CAN'T HARDLY WAIT (1998)

Written & Directed By: Deborah Kaplan & Harry Elfont
Cinematography By: Lloyd Ahern II
Editor: Michael Jablow

Cast: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ethan Embry, Seth Green, Lauren Ambrose, Charlie Korsmo, Peter Fancinelli, Marisol Nichols, Clea Duvall, Sean Patrick Thomas, Erik Palladino, Freddy Rodriguez, Jamie Pressly, Donald Faison, Breckin Meyer, Tamala Jones, Chris Owen, Jason Segel, Paige Moss, Liz Stauber, Nicole Bilderback, Sara Rue, Selma Blair, Leslie Grossman, Victor Togunde


I’m a sucker for teen movies, Especially ones I grew up with. I like not love this movie one of the main reasons why I don’t love this movie is that it seems in the 90’s teen movies seemed to have an identity crisis. They seemed more about pop culture then being universally truthful. Which tome is why the John Hughes films lasted. Though they included 80’s culture the stories and characters felt classic. That most audiences can still identify with today. The teen films of the 90’s were hopelessly clean (Until American Pie Came out) What was worse was that they were not racy at all. All the racy material was referred to or hidden in the background. They were perfectly PG-13. Not hardcore PG-13, But perfectly PG-13 hardly any need for editing on tv airings. This film is damn near PG perfect for family time. The problem I find is that the films don’t feel authentic. The whole theme of youth is experimentation and rebellion. There is no sense of danger in this film. Trust me hang around older teenagers and I guarantee there is little Pg-13 about them.
The Big Graduation party, Telling your crush your true feelings. The nerd becoming cool for night. Two old friends reconnecting and drop their superficial so called title thrust on them and just are their real selves around each other (Shades of THE BREAKFAST CLUB)

This film seems to celebrate and Pay homage to teen movies but it fills itself with so many scenes you have seen before in other films that it hardly carves out an identity of it’s own. I will admit that I did enjoy some of the homages. Another Problem with this movie is that most of the people playing teenagers look too old to play them. Now I can deal with adults playing teenagers. As long as they don’t still look like adults. This is like a cleaner version of DAZED AND CONFUSED. Only set in the 90’s. It seems like they cast every actor under 25 who the casting director thought could pass for a teenager. If you watch a lot of 90’s movies and television you will spot at least 10 recognizable faces.

What does work for this movie is Seth Green becoming a breakout star with this role showcasing his comedic talent and timing raising the bar if you will of the rest of the film. It is the first performance of Lauren Ambrose that I remember seeing and she does leave a mark and is memorable. Unfortunately the two of them are about the only ones who do. Ethan Embry seems to googly eyed and goofy. His performance feels like an act. It never feels truthful.

Jennifer Love Hewitt as always impresses she is beautiful as the object of desire and I like that the film leaves her with trying to find out who she truly is. Since she has always just been a girlfriend. So her character is pretty vacant but nice throughout the film. I have always felt. She never got a chance to be a real star she had a window for awhile around the time this film came out. She gave a really good performance in HEARTBREAKERS. I think because she took suck lightweight roles and didn’t really reveal any skin nor was sexual. Yet wore tight outfits. She was treated as a tease. No one ever gave her a chance to take harder more adult roles. Now she seems relegated to Television and tv movie roles. She should get more work and opportunities

One scene that made me wonder how they achieved it cinematically was how they achieved the Police raid scene. It looks like it was done in one take. Though I wonder how they mastered it with all those extras.

The filmmakers also try to add star power to the movie by casting people who were stars at the time in cameo roles. That feel like Special guest star status from a TV show.

This is a nice cute film. Nothing more, nothing less. This is not a deep film. Which is why it never made too much of a impression on me. There is no emotional connection. It takes place in almost one location with many rooms.

GRADE: B-