I Love You, Beth Cooper (2009)

Director:

Chris Columbus

Writers (WGA):

Larry Doyle (screenplay)
Larry Doyle (novel)

Release Date:

10 July 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Five Little Words Can Change Your Life

Plot:

A nerdy valedictorian proclaims his love for the hottest and most popular girl in school – Beth Cooper – during his graduation speech. Much to his surprise, Beth shows up at his door that very night and decides to show him the best night of his life.

Plot Keywords:

Speech | Love | Party | Cheerleader | Popular Girl

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Hayden Panettiere	...	Beth Cooper
Paul Rust	...	Denis Cooverman
Jack Carpenter	...	Rich Munsch (as Jack T. Carpenter)
Lauren London	...	Cammy Alcott
Lauren Storm	...	Treece Kilmer
Shawn Roberts	...	Kevin
Jared Keeso	...	Dustin
Brendan Penny	...	Sean
Marie Avgeropoulos	...	Valli Wooley
Josh Emerson	...	Greg Saloga
Alan Ruck	...	Mr. Cooverman
Cynthia Stevenson	...	Mrs. Cooverman
Pat Finn	...	Coach Raupp
Andrea Savage	...	Dr. Gleason
Violet Columbus	...	Sullen Girl (Angelica)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content, language, some teen drinking and drug references, and brief violence.

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby | DTS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #45026) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/Manitoba/Ontario) | Canada:PG (British Columbia) | USA:R (uncut version) | Singapore:NC-16 | Ireland:15A | New Zealand:R16 | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Germany:12 | UK:15 | Finland:K-11

Filming Locations:

Golden Ears Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Fox Atomic

Trivia:

There is a mention of Harpers Community College in the movie. This is a reference to Harper College, the community college from writer Larry Doyle's home town.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Kevin first starts messing with Denis after graduation, his Class A jacket has the PFC rank insignia on it (one chevron, one rocker), but in the scene after he picks him up to fix him up, his insignia is PV2 (just the one chevron). In the next scene, it's back to PFC.

Quotes:

Rich Munsch: [while running from Kevin] No, Denis! Denis, have you ever seen any of the Friday the 13ths? You run upstairs, you die!

Movie Connections:

References Friday the 13th (1980)

What Did Critics Expect?

Come on, this is a high school comedy the way they used to do them back in the '80s! This is not John Hughes territory, as you might be led to believe upon seeing "Home Alone" director Chris Columbus at the helm. No, this is another breed of '80s comedy. This is more "Three O'Clock High" than "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," which is not necessarily a bad thing, depending on your taste. The humor here is broad and unsophisticated, for the most part, but fits with the brisk pacing and sunny tone of the film. This movie invites you to have a good time along with the cast. It throws you in the middle of a heightened reality/unlikely scenario (most geeks do not suddenly grow a pair and profess their love for the hottest girl in school during their valedictorian speech) and beckons you to simply enjoy the ride. While the films of John Hughes endeavor to depict a realistic panoramic view into the teenage mind, taking stereotypes and turning them inside out, this film, and its grandaddy "Three O'Clock High" do not carry such aspirations. They are fantasy, pure and true, and are all about having a good time. If the characters are two dimensional, so what? If the plot is threadbare, so what? Character development and story arc are not reasons to see a movie like "I Love You Beth Cooper." This is just a classic homespun yarn, taking place in Anywhere, USA, about a geek who outsmarts a bully and gets the girl. If you expected more, you're going to be disappointed. This is the kind of movie that could work just as well as a cartoon. It's a zippy, predictable ride from point A to point B, but the journey is not lacking in entertainment value. If you, like me, are a fan of "Three O'Clock High" and on many-a-day would watch it over "Bueller," then you're in for a treat because this is practically a remake albeit with the addition of a love interest.