Warning: Possible Spoilers
There I said it. I love this movie. It is cute, heart warming, and also very honest and revealing. I can tell you why this movie was not a hit when it came out but really is a cult favorite now. This movie exposed the 'popular' myth, it showed just how fragile and shallow the 'popular' thing is and how many are simply followers. Of course popular kids at the time would not warm to this movie, it showed them to be either manipulators or followers neither of which anyone wanted to admit to.
People mention how this movie does not compare to John Hughes films, and you are right. Because in his flicks the popular kids come out looking good at the end. Hughes films are better written and overall acted but they are not as honest or real as this movie.
I am sick of people complaining about stereotypes. Why/How does a stereotype exist?!?! Because there are many, many people who ARE the stereotype. Stereotypes are not created from nothing, they are the single expression of large whole. Complain about stereotypes when they are inaccurate. The stereotypes in this movie are spot on.
I know personally that a big reason I love this movie is because I was on both sides of the fence. I was in the popular crowd when I was young, from 1st - 7th grades. Then we moved. For a year I was kinda a nerd/loner, I just hung around the perimeter. I was friends with most of the 'popular' girls but disliked almost all the 'popular' guys so eventually did my own thing. I was liked by most groups at the school but was not part of the 'popular' group.. by choice. But I also did one of the meanest things I have ever done in my life. I basically stole another guys friend and then told him to beat it because he was not 'cool' enough. I am still ashamed of that. I was basically a kid trying to be cool that really was a nerd inside. Moved again for my last 2 years of HS. This really was a bizarre experience as the 'popular' group was small and not well defined. I think this was due to so many new students moving into the area and I guess disrupting things. My best friend was a nerd, but a very very smart one, and a year younger. Again I did my own thing and liked who I wanted to like.
It was also at this HS that I witnessed something very similar to the movie.
This was in the grade below me. A 'popular' pretty girl dumped a jock and began dating a guy from the 'bad' crowd, you know the group that wore metal concert t-shirts and smoked. Wow, it was amazing to see the effects this had on the school and in particular that class, it turned the whole 'popular' thing on it's head.
One other reason this movie works is that the chemistry between Patrick Dempsey and Amanda Peterson is obvious. They just have it.
There I said it. I love this movie. It is cute, heart warming, and also very honest and revealing. I can tell you why this movie was not a hit when it came out but really is a cult favorite now. This movie exposed the 'popular' myth, it showed just how fragile and shallow the 'popular' thing is and how many are simply followers. Of course popular kids at the time would not warm to this movie, it showed them to be either manipulators or followers neither of which anyone wanted to admit to.
People mention how this movie does not compare to John Hughes films, and you are right. Because in his flicks the popular kids come out looking good at the end. Hughes films are better written and overall acted but they are not as honest or real as this movie.
I am sick of people complaining about stereotypes. Why/How does a stereotype exist?!?! Because there are many, many people who ARE the stereotype. Stereotypes are not created from nothing, they are the single expression of large whole. Complain about stereotypes when they are inaccurate. The stereotypes in this movie are spot on.
I know personally that a big reason I love this movie is because I was on both sides of the fence. I was in the popular crowd when I was young, from 1st - 7th grades. Then we moved. For a year I was kinda a nerd/loner, I just hung around the perimeter. I was friends with most of the 'popular' girls but disliked almost all the 'popular' guys so eventually did my own thing. I was liked by most groups at the school but was not part of the 'popular' group.. by choice. But I also did one of the meanest things I have ever done in my life. I basically stole another guys friend and then told him to beat it because he was not 'cool' enough. I am still ashamed of that. I was basically a kid trying to be cool that really was a nerd inside. Moved again for my last 2 years of HS. This really was a bizarre experience as the 'popular' group was small and not well defined. I think this was due to so many new students moving into the area and I guess disrupting things. My best friend was a nerd, but a very very smart one, and a year younger. Again I did my own thing and liked who I wanted to like.
It was also at this HS that I witnessed something very similar to the movie.
This was in the grade below me. A 'popular' pretty girl dumped a jock and began dating a guy from the 'bad' crowd, you know the group that wore metal concert t-shirts and smoked. Wow, it was amazing to see the effects this had on the school and in particular that class, it turned the whole 'popular' thing on it's head.
One other reason this movie works is that the chemistry between Patrick Dempsey and Amanda Peterson is obvious. They just have it.