Most known for her role as 'the cheerleader' on NBC's hit drama 'Heroes,' Hayden Panettiere makes a bold move to the big screen in Chris Columbus' raunchy high school comedy I Love You, Beth Cooper.
In the film, Panettiere plays Beth Cooper, a rough, no-holds-bar girl who loves a night of fun. But to Denis Cooverman, a nerdy valedictorian who has secretly harbored a crush on her since the 7th grade, Beth is so much more. When a gutsy speech and a jealous boyfriend bring the two together for a night on the town, Denis begins to see that underneath the girl-next-door exterior, a more complex and developed woman is burning to get free.
Based on the novel by Larry Doyle, I Love You, Beth Cooper takes from the same formula that made Can't Hardly Wait a big hit back in 1998. The raunchy jokes, the hot girl and the nerdy guy all find their rightful place in this film; as does the jealous, over-muscled 'boyfriend' and the party that is said to be unlike any other. However, where others excelled, Beth Cooper falters.
For starters, since when does the cheerleading captain attend the valedictorian's graduation house party? These are two social cliques that never mesh in real life, and their intentional merging here is both awkward and random. Even at the very beginning, when the 'trinity' questions their decision to attend, their threats to leave are half-hearted. This makes the situation a far cry from the natural, survival of the fittest mentality that exists within every high school.
Yet, in all honesty, you don't go see films like I Love You, Beth Cooper for their authentic take on high school. Instead, you look for the wit, sex and outlandish humor that is always nestled within a lame and uninteresting story. Luckily, minus the sex, the rest is present throughout much of the feature as Jack Carpenter steals the show as movie-fanatic and possibly gay best friend Rich Munsch. His delivery, dead on in nearly every scene, keeps a smile on your face as you become entranced with the odd-ball who is just different enough to warrant a laugh. His towel-whipping ability, along with Beth's driving, helps the film survive its dry moments, pushing it past the finish line in decent fashion.
Additional perks include a stellar soundtrack; one that challenges Away We Go and 500 Days of Summer as the best thus far in 2009, and a few hilarious monologues. The movie quotes are enjoyable, especially for big-time movie fans like myself; however, to the common viewer, I have a feeling that it won't be accepted quite as well. As a result, I Love You, Beth Cooper is a film that could have been great, but finds itself burrowed within midlevel high school films such as Fired Up! and She's All That.
