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Can't Buy Me Love

  • 1987
  • PG-13
  • 1h 34m
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
44K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,919
938
Amanda Peterson and Patrick Dempsey in Can't Buy Me Love (1987)
An outcast secretly pays the most popular girl in school one thousand dollars to pretend to be his girlfriend for a month.
Play trailer1:18
1 Video
93 Photos
Romantic ComedyTeen ComedyTeen DramaTeen RomanceComedyDramaRomance

An outcast secretly pays the most popular girl in school one thousand dollars to pretend to be his girlfriend for a month.An outcast secretly pays the most popular girl in school one thousand dollars to pretend to be his girlfriend for a month.An outcast secretly pays the most popular girl in school one thousand dollars to pretend to be his girlfriend for a month.

  • Director
    • Steve Rash
  • Writer
    • Michael Swerdlick
  • Stars
    • Patrick Dempsey
    • Amanda Peterson
    • Courtney Gains
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.8/10
    44K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    3,919
    938
    • Director
      • Steve Rash
    • Writer
      • Michael Swerdlick
    • Stars
      • Patrick Dempsey
      • Amanda Peterson
      • Courtney Gains
    • 121User reviews
    • 43Critic reviews
    • 36Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 3 nominations total

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:18
    Official Trailer

    Photos93

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    Top cast39

    Edit
    Patrick Dempsey
    Patrick Dempsey
    • Ronald Miller
    Amanda Peterson
    Amanda Peterson
    • Cindy Mancini
    Courtney Gains
    Courtney Gains
    • Kenneth Wurman
    Tina Caspary
    Tina Caspary
    • Barbara
    Seth Green
    Seth Green
    • Chuckie Miller
    Sharon Farrell
    Sharon Farrell
    • Mrs. Mancini
    Darcy DeMoss
    Darcy DeMoss
    • Patty
    • (as Darcy De Moss)
    Dennis Dugan
    Dennis Dugan
    • David Miller
    Cloyce Morrow
    • Judy Miller
    Devin DeVasquez
    Devin DeVasquez
    • Iris
    • (as Devin Devasquez)
    Eric Bruskotter
    Eric Bruskotter
    • Big John
    Gerardo Mejía
    Gerardo Mejía
    • Ricky
    Cort McCown
    Cort McCown
    • Quint
    Ami Dolenz
    Ami Dolenz
    • Fran
    Max Perlich
    Max Perlich
    • Lester
    David Schermerhorn
    • Albert
    Steve Franken
    Steve Franken
    • Moda Clerk
    Phillip Simms
    • Rock
    • (as Phil Simms)
    • Director
      • Steve Rash
    • Writer
      • Michael Swerdlick
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews121

    6.844.1K
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    Featured reviews

    helpless_dancer

    One of my fave high school films

    A high school boy saves up 2000 dollars for a new telescope, but winds up spending it for a girlfriend. She was the most popular girl at school, and needed the money to replace her mother's jacket that she [the girl] had ruined. In return, the girl must date the boy for a month, making him suddenly popular, something he isn't used to at all. Of course, he is found out eventually, and all his new "friends" turn against him. A picture which is well worth seeing.
    Casa2000

    80's Entertainment At Its Best

    I love those cheesy 80's teenage love stories. They are fun and entertaining. "Can't Buy Me Love" is one of the better ones for sure. It is one of those movies that you can watch over and over and still love it. The story is interesting and the performances are great. Amanda Peterson is fantastic as the high-priced yet emotionally repressed love interest of lawnboy Patrick Dempsey. The story is funny and moving and can even make you cry. Watch it with friends, watch it alone, watch it with someone you love and remember the pressures of high school and the friends that got you through it.
    10Dmsokana

    The best 80s movie ever

    If you like 80s movies this is my top 5 of all time. This movie is amazing and should not be forgotten. The story is about Ronald played by Patrick Dempsey who is a nerd and lives next door to Cindy the most popular girl in High School played by Amanda Peterson. Ronald mows lawns for a living and is saving his money for his science project. He finally has enough money to pay for his project but he decides to help out Cindy with dilemma. Cindy ruins her moms dress at a party and she needs a 1,000 dollars to buy a new dress so her mom doesn't ground her for life. Ronald decides to give up his money for the project if Cindy pretends to like him. The movie is amazing. Its very funny, great acting, and the chemistry works. This is one of my favorite movies of all time. I could watch it over and over again. If you like 80s movies check this movie out as well as Teen Witch, Some Kind Of Wonderful, Just One of the guys, and Big.
    7jaimelesfilms

    Love is not to be bought, but to be found.

    Sometimes the most important thing eludes us and we don't recognize it. Not everyone has the opportunity to recognize, especially when one lives it, what is really important, what is in fact real; the truth of who we are and who others are. And to recognize that before the others and ourselves. Not everyone has that opportunity. Almost all of us fall in the lies and fictions of who we are, who the others are and the place of all of us in our world, but only few of us - lucky few - manage, in the end, but maybe still in time, to see the truth, the reality. And these ones, may consider themselves very happy.

    All it takes is to understand that, and we can be who we want to: our own selves.

    If you like '80s teen comedies, this one is not to be missed. I liked this movie and i just wanted to share these thoughts i had after seeing it. Patrick Dempsey is good in it, and Amanda Peterson is absolutely great, loved her. Wish i had met a girl like her when i was in high school. But then again, maybe i did...

    7/10 overall, a good movie.
    8fineanimal

    Underrated and charming 80's teen flick

    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.

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    7.0
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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Amanda Peterson was 15 years old during filming, and Patrick Dempsey was 20 years old.
    • Goofs
      Striking crew members, with picket signs, are visible during cheerleader practice.
    • Quotes

      Ronald Miller: Nerds, jocks. My side, your side. It's all bullshit. Its hard enough just trying to be yourself.

    • Alternate versions
      UK theatrical version was edited by 1m 14sec to secure a PG rating.
    • Connections
      Featured in Easy A (2010)
    • Soundtracks
      Can't Buy Me Love
      Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney

      Performed by The Beatles

      Courtesy of Capitol Records, Inc.

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    FAQ19

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 14, 1987 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • Indonesia
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Novia se alquila
    • Filming locations
      • Scoops - 2910 E. Speedway Boulevard, Tucson, Arizona, USA
    • Production companies
      • Touchstone Pictures
      • Silver Screen Partners III
      • Apollo Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $31,623,833
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $4,754,732
      • Aug 16, 1987
    • Gross worldwide
      • $31,623,833
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 34 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1
      • 1.85 : 1

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