Review: Can’t Buy Me Love
Like it’s brethren it is a guilty pleasure. Watching Ronny Miller (Dempsey) secretly watch Cindy (Peterson) made a young nerd, such as myself, hopeful that the popular girl would find something about the shy/awkward loner cute.
Alas, real life is not like the movies, well, 80’s movies at least. Through the film we watch as Ronnie is able to get Cindy to agree to pose as his girlfriend, in exchange for buying a high priced piece of clothing she ruined, so that some of her popularity might rub off on him. As this happens Ronnie begins to loose touch with all of his fellow nerds (I made a pact with myself, if this were ever to happen with me, I’d still hang with my nerd friends, on the down low). They resent the fact that he’s giving them the cold shoulder. 
Pretty soon, he becomes to cool for Cindy as well, breaking up with her. The only problem is, *Gasp*! she’s fallen in love with him in the meantime (A nice little outing to the airplane graveyard helps this along).
In the end, Ronnie learns his lesson. He’s learned that money can buy popularity, but it can’t buy love. The movie closes with him patching up with his friends, and just maybe with Cindy.
Watch for one of my favorite actors, Seth Green, as Ronnie’s little brother.
Towards the end, you get treated to dialog gems such as this
Chuckie Miller: You nuked my brother.
Cindy Mancini: What?
Chuckie Miller: You took him from “geek” status to “king” status to no status.
Cindy Mancini: Chuckie Miller, right? He resorted to sending his messenger boy?
Chuckie Miller: Boy? I see no boy here.
[Cindy puts powder on his face]
Chuckie Miller: You think you shut me up?
Cindy Mancini: I didn’t? Well, let me try again.
[attempts to put lipstick on Chuckie]
Chuckie Miller: [leaves]
[says to his friends]
Chuckie Miller: Babe said it was good for my complexion.
What I wouldn’t do to live in a 80’s movie.
I give the film Three out of Four Dancing Neon Muses.
don’t they ride off into the sunset on a lawn mower?
that’s why i love it.
i love “teen witch” more, though.
Great movie!
Also a great one in my family because it’s set in Tucson, filmed at Tucson High, and features the airplane graveyard that we drove past on our way to the airport or the Pima Air Museum (favorite site of my dad and my grandpa). One thing though – there’s no dumpster giving easy access to the airplane graveyard. But I can’t really see Cindy and Ronald climbing a 10 foot high fence and leaping over the 2 feet of razor wire on top.
Didn’t they do a remake of this a few years ago that was absolutely awful? I vaguely remember it, but I can’t remember the exact year. I’m so glad Patrick Dempsey is back as a complete non-geek in Grey’s Anatomy.
Of all the geeky, nerdy boys from the 80s era movies, the only really geeky one today is Jon Cryer. Anthony Michael Hall, Patrick Dempsey, etc. are all super, super cute these days.
Never seen it, don’t want to.
Yes.. They do ride of into the sunset.. But I’ve never seen teen witch.
I’m waiting to become non-geek, just like Patrick as well.
The airplane graveyard rocks >:)