Themes: Schemes and Ruses, Unrequited Love, Opposites Attract
Main Cast: Nick Cannon, Christina Milian, Kenan Thompson, Kal Penn, Steve Harvey
Release Year: 2003
Country: US
Run Time: 101 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
The sophomore outing for writer/director/actress Troy Beyer, Love Don't Cost a Thing is a romantic teen comedy based on the screenplay for the 1987 Partick Dempsey film Can't Buy Me Love. Nick Cannon stars as Alvin, a brilliant but awkward teenager -- and budding engineer -- who seizes a golden opportunity when popular cheerleader Paris (Christina Milian) wrecks her parents' SUV and is strapped for cash. They strike an agreement: Alvin will do the repairs for free if Paris pretend to be his girlfriend for two weeks, all in the hopes of elevating his social standing. Little does he know, being popular isn't all its cracked up to be. Kal Penn and Steve Harvey co-star. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
Review
It has the misfortune of being named after a Jennifer Lopez song, but otherwise, Love Don't Cost a Thing is a tight little urban remake of Can't Buy Me Love. In fact, certain lines of dialogue are cut and pasted word for word, but that just increases the positive associations for those fond of the original. Though the intended audiences don't overlap, the teen-movie truths are universal -- whether it's Patrick Dempsey or Nick Cannon, they both need to check themselves before they wreck themselves. Love Don't Cost a Thing is as joyful as it is because of Cannon's charismatic performance. He's affectionately geeky at the start, and his caricature of the bling-bling "playa" stops just short of offensive stereotypes. The same can be said of Steve Harvey as Alvin's father. Capable of really grating, here Harvey finds just the right pitch for the role of Alvin's overzealous sex coach, including a scene in which he humorously outlines the potential usage scenarios for a shoebox full of prophylactics. Jokes about condoms notwithstanding, the film takes a sweetly optimistic view of modern teenagers, racially integrating their social groups wherever possible (Alvin's three best friends are white, black and Indian), and rarely offering any hint of real violence. And what's more impressive is that director Troy Beyer goes well beyond the minimum competence required of her. She sets her camera up in ways that challenge the norm, including filming a conversation among popular kids by placing the camera inside the microwaves and pantry cabinets they open during home ec class. Love Don't Cost a Thing is no classic -- in fact, it's not even as good as the guilty pleasure that inspired it. But it's a lot better than it needed to be, and paints outside the numbers enough to seem pretty satisfying. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
Vanessa Bell Calloway - Vivian Johnson; Dante Basco - Spoken Word Artist; Damon Butler - Martial Arts Mambo Instructor; Peter Siragusa - Ben; Maria Carmen - Chemistry Teacher; Imani Parks - Mia; Howard Russell - Anthony; Ashley Monique Clark - Aretha Johnson; Al Thompson - Ted; Ralph Scherer - Poetry Reader; Nichole Robinson - Yvonne Freeman; Melissa Schuman - Zoe Parks; George Cedar - Old Man; Shani Pride - Jasmine; Shvona Lavette Williams - Guitar Playing Vocalist; Sam Sarpong - Kadeem; Kevin Christy - Chuck Mattock; Jordan Burg - Little Boy; Elimu Nelson - Dru Hilton; Reagan Gomez-Preston - Olivia; Gay Thomas Wilson - Judy Morgan; Ian Chidlaw - Eddie; J.B. Ghuman Jr. - JB; Michael Davis - Junior; Jackie Benoit - Old Lady; Stuart Scott - Himself; Nicole Scherzinger - Champagne Girl; Raistalla - Drill Team Member; Kelly Becerra - Drill Team Member; Lindsey Blaufarb - Drill Team Member; Crystal Colar - Drill Team Member; Rocio Mendoza - Drill Team Member; Ben Stephens - Jock #1; Charles Owen - Jazz Musician; Mayte Garcia - Dancer; Ernestine Parks - Singer
Credit
David Ellis - Art Director, Alexander H. Gayner - Associate Producer, Reuben Cannon - Casting, Kim Williams - Casting, Chonique Sneed - Choreography, Lisette Bustamante - Choreography, Nava Levin - Co-producer, Kira Davis - Co-producer, Steven P. Wegner - Co-producer, Kria Davis - Co-producer, Christine Peters - Costume Designer, Jennifer Mallini - Costume Designer, Alexander H. Gayner - First Assistant Director, Troy Beyer - Director, David Codron - Editor, Oren Koules - Executive Producer, Richard Gibbs - Composer (Music Score), Michael McQuarn - Musical Direction/Supervision, Aaron Pazanti - Camera Operator, Bob Carmichael - Camera Operator, Cabot McMullen - Production Designer, Chuck Cohen - Cinematographer, Mark Burg - Producer, Reuben Cannon - Producer, Broderick Johnson - Producer, Andrew Kosove - Producer, Joyce Anne Gilstrap - Set Designer, Steve Tibbo - Sound/Sound Designer, Nava Levin - Unit Production Manager, Troy Beyer - Screenwriter, Michael Swerdlick - Screenwriter, Emile Hampton - First Assistant Camera, Tom Connole - First Assistant Camera, Glen Deitell - First Assistant Camera, Don Davis - First Assistant Camera, Jeff Zucker - Gaffer, Michael Rogers - Gaffer, David Santana - Grip, Tim Nash - Grip, Mike McGarry - Grip, Ralph Scherer - Key Grip, Brad Arensman - Post Production Supervisor, Jamie Arsenault - Production Coordinator, Gabriel Higgins - Properties, Darrell Woodard - Second Assistant Director, John Hartigan - Special Effects Coordinator, Jim Sheldon - Still Photographer, Barney Cabral - Supervising Sound Editor, Perry Robertson - Supervising Sound Editor, Ramona Reeves - Assistant Production Coordinator, Matthew Kime - Assistant Properties, Jeff Gatesman - Best Boy Electric, Brett Bagley - Best Boy Grip, Brandi Borden - Camera Loader, Haydn Pazanti - Camera Loader, Daniel Pershing - Dolly Grip, Jeffrey Maroun - Electrician, Tim Iaquinta - Electrician, Sam Griffin - Electrician, Hakim Kent - Electrician, Tim Woodruff - Leadman, Xiomara Comrie - Second Assistant Camera, Bradley Richard - Second Assistant Camera, Steve Lonano - Second Second Assistant Director, Tim Snowber - Set Dresser, Greg Thran - Storyboard Artist, Michael Swerdlick - Play Author
Geeky Alvin Johnson (Cannon) is extremely intelligent and being considered for a General Motors scholarship, as he is skilled in designing engines. However, he wants to go from nerd to cool guy, and wants to hang out with the popular kids. A little bit of luck, and being at the right place at the right time, provides him with that chance. Paris Morgan (Milian), a beautiful, popular cheerleader crashes her mother's expensive SUV whilst arguing with her superstar boyfriend, Dru. The grill of the car is destroyed, and in sheer desparation, Paris agrees to "date" Alvin for two weeks in exchange for the full repair of the car, before her mother finds out. Alvin pays for the car parts in order to be Paris's boyfriend, thus becoming popular. It works, and Alvin is transformed from a nerd to a popular kid. Part of the agreement said they'd break up after two weeks, which Al did at their school. This makes Paris mad because she feels it ruins her reputation. Not only that, but Al did it in a very disrespectful manner. Eventually Al views himself as "unbreakable" and starts diminishing Paris's rep. He also starts dissing his nerd friends from before. When Paris's boyfriend breaks up with Paris thinking that she was dating Al, Paris asks Al to tell him about the deal. However, Al has become so full of himself, that he believes the deal never existed. Paris then "breaks" him by saying in front of the popular kids that he paid her to be his friend so he could be popular. Alvin, completely embarrassed(with no friends because his friends kicked him out of the club), comes back to himself and starts acting life his old self again. The story comes to head at a school basketball game when Alvin stands up to a popular jock who is bullying him. He says that he was sorry to ever be ashamed of who he was. That earns Alvin and his friends the respect of the student body. Later on outside, Dru (Paris' ex-boyfriend) tries to take her back but she replies "I have other dreams". Paris and Al eventually make up as the film ends.
In the scene where Alvin is walking towards the kitchen table with wet pants.If you look closely in the corner you can see Aretha already standing there.
Also in the scene where Walter(Kenan Thompsan's character)hits the locker and it breaks off if you look closely below him you can see a safety mat that he landed on.
