Name: Retro Film Review: Can't Hardly Wait (1998)
Item: Can't Hardly Wait
Rating: 30
Author: @drax

(source:tmdb.org)

In late 1990s Hollywood rediscovered 1980s. This reflected not only in films being set in that period, but also in contemporary-themed films belonging to genres that used to be popular in 1980s. One of those genres was teen comedy and one of the films trying to exploit the trend was Can't Hardly Wait, written and directed in 1998 by Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont.

The plot begins just as the new class of Huntington High School has graduated. All graduates flock to the spectacular party thrown by Molly (played by Michelle Brookhurst), one of the students, in her parent's house. Many of them have different agenda - one is Preston Meyers (played by Ethan Embry) who finally wants to confess his feelings to Amanda Beckett (played by Jennifer Love Hewitt), most beautiful girl in the school who has just been dumped by her jock boyfriend Mike Dexter (played by Peter Facinelli). Charlie Korsmo (played by William Lichter), main nerd in the class, wants to settle some scores with Mike. Kenny Fisher (played by Seth Green), wannabe gangsta rapper, wants to lose virginity by acting "cool" but instead ends looked in the bathroom together with Amanda's plain-looking friend Denise (played by Lauren Ambrose).

Can't Hardly Wait is less of a movie and more a collection of 1980s teen movie cliches. Kaplan and Elfont have added some of more contemporary material in the form of environmentalism, sermons against and unsafe sex and drunk driving and The X-Files. All that is accompanied by "cool" soundtrack and good-looking although not particularly inspired or talented young actors. However, some subplots are interesting, some jokes are funny and some actors, like Green and Ambrose, are charming. This film is watchable, but there are definitely better ways to experience 1980s teen comedies.

RATING: 3/10 (+)

(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.films.reviews on October 12th 2004)