Heavily reliant on stereotypes and shallow teen comedy clichés, I Love You Beth Cooper is a humorless affair that fails to capture the charm of its source novel.
Heavily reliant on stereotypes and shallow teen comedy clichés, I Love You Beth Cooper is a humorless affair that fails to capture the charm of its source novel.
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Average Rating: 2.5/5
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When a geeky high-school valedictorian throws caution to the wind by expressing his love for a popular cheerleader during his graduation speech, life finally starts to get interesting in this coming-of-age comedy adapted from the book by journalist/author/screenwriter Larry Doyle. Denis Cooverman (Paul Rust) may have brains to spare; it's guts that he lacks -- or at least, he did until today. Stepping up to the podium to deliver an inspirational speech to his graduating class, Denis decides that
the time has finally come to call out his classmates on their peccadilloes and declare his love for the prettiest girl in school -- Beth Cooper (Hayden Panettiere). Much to Denis' surprise, Beth responds by accepting an invitation to a party at his house later that day. But Beth's meathead boyfriend, Kevin (Shawn Roberts), is none-too-pleased that his high school prize is mingling with the biggest dweeb in school, and when Kevin shows up at his house and tears the place apart in a fit of rage, Denis, his best friend Rich (Jack Carpenter), Beth, and her friends Cammy (Lauren London) and Treece (Lauren Storm) all pile into Beth's car and flee for their lives. For four long years Denis sat silently behind Beth in class, pining for a way to make his love known. Now, over the course of one long night, Denis will finally get to know the girl of his dreams better than he ever thought possible. If he manages to survive until morning, it's sure to be the story of a lifetime. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
The script by Larry Doyle, based on his novel, has some smart flashes, and a few of the young performers resemble real people and not the usual prefab teen idols.
This unfunny, unoriginal, charmless teen comedy is so stunningly awful from start to finish, it's amazing to think its director has made a single film before, much less a dozen.
It's nothing but a painful, tedious, cruel, and mean spirited exercise in sadism that actually tries to transform child molestation in to a comedic bit...
The movie could have been much improved by slicing a few frames from each shot, and reining in Rust's weirdness just a bit%u2014so as to not contribute to the lumbering, hallucinogenic feel of his initial characterization.
A bimbo pride teen comedy whose cheerleader girl entourage of shallow sexpots gets enlightened too, about how 'useful' and even entertaining smart geeks with tons of brainy information to spare can be, even if totally lacking in hunk appeal.
A bimbo pride teen comedy whose cheerleader girl entourage of shallow sexpots gets enlightened too, about how 'useful' and even entertaining smart geeks with tons of brainy information to spare can be, even if totally lacking in hunk appeal.
So much emphasis is put on pratfalling that it leaves the sensitive moments completely stranded, unable to make themselves felt for fear they may get a punch in the mouth.
We've seen it a million times before, and better. The situations are forced, the script is weak, the pace drags and, frankly, it just isn't funny enough.
A sexed-up, dumbed-down romp that can't decide whether to please undemanding adults, sniggering adolescents or naughty children who shouldn't be watching in the first place.
The real problem is that it doesn't have any heart. This is by-the-numbers film-making in which even those moments when the characters step off the merry-go-round to catch their breath feel manufactured.
There's the potential for 'Superbad'-style comedy when Denis and his pal go on the run with Beth and friends, but the pace is slow and lines fall flat thanks to long pauses and hammy delivery.
I Love You Beth Cooper is a terrible, unfunny, cliche, creepy, and boring comedy and is so bad that I could barely watch.
August 15, 2011
Brad Wright
Super Reviewer
Studios who care more about money and less about substance and artistic distinction certainly had their tentacles in when this movie was getting greenlighted. I feel like I've written this foul review a billion times: lacks chemistry between the leads, the jokes aren't funny in any context, the characters are cheesy,
the premise is being recycled and the fact that this film exists at all isn't in any way necessary. If you have a bad script, it's circumventable with a stellar cast, but this film is headed by walking hot mess Paul Rust, who is somehow too nerdy and too awkward to pull this off. Panettiere just isn't what the role calls for, and it easily shows. Sure, she knows how to be cutesy as a cheerleader (much like her role on Heroes) but here the lead should be dangerous and shockingly rebellious. With her small stature and Disney ties no one is going to believe the petite blonde is anything but a conservative teenage stereotype. Besides the fact that the premise is built on Rust confessing a deep love for Beth Cooper, there is little originality, not even in the confession. The entire film is a deep exhale, not letting us take anything away from this snooze fest. Rewatch the Breakfast Club instead.
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