Written by Kevin Ackley <kackley1@aol.com>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

Ronald is making an investment in his senior year. He's hiring the prettiest cheerleader in school to be his girlfriend.

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Certificate:

PG-13 | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

14 August 1987 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Boy Rents Girl  »

Box Office

Gross:

$31,623,833 (USA)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The Airplane Graveyard/Boneyard is located just outside of Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson. See more »

Goofs

Actor's mark visible on the floor near Big John during the dance scene. See more »

Quotes

[Patty seducing Ronald in the car]
Patty: Are you into long distance relationships?
Ronald Miller: No.
Patty: Now, then why don't you reach out and touch someone?
[puts his hands on her breasts]
See more »

Connections

References The Buddy Holly Story (1978) See more »

Soundtracks

"Don't Wanna Be Your Fool"
Written and Performed by Britton (as Brittan)
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Underrated and charming 80's teen flick
29 September 2002 | by (San Diego, California) – See all my reviews

Most 80's teen flicks leave a rather sick feeling in my stomach, but this one has always been a favorite despite the stereotypical shallow, big-haired girls and the Animal House wanna-be jocks. The difference is that the stars, Patrick Dempsey and Amanda Peterson, are not so stereotypical in their roles as lonely nerd and ultra-popular head cheerleader.

Patrick Dempsey has always been underrated as an actor with style, and it is unfortunate that his character, Ronald, is so unlikable after the film's premise kicks in. Ronald goes "from geek to chic" and back again. But Dempsey himself seems too inherently confident to really pull off the geek aspect believably, and he's too cruel to the girl whose heart he won for Ronald to be a truly sympathetic character. The hip version of Ronald, however, is a hoot to watch, even if it is somewhat overdone in the context of an already unlikely plot.

The standout in this film is Amanda Peterson, whose character Cindy has to be one of the most genuinely likeable "stuck up" high school girls on film. Watching her character grow and open her heart to Ronald is the main reason I've given this film repeated viewings. Although the genres are quite different, I'd compare Peterson's character to Renee Zellweger's character in Jerry MaGuire in terms of sheer likability. Making characters likeable is much more difficult than making them sympathetic, and I'm frankly shocked that Peterson's career did not skyrocket after this performance.

Whether you're looking for creative ways to invest $1000 or dancing lessons, Can't Buy Me Love is one 80's teen flick that has a lot to offer.


21 of 21 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

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