Can't Buy Me Love

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Can't Buy Me Love

PG-13

1987

1h 34m

Comedy

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Popcornmeter

48%

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25 Reviews

74%

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25,000+ Ratings

Nerdy high schooler Ronald Miller (Patrick Dempsey) rescues cheerleader Cindy Mancini (Amanda Peterson) from parental punishment after she accidentally destroys her mother's designer clothes. Ronald agrees to pay for the $1,000 outfit on one condition: that she will act as though they're a couple for an entire month. As the days pass, however, Cindy grows fond of Ronald, making him popular. But when Ronald's former best friend gets left behind, he realizes that social success isn't everything.

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Critics Consensus

While Can't Buy Me Love gets some value out of its plucky leads, this romantic comedy struggles to find grace in a cynical conceit that belongs in the bargain bin.

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Time Out

A slight but not unenjoyable movie.

Jun 24, 2006

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Caryn James

New York Times

The film thinks it wants to be sincere, when all it truly wants is to be popular, just like the other kids' movies, so it sells off its originality.

Rated: 2.5/5

May 20, 2003

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Rita Kempley

Washington Post

As written by Michael Swerdlick and guided by Rash, the theme dissolves into a bland parody of pubescent pain.

Jan 1, 2000

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Rachel Wagner

Rachel's Reviews (YouTube)

Too unlikable of characters to work

Jun 22, 2025

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...a mostly watchable comedy that benefits substantially from the affable work of its two stars...

Rated: 2.5/4

Mar 6, 2021

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Ángel Fernández-Santos

El Pais (Spain)

Its conformist happy ending negates the initial nonconformist feeling of the original premise. [Full Review in Spanish]

Apr 1, 2020

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Co D

I’m a sucker for the fake relationship trope soooo! Plus Cindy Mancini is a fashion icon 🔥

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/19/25

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Roselyn D

would kill to have cindy's hair. also young patrick dempsey is such a cutie! FELT ronald's pain towards the end i love men groveling and being losers. VERY SUBTLY FUNNY. loved it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/07/25

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Michael D

Love this guilty pleasure of an "80's young adult ", movie. Amazing how much has changed over the years, but time does move on..... Great Sunday, rainy day, movie.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/17/25

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Mike P

In retrospect, this John Hughes ripoff of a mail-order-bride type story is really just a kiddie version of Pretty Woman; in other words; a slick, whitewashed Hollywood version of prostitution; that gets glamorized and glorified; with all the ugly parts taken out. But prostitution is still prostitution. You can put lipstick on a pig; but a pig is a pig is a pig.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/08/25

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Scott M

The overall feeling this movie gives me is wonderful. But it's missing a lot of the little details. It tries so hard to be thoughtful in many scenes but then in other scenes is so superficial. It's like the director finished a sweet film and then someone else came in and added a bunch of stuff to ruin it.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/30/25

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Christian K

Doesn't do enough for me to break away from being another just good enough high school movie, with nothing really memorable besides some of Dempsey's hair styles.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

06/24/24

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Steve Rash

Director

Patrick Dempsey

Ronald Miller

Amanda Peterson

Cindy Mancini

Courtney Gains

Kenneth Wurman

Tina Caspary

Barbara

Seth Green

Chuckie Miller

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Synopsis

Nerdy high schooler Ronald Miller (Patrick Dempsey) rescues cheerleader Cindy Mancini (Amanda Peterson) from parental punishment after she accidentally destroys her mother's designer clothes. Ronald agrees to pay for the $1,000 outfit on one condition: that she will act as though they're a couple for an entire month. As the days pass, however, Cindy grows fond of Ronald, making him popular. But when Ronald's former best friend gets left behind, he realizes that social success isn't everything.

Director: Steve Rash
Producer: Thom Mount
Screenwriter: Michael Swerdlick
Production Co: Touchstone Pictures
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 28, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $31.6M
Runtime: 1h 34m

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