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Can't Buy Me Love

Play trailer Poster for Can't Buy Me Love PG-13 1987 1h 34m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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48% Tomatometer 25 Reviews 74% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
Nerdy high schooler Ronald Miller (Patrick Dempsey) rescues cheerleader Cindy Mancini (Amanda Peterson) from parental punishment after she accidentally destroys her mother's designer clothes. Ronald agrees to pay for the $1,000 outfit on one condition: that she will act as though they're a couple for an entire month. As the days pass, however, Cindy grows fond of Ronald, making him popular. But when Ronald's former best friend gets left behind, he realizes that social success isn't everything.
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Can't Buy Me Love

Can't Buy Me Love

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Critics Consensus

While Can't Buy Me Love gets some value out of its plucky leads, this romantic comedy struggles to find grace in a cynical conceit that belongs in the bargain bin.

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Critics Reviews

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Time Out 06/24/2006
A slight but not unenjoyable movie. Go to Full Review Caryn James New York Times 05/20/2003
2.5/5
The film thinks it wants to be sincere, when all it truly wants is to be popular, just like the other kids' movies, so it sells off its originality. Go to Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times 01/01/2000
0.5/4
It doesn't have a thought in its head and probably no notion of the corruption at its core. Go to Full Review Rachel Wagner Rachel's Reviews (YouTube) Jun 22
Too unlikable of characters to work Go to Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews 03/06/2021
2.5/4
...a mostly watchable comedy that benefits substantially from the affable work of its two stars... Go to Full Review Ɓngel FernƔndez-Santos El Pais (Spain) 04/01/2020
Its conformist happy ending negates the initial nonconformist feeling of the original premise. [Full Review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Swaus G @SwausGebouwen 3d Can't Buy me Love is one of the very most quintessential high school flicks of the 20th century. From a movie history standpoint, it's a must-see. It is also an absolutely perfectly paced movie, and there's a meaningful moral to its story. It challenges the viewer by presenting a protagonist who journeys from naivity and insecurity to moral reprehensibilty before a fall from grace forces him to realign himself. The acting's good, the way it looks holds up so well, and the usage of tropes is delicious. So don't listen to the naysayers... they must have not turned on their 'relax and enjoy the movie' brain for this one. There's nothing offensive other than fart jokes and the hamming-up of high school bullying. I came away from this film feeling truly satiated, like I'd been on an adventure, and you won't get that from many other rom-coms. See more Emerson H. @RTreviews7282 Jan 5 Canā€™t Buy Me Love has a cute story, some humor, some intriguing characters, and a meaningful message, but there are plenty of unbelievable and forced aspects of the film that delude its quality. See more Traci F @Trace922 Dec 15 This movie was my teenage years. I love this movie with all my heart it was my favorite movie for a very long time. I watched it everyday trust me when I was younger. See more thiago s @Thiagostone Aug 17 Filme fraco, o roteiro Ć© fraco, as cenas sĆ£o fracas, a histĆ³ria Ć© fraca, o elenco Ć© fraco, e ninguĆ©m ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens sĆ£o fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more Linda L Aug 14 Great romantic movie, and I'm not even a fan of romance genre. There's probably similar versions of this movie but this is the original. I love this movie! See more Co D May 19 Iā€™m a sucker for the fake relationship trope soooo! Plus Cindy Mancini is a fashion icon šŸ”„ See more Read all reviews
Can't Buy Me Love

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Steve Rash

Director

Patrick Dempsey

Ronald Miller

Amanda Peterson

Cindy Mancini

Courtney Gains

Kenneth Wurman

Tina Caspary

Barbara

Seth Green

Chuckie Miller

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Can't Buy Me Love

Can't Buy Me Love (1987) Can't Buy Me Love (1987) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Nerdy high schooler Ronald Miller (Patrick Dempsey) rescues cheerleader Cindy Mancini (Amanda Peterson) from parental punishment after she accidentally destroys her mother's designer clothes. Ronald agrees to pay for the $1,000 outfit on one condition: that she will act as though they're a couple for an entire month. As the days pass, however, Cindy grows fond of Ronald, making him popular. But when Ronald's former best friend gets left behind, he realizes that social success isn't everything.
Director
Steve Rash
Producer
Thom Mount
Screenwriter
Michael Swerdlick
Production Co
Touchstone Pictures
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 28, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$31.6M
Runtime
1h 34m
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