Movie Review: Can't Buy Me Love (1987)

★★★★★

This movie gets better with age. It’s not just about teen romance it’s about figuring out who you are.

Heather R.

California

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Can't Buy Me Love

1987

We’ve all seen the nerd-to-popular storyline play out dozens of times but few teen comedies have done it with the charm, wit, and unexpected emotional honesty of Can’t Buy Me Love (1987). Directed by Steve Rash and starring a baby-faced Patrick Dempsey, this cult classic goes beyond high school tropes to ask a deeper question: What’s popularity really worth?

At BoxReview.com, we love revisiting films like this not just for nostalgia, but to uncover the layers that often get overlooked. Because while Can’t Buy Me Love might wear the disguise of a goofy ‘80s teen rom-com, it’s actually a sharper social satire than most people give it credit for.

Plot in a Nutshell (No Major Spoilers)

Ronald Miller (Dempsey) is your average high school outcast awkward, intelligent, and more at home mowing lawns than navigating the cafeteria social ladder. He’s been quietly crushing on Cindy Mancini (Amanda Peterson), the school’s most popular girl, who seems completely out of his league.

That is, until she finds herself in a jam she’s accidentally ruined her mom’s designer dress and needs $1,000 to replace it. Ronald sees an opportunity and offers to pay for the dress… on one condition: Cindy has to pretend to date him for a month, so he can climb the social ranks.

The premise sounds silly, and it is. But the movie takes it in surprisingly thoughtful directions, especially once Ronald realizes being popular isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

More Than a Makeover Movie

Sure, Can’t Buy Me Love ticks a lot of teen movie boxes the makeover montage, the dance scene, the cliques, the big homecoming moment but it does something most films in this genre don’t: it actually critiques the idea of popularity.

Most reviews gloss over the fact that Ronald, once he gets a taste of fame, becomes kind of a jerk. And that’s the point. He doesn’t become someone new he becomes the kind of person he used to hate. The film isn’t afraid to let him fall hard before realizing who he really is.

It’s a surprisingly self-aware arc for a character in a teen comedy. And Dempsey, with his wide eyes and lanky awkwardness, sells both sides of Ronald’s transformation beautifully. You feel for him when he’s the outsider, but you’re also ready to smack him when he starts buying into the hype.

Amanda Peterson Deserved More Credit

Let’s talk about Amanda Peterson, who is criminally underrated in most discussions of ‘80s teen movie stars. As Cindy, she could’ve been a one-dimensional popular girl but she brings real vulnerability and depth to the role. Cindy isn’t just a fashion icon; she’s a creative, emotionally conflicted teen who’s under pressure to maintain an image she doesn’t even like.

One of the film’s most moving moments is when Cindy talks about her writing and how she’s afraid people won’t take her seriously. That scene quiet, honest, and beautifully acted makes her feel real in a way many rom-com leads don’t. You realize she’s not just there to elevate Ronald’s journey she has her own, and it’s just as valid.

The Social Commentary Hiding in Plain Sight

What most reviews miss and what we at BoxReview.com love to unpack is how Can’t Buy Me Love subtly critiques performative identity. Ronald buys his way into a new life, yes, but the price isn’t just money it’s authenticity.

As he becomes more popular, he loses touch with his real friends, his values, and even himself. The film is essentially about how fitting in doesn’t mean belonging and that trying to manufacture worth through popularity is a hollow pursuit.

In today’s social media age, that message lands harder than ever.

That Infamous Dance Scene (And Why It Works Anyway)

Okay, we can’t ignore the African Anteater Ritual dance scene. It’s one of the most bizarre, beloved, and heavily parodied moments in '80s teen cinema. Ronald, thinking he’s performing the latest trend, unleashes a tribal-inspired dance at the school party… and somehow, everyone joins in.

Is it cringey? Absolutely. But it also captures a kind of pure, hilarious absurdity that only '80s teen movies could pull off. It’s goofy, yes, but it’s also a turning point Ronald’s performance shows just how much people are willing to follow anything if they think it’s cool.

And isn’t that the whole point?

A Surprisingly Honest Ending

No spoilers here, but what we love about the way Can’t Buy Me Love wraps up is that it doesn’t promise an unrealistic fairytale. Yes, there’s resolution and redemption, but it’s earned. The final scenes are more about owning mistakes, making amends, and figuring out how to be real again not just getting the girl and riding off into the sunset.

That kind of emotional honesty is rare in movies of this type, and it’s part of why Can’t Buy Me Love still resonates decades later.

Final Thoughts from Box Review

Here at Box Review, we believe the best teen movies are the ones that grow up with you and Can’t Buy Me Love is exactly that. It might look like a formulaic rom-com on the outside, but inside, it’s a funny, thoughtful, and occasionally bittersweet exploration of identity, status, and what really matters when you’re figuring out who you are.

Rewatching it today, it’s even clearer how ahead of its time it was especially in the way it critiques image over substance. Plus, it’s just flat-out enjoyable. Great performances, an iconic soundtrack, and enough heart to make you forgive that dance scene.

Act Fast... Limited Time Offer!

Can't Buy Me Love

1987