Can't Hardly Wait

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2:31

Can't Hardly Wait

PG-13

1998

1h 38m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

42%

Tomatometer

65 Reviews

63%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

School's out, and an entire graduating class -- from football stars and cool girls to complete nerds -- gathers at a wealthy classmate's home for a party. There, the artistic Preston (Ethan Embry) hopes to move in on Amanda (Jennifer Love Hewitt), the beauty he has admired from afar for years. Dorky William (Charlie Korsmo) schemes to pay back meathead Mike (Peter Facinelli) for years of bullying, and would-be rapper Kenny (Seth Green) gets locked in a room with snarky Denise (Lauren Ambrose).

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Critics Consensus

Occasionally clever and moderately intelligent, Can't Hardly Wait also contains too many cheap laughs, recycled plotting, and flat characters.

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Mark Caro

Chicago Tribune

03/19/2014

2/4

Kaplan and Elfont provide a real public service by showing how underage binge drinking can boost bookish students' social lives.

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Carrie Rickey

Philadelphia Inquirer

03/19/2014

2.5/4

Fortunately, some of the appealing young performers -- who include Ethan Embry, Charlie Korsmo, Lauren Ambrose and, especially, Seth Green -- manage to emerge from the film's generic suburban-teen backdrop.

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Dave Kehr

New York Daily News

03/19/2014

2/4

There are signs that Can't Hardly Wait once had more serious aspirations... But in the final edit, at least, it's the dumb, broad slapstick that prevails, short-circuiting identification with the characters before it can begin.

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Allison Rose

FlickDirect

09/30/2024

4/5

Can't Hardly Wait is the typical fare for 1990s teen movies and it is entertaining without going too far overboard.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

09/14/2024

2/4

There’s little imagination in the scripting, meaning the movie’s main virtue is as a spot-the-rising-star game.

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Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

08/28/2024

3.5/5

Can't Hardly Wait is the type of classic teen comedy that has everything.

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Blake- N

@PBSAniDom 3d

Can’t Hardly Wait (1998) is a decent teen film that captures the end-of-high-school party vibe pretty well, even if it doesn’t do anything particularly new with the genre. The movie follows a large group of characters over the course of one chaotic night, and while the ensemble approach gives it energy, it also means some storylines feel more interesting than others. There are a few funny moments and relatable teen situations scattered throughout, and the film has a certain late-90s charm that helps it stay watchable. However, most of the humor and drama is fairly predictable, and the character arcs don’t always land with much depth or payoff. It’s enjoyable in a light, background-watch kind of way, but not something that sticks with you for long after it ends. Overall, it’s a solid but average teen comedy that earns a 6/10.

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Caz M

@CazMartino Feb 9

Definitely a 90s time capsule

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Noel L

@RT15930389 Nov 19

This movie is Dazed and Confused mixed with Fast Times at Ridgemont High but more current. I enjoyed it very much

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Christian K

@ckacar Aug 9

Seems like a perfect description of the era, contains dozens of recognizable faces that pop up for a taste every other scene. JLH is nice.

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Michael D L

@Mlelijr77 Aug 7

Not a bad Movie with decent funny moments here and there

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Michael W

@mawilps May 28

This romantic comedy was pretty good. Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ethan Embry, Seth Green, Lauren Ambrose, Peter Facinelli, Charlie Korsmo, and the rest of the cast did a pretty good job in this movie. The story of the movie kind of entertaining and dramatic. It's about doing something crazy before you go off to college, even if it's telling a girl that doesn't know you that you love her. If you haven't seen this movie yet, you might like it. It wasn't as great as I thought it would be, but it wasn't terrible.

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Deborah Kaplan

Director

Harry Elfont

Director

Jennifer Love Hewitt

Amanda Beckett

Ethan Embry

Preston Meyers

Charlie Korsmo

William Lichter

Lauren Ambrose

Denise Fleming

Can't Hardly Wait: Official Clip - It Was Fate

2:12

Can't Hardly Wait: Official Clip - Take Me Back?

2:05

Can't Hardly Wait: Official Clip - First Kiss

1:30

Can't Hardly Wait: Official Clip - Amanda's Single

1:47

Can't Hardly Wait: Official Clip - Paradise City

2:13

Can't Hardly Wait: Official Clip - A Second Chance

2:05

Can't Hardly Wait: Official Clip - Preston Kisses Amanda

2:09

Can't Hardly Wait: Official Clip - I Can't Believe She Came

1:57

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Can't Hardly Wait: Trailer 1

2:31

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Synopsis

School's out, and an entire graduating class -- from football stars and cool girls to complete nerds -- gathers at a wealthy classmate's home for a party. There, the artistic Preston (Ethan Embry) hopes to move in on Amanda (Jennifer Love Hewitt), the beauty he has admired from afar for years. Dorky William (Charlie Korsmo) schemes to pay back meathead Mike (Peter Facinelli) for years of bullying, and would-be rapper Kenny (Seth Green) gets locked in a room with snarky Denise (Lauren Ambrose).

Director: Deborah Kaplan, Harry Elfont
Producer: Jenno Topping, Betty Thomas
Production Co: Tall Trees Productions, Columbia Pictures Corporation
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 12, 1998, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $25.3M
Runtime: 1h 38m
Sound Mix: Surround

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