|
Can't Hardly WaitRating:
Release Date: 22 May, 2001 Retail Price: $14.94 OUR Price: $10.99 You SAVE: $3.95! Cast: Complete Cast (10 total) |
Can't Hardly Wait Reviews
Teen movie that appeals to more than just teens - a favorite of mine
Some have dismissed this movie as one that delivers teen appeal, but little for anyone else. This is an assessment I disagree with. I first saw this movie when I was 27 and now in my 30s I still enjoy it. Sure, it may be a "guilty pleasure" but it's an entertaining one that delivers a delightful concoction of comedy, drama and romance combined with a good score. In fact this movie manages to deliver some timeless themes, all packaged into 100 minutes of teen excess.
It's not hard to understand why someone would have a crush on Jennifer Love Hewitt, even before she started being a regular on the phenomenally popular television show PARTY OF FIVE she had legions of fans. By time this coming-of-age movie was released in 1998, she not only had tremendous face recognition from the small screen, but also on the big screen, having just starred as the lead in the teen shocker I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER.
Of course there's also the fact that she was one of the most attractive of all the teen actresses at that time.
So, perhaps she was the perfect actress to play the part of the one girl in school that every man wants to be with, and the particular attention of a schoolboy crush in CAN'T HARDLY WAIT. Although she does not share as much screen time as lead Ethan Embry, her presence is felt nearly every scene in the movie.
So, what's the movie about? It's the end of school and there's a party in town to celebrate - and everyone's going to be there. Destined to leave for a workshop with his idol Kurt Vonnegut the next day, Preston Meyers (Embry) sees this as the last chance to let his dream girl Amanda Beckett (Hewitt) know how he feels. Rumors abound around the school that her jock boyfriend has broken up with her and he sees this as a chance to finally deliver a love letter he has been working on since he first saw her years earlier.
But fate works in mysterious ways.
A young Seth Green (he had yet to achieve fame on BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER) sees this party as an opportunity for quite another reason - namely to get laid and he and he has a whole bag of stuff with him to ensure that everything goes smoothly - which of course it doesn't.
Geek William Lichter (Charlie Korsmo) sees the party as an opportunity to wreak revenge on a class bully that has been torturing him for years and in fact it is Korsmo's character and Green's character that offer most of the comedic interludes. While Embry is waxing poetic about his four year obsession with Hewitt, Green is getting locked in a bathroom with a girl and Korsmo is learning a new side to the bully.
Yes, there are several subplots going on in this movie, but the humor is infectious and the characters are both well rounded and engaging. A word of warning though, for some reason I found myself listening to the commentary before watching the ending of the movie, and in fact the ending is spoiled early on in the commentary.
Which brings us neatly on to the scene specific commentary. It's light and fun and delivers a number of interesting anecdotes.
An easy recommendation for anyone's DVD collection.
You'd be so nice to come home to
I've seen people write "not for over 30 age types." Well I'm pushing 30 and I disagree. Rogert Ebert, for the record, also disagrees. He (and I) recognized a nice mesh of story, comedy, editing, score, and acting. The movie combines rapid-quick hillarious scenes (props to the editors and screenwriters) with the usual sarcastic, cynical view of "those" days. But a nice balance a la Breakfast Club not the pissed off teen movies of today. The movie does not hit any snags, which is welcome if you think about how one awkward drawn-out scene can ruin the flow of this type of flick. A side note: I remember watching it as an angst-ridden teen and ready to wail on it after the show with my three nerdy friends; we couldn't do it! And no it wasn't the hots for Jennifer Love Hewitt.
My point is that we can get three things out of this movie at the same time and still chow on popcorn and beer:
a)entertainment and laughs; b) an enjoyable "quickie", for when three hours of hobbits is too much; c) a subliminal look into how much a blah story can be jazzed through snappy editing, dialogue, and sharp acting... oh yeah, and nostaligia if you drink enough! A worthy addition to any DVD collection for those moments and those moments happen quite a bit for us between 25 and 35!
Gabriel Elias
More Customer Reviews (32 total)
You like Can't Hardly Wait?
|
© 2004, 2005, 2006 DVD Booty | Don't Plunder Our Cache of Booty, Matey!
Hosting made possible by donations from Debt Information, mortgage loans, and Mortgage Jedi
