I Love You, Beth Cooper (2009)

User Rating:

5.1/10   

Director:

Chris Columbus

Writers (WGA):

Larry Doyle (screenplay)
Larry Doyle (novel)

Release Date:

10 July 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Five Little Words Can Change Your Life

Plot:

A nerdy valedictorian proclaims his love for the hottest and most popular girl in school – Beth Cooper – during his graduation speech. Much to his surprise, Beth shows up at his door that very night and decides to show him the best night of his life. |

Plot Keywords:

Valedictorian | High School Graduation | Embarrassment | Cow Tipping | Punctuation In Title

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Hayden Panettiere	...	Beth Cooper
Paul Rust	...	Denis Cooverman
Jack Carpenter	...	Rich Munsch (as Jack T. Carpenter)
Lauren London	...	Cammy Alcott
Lauren Storm	...	Treece Kilmer
Shawn Roberts	...	Kevin
Jared Keeso	...	Dustin
Brendan Penny	...	Sean
Marie Avgeropoulos	...	Valli Wooley
Josh Emerson	...	Greg Saloga
Alan Ruck	...	Mr. Cooverman
Cynthia Stevenson	...	Mrs. Cooverman
Pat Finn	...	Coach Raupp
Andrea Savage	...	Dr. Gleason
Violet Columbus	...	Sullen Girl (Angelica)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content, language, some teen drinking and drug references, and brief violence.

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby | DTS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #45026) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/Manitoba/Ontario) | Canada:PG (British Columbia) | USA:R (uncut version) | Singapore:NC-16 | Ireland:15A | New Zealand:R16 | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Germany:12 | UK:15 | Finland:K-11

Filming Locations:

Golden Ears Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Fox Atomic

Trivia:

In the afterword to the book this film was based on, author Larry Doyle admitted he initially conceived this story as a movie. When he was unable to generate interest, he published the story as a novel. It subsequently generated enough popularity to spark interest in adapting it for film, and Doyle was invited to write the screenplay.

Goofs:

Factual errors: If LoJack was in Kevin's H2, the police would've been there with them since LoJack is traceable only by police. Besides, an H2 Hummer would most likely have OnStar, not LoJack.

Quotes:

[from trailer]
Beth Cooper: [to Denis] Still love me?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Spike's Guys Choice (2009) (TV)

I Love You, Beth Cooper Movie Review from The Massie Twins

"Recycle" is generally a good word, one with positive and favorable connotations. But not in the world of movies. I Love You, Beth Cooper is one of those films that horrendously overuses the ideas (and not even the better ones) of previous entries in the teen comedy genre, resulting in an exercise in repetition and failed mimicry. Awkwardly personal advice from a father figure, aggressive small animals, nude scenes without any real nudity, and the all-too-familiar plot line of the bashful introvert chasing after the most popular girl in school are just a few of the rehashed concepts found throughout the picture. There are really only two reasons the film gets a score of two - and both belong to Hayden Panattierre.

During the graduation ceremony at Buffalo Glenn High School, bumbling, socially-challenged valedictorian Denis Cooverman (Paul Rust) professes his love for popular head cheerleader Beth Cooper (Hayden Panattiere), as well as insulting his fellow classmates and embarrassing his best friend Rich (Jack Carpenter). While the ill-conceived words toward his peers subsequently cause trouble, his honest confession appears to strike a chord with the idolized teen beauty. Much to Denis' surprise, Beth shows up at his house and a wild night of raucous adventure ensues - one filled with incessant partying, reckless driving, and Beth's maniacally jealous military boyfriend.

It's mildly amusing when the film starts with a rousing rendition of a song entitled "Forget Me" at a high school graduation. Following is a food-for-thought speech comprised of awkward prattling that struggles painfully for even the faintest hope of a smirk. But it doesn't get as much as a smile. As each second ticks away, the jokes get more stale, the slapstick more pathetic, and the plot more unbelievable. It's not that the story is hard to imagine - but it is difficult to understand why the cast and crew of I Love You, Beth Cooper ever thought this unimaginably pointless, hopelessly generic mess could pass as entertainment.

It's very tame, excruciatingly PG-13 and terribly immature - which means teens won't see it and neither will adults. Denis discusses with his father that the teenage coming-of-age subject is not a new idea; if only director Chris Columbus had taken that advice and stayed away from Larry Doyle's vastly unoriginal novel. The presentation is bland, the dialogue is weak and not a single memorable or creative concept is introduced during the entire film. It's as amateurish as the socially inept geeks lumpishly trying to court prom queens. Quite obviously an excuse to put Hayden Panettiere in a movie, the sheer lack of humor is the biggest disappointment, while the constant references to other films by Rich is an embarrassment to decent movies everywhere. Even the most pitiful have a worthwhile minute, but aside from being the first film in which Hayden bares a partial breast, I Love You Beth Cooper has not a single satisfying scene. When the film culminates in an all-guy wet towel fight, Beth Cooper herself sums it up best: "Who said it's supposed to be fun?" - The Massie Twins