Movie review: ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’

FloridaGator80
A promotional photo from the movie “Can’t Buy Me Love.”

The 1980s saw the genre of teen comedy-drama explode from an already impressive history in Hollywood. Of course, John Hughes and his “Brat Pack” led the way, but there were still a number of good efforts, including “Can’t Buy Me Love” starring Patrick Dempsey and Amanda Peterson. It’s not great cinema and has a weak, stereotypical ending, but it’s worth watching because it doesn’t fail on all levels – a sin committed by many films of the genre. Here’s one with a nice message, many forgivable stereotypes and a good level of watchability. So, sit back, relax and enjoy.

‘Can’t Buy Me Love’
(1987; 94 minutes; rated PG-13; directed by Steve Rash and starring Patrick Dempsey, Amanda Peterson and Seth Green)

LOVE IS NOT FOR SALE, BUT POPULARITY HAS A PRICE

(NOTE: I expanded this review with some more trivia and opinion and updated some links on Aug. 14, 2016. I again expanded the review on May 16, 2020. I again expanded it on Nov. 14, 2024. I again expanded it on July 14, 2026.)

Light-hearted teen comedies can entertain and “Can’t Buy Me Love” is just such a film. It is fluff, but it is entertaining (a quality often overlooked in the value of a film). “Can’t Buy Me Love” offers good but not exceptional work by the actors – except for a very young Seth Green – and it does an OK job in conveying its message. You’d do a lot worse with an hour-and-a-half than watch this one.

As for the plot, it’s been done before and will find its way back to the screen again, but this one is accomplished with a passing grade. Patrick Dempsey is “Ronald Miller,” a high school senior who is a geek, responsible, decent and humble … and he’s about as popular as the chicken pox. So, through a convoluted plot twist involving a stain on suede, he manages to “rent” a popular girl for a month as a way to show he’s become “cool.”

A promotional photo from the movie “Can’t Buy Me Love.”

Dempsey heads a young leading cast (he was 20 during filming) along with Amanda Peterson, who plays popular rich girl “Cindy Mancini.” Peterson was just 15 at the time of filming – unlike most films where late 20s actors usually play high school couples.

Back to the plot …

Peterson stains her mother’s expensive suede outfit and Dempsey comes to her rescue with money he’s saved to buy a telescope. Since he’s a geek looking for a way to change his standing in school for his senior year, he comes to the conclusion that by hanging out without someone like Peterson the rest of the cool gang will accept him and instead of buying the telescope … he “rents” Peterson as an introduction to “cool” crowd at school.

A promotional photo from the movie “Can’t Buy Me Love.”

Dempsey is pretty much an instant hit with a somewhat reluctant Peterson and her friends. Dempsey, who would later play in “Loverboy,” “Scream 3” and most famously on TV’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” hits his stride. Unfortunately, as well as stereotypically, he immediately discards old friends when he becomes the center of attention for the new “cool” ones. Naturally, at the same time, Peterson has the best in him grow on her quickly.

Since being cool isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be, the film spins out along a familiar path: The now-cool boy becomes jerkish, does a tremendously horrific thing to emotionally fracture a friend and ultimately goes down in flames when his “cool” status is destroyed by Peterson at a party. She continues with life’s frustrations and, who doesn’t like the person she has helped create.

Dempsey then stages a comeback from his humiliation with an overdone and stereotypical speech that puts all right. You can take this one because the rest of the film stands up well. As the credits roll, Dempsey and Peterson ride off on his lawn mower while the famous song from the Beatles plays (it was the opening credits, too).

Here’s a look at some of the primary cast:

  • A promotional photo from the movie “Can’t Buy Me Love.”

    A two-time Golden Globe nominee (not for this one) and a Primetime Emmy nominee, Dempsey is good in this role (with the exception of overdone speech at the end) and slips seamlessly between his normal and cool persona. However, even his normal persona only disappears briefly before his deflating by Peterson. Dempsey was also in the underrated “Mobsters” as “Meyer Lansky” with Christian Slater and was nominated both for both Globes for “Grey’s Anatomy” and for the Emmy for the TV series “Once and Again.”

  • A promotional photo from the movie “Can’t Buy Me Love.”

    Peterson, who would step back from acting a dozen years later for personal reasons after only 20 acting credits (mostly on TV), uses her talent to show from the beginning that she’s not just a vapid cheerleader. She is convincing and works well with the modest script. Peterson, who was also in “Annie” and “Windrunner” as well as TV’s “Doogie Howser, M.D.,” acts even more mature than her character should, but at least she didn’t underplay the role. Tragically, she died in 2015 at 43 of an accidental overdose of morphine.

  • A promotional photo from the movie “Can’t Buy Me Love.”

    An three-time winner and 19-time nominee for Primetime Emmys, Green does an acceptable job as a kid actor (not the easiest thing to accomplish), but it was probably a bit easier and natural for a youngster because his “Chuckie Miller” is obnoxious, sarcastic and ultimately OK as when he confronts Peterson about her destruction of Dempsey. He won his Emmys and nominations for an animation called “Robot Chicken” and some spin-offs of that show. I liked him better in “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery” and two sequels and I liked him best in the 2003 remake of “The Italian Job” (click here to read my review).

  • A promotional photo from the movie “Can’t Buy Me Love.”

    I didn’t especially like the effort by Courtney Gains as a gang member in “Colors” with Robert Duvall, which he did right after “Can’t Buy Me Love,” but he does a respectable job here as Dempsey’s best friend and vandalism victim “Kenneth Wurman.” Gains’ best acting comes as he finally confronts Dempsey in a game arcade about the vandalism on his house. Gains was also in “Back to the Future,” TV’s “21 Jump Street,” “Memphis Belle” and “Sweet Home Alabama.” He has 137 acting credits through 2025 after the first in 1984 with the movies “Children of the Corn.”

  • Comedian and director of other films Dennis Dugan plays “David Miller,” Dempsey’s father, and does a solid job as the slightly clueless parent (cue stereotype character here). Dugan both directed and acted in “Happy Gilmore” with Adam Sandler and it’s the second-best golf movie ever made (click here to read my review). He also directed “Grown Ups” and its sequel; “Saving Silverman;” and “Problem Child.” However, I believe his best effort in the director’s chair was for Sandler’s “Just Go With It” with Jennifer Aniston (click here to read my review), which is a very special and endearing effort from all involved. Sadly, he’s been nominated for four awards from the worst-in-cinema “Razzies” – all for movies starring Sandler, including one of my favorites: “I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry” (click here to read my review).
A promotional photo from the movie “Can’t Buy Me Love.”

Director Steve Rash has an interesting resume. His first effort as a director was for “The Buddy Holly Story” (click here to read my review) and, despite being inaccurate and TV-ish, it won an Oscar for music and was nominated for music as well as Gary Busey being nominated as best actor that year. Rash’s sixth directing credit is his best and a total grand-slam homerun: “Son in Law” with Pauly Shore (click here to read my review). BTW: “Son in Law” is an underrated gem that you shouldn’t miss. Another that’s OK and watchable is “Good Advice” with Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards (click here to read my review).

A promotional photo from the movie “Can’t Buy Me Love.”

Oh, the most interesting scene in “Can’t Buy Me Love” is where Dempsey takes Peterson to an airplane “graveyard” in the desert where junked aircraft dating back to World War II are stored (it is the real-life Davis-Monthan Air Force Base “Aircraft Boneyard” near Tucson, Ariz.) and that makes for a nice, unexpected diversion to show the boy’s character. Wow! I was impressed … a little bit of actual creativity by filmmakers in a teen comedy-drama!

So, all-in-all, you’ll find “Can’t Buy Me Love” a watchable romantic teen comedy, but no award winner. As long as you don’t expect more, then you’ll grade this one out with a passing score and have an enjoyable hour-and-a-half watching it.

“Can’t Buy Me Love” was the 39th ranked film at the box office in 1987, raking in $31.6 million, according to Box Office Mojo. The No. 1 film was “Three Men and a Baby” at $167.7 million and here are the films from that year that I’ve reviewed:

Some cast and film notes (via IMDb.com):

  • Dempsey’s nickname is “Dr. McDreamy;” Peterson’s first name was Phyllis; and Green’s full birth name is Seth Benjamin Gesshel-Green.
  • Although only 12 during filming, Green notched his 11th acting credit with “Can’t Buy Me Love.” His first credit (and motion picture) was “The Hotel New Hampshire.”
  • Eric Bruskotter, who plays “Big John” the football and flatulence king, would go on to roles in “Starship Troopers,” Clint Eastwood’s “In the Line of Fire” (click here for my review) and TV’s “Glee.” “Can’t Buy Me Love” was his second film.
  • Ami Dolenz (whose middle name is “Bluebell”) is the daughter of Mickey Dolenz of TV’s “The Monkees” and this is her first film credit after several TV roles.
  • The original title of the film was “Boy Rents Girl.” Thank goodness for the change.
  • The school used for filming was Tucson High School.
  • “American Idol’s” Paula Abdul did the choreography for “Can’t Buy Me Love” and got a little screen time as a dancer in an uncredited role.

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