MovieChat Forums > Can't Hardly Wait (1998) Discussion > What was the whole point of Preston writ...

What was the whole point of Preston writing a letter for Amanda in the first place?

posted 3 years ago by TMC-4 (20130)
5 replies | jump to latest

I'm sure that this sounds obvious, but what was keeping him from actually talking to her in the first place? I mean, it isn't like Amanda was harder to get in personal contact with given that they went to the same high school for four years. Thus, Preston had plenty of time to reach out to her without attempt to win her over with a stale and sappy love letter.

And Denise did have a point that Preston comes across looking like an opportunist by giving her his letter right after she and Mike broke up. Also, Preston when you really think of it, comes across as looking a bit shallow, giving that he is writing about the Amanda that he personally imagined or dreamed about.

[–] aavfreak (3316) 3 years ago

Teenage anxiety. At that age, it's difficult to express feelings for someone face to face verbally. When I was that age way back then, it was very common to write notes to each other rather than speak directly.

It still seems true today with social media as the intermediary.

[–] strntz (12236) 3 years ago

Agree. I was a late bloomer. There was a girl in high school I crushed on big time, and although I spoke to her occasionally, I never went beyond that. I often thought of things I would say but never worked up enough courage to do so.

[–] aavfreak (3316) 3 years ago

I think we've all been there or at least most of us.

[–] kwestmo (4385) 3 years ago

because the plot required

[–] daveyh (624) 3 years ago

What was keeping him from talking to her - Mike Dexter. The why is open to interpretation - you can think the worst of Preston and believe that he figured there'd be no point if she had a boyfriend.
I prefer to think that, Mike Dexter wouldn't have taken too kindly to any other guys talking to Amanda. And his 3 jock friends (plus others, possibly) would have backed him up and joined in with any punishment Mike felt he needed to dish out.
See Sean Astin's character's treatment in the first part of Encino Man (or California Man as it's known here!) for examples....now that I think about it, that guy was called Mike too.
edit 2 months later - my mistake, he was called Matt