Romancefest 2018: Can't Buy Me Love

Now on to the 1980s for a flick I must have seen as a kid but couldn’t remember at all, CAN’T BUY ME LOVE, directed by Steve Rash. Patrick Dempsey stars as a hard working high school kid set to spend his lawn mowing money on a new telescope, only to make a deal with the hottest girl in school (Amanda Peterson) instead: he’ll pay for her to replace her mother’s dress she ruined if she pretends to be his girlfriend.

His theory? Even if it’s only for a couple weeks, this will raise his stock value among other students at the school and he’ll be able to pal around with the popular guys and date the popular girls. Of course, you know where this is heading: the two kids will actually fall for each other, but Dempsey will get a big head from being suddenly popular and almost ruin his big chance before learning his lesson.

As the movie unfolded I thought it was refreshing that although it is basically you’re standard 80s teen comedy with a lot of the same stereotypes and clichés as both the worst and best in the genre, it afforded a three dimensional character to the popular girl instead of treating her like a prop. It also allowed the sensitive “nice guy” lead to turn into a total dick instead of validating his “nice guy” attitudes. As a counterpoint, he has a best pal who’s a perfectly reasonably cool guy (Courtney Gains) who doesn’t care about who’s popular and who’s not and is just into his own interests. He’s not portrayed as overly nerdy, he’s just a regular guy.

There’s an all-too relatable scene in the middle of the film where Dempsey has taken Peterson stargazing and is too up in his own head about his plans and schemes to realize he has inadvertently romanced her to the point where she’s ready for their first kiss. Instead, he’s too wrapped up in more shallow pursuits, and although I’ve never paid a woman to pretend to date me, I must say I can identify with a guy who can’t see what’s right in front of him.