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Is Can't Hardly Wait a movie that wants to have its cake and eat it too?

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

For instance, we're supposed to root and get behind Preston because he's a nice guy and a hopeless romantic and yet the film also presumably, wants to criticize him over his decidedly unhealthy obsession with Amanda.

I mean, in the scene in which Amanda, who is fed up with guys at the party hitting on her blows up at Preston, are we supposed to hate Amanda in that particular situation? Because in my point of view, Amanda did have a point about how weird and creepy Preston comes across when he talks about eating the same type of Pop-Tarts in Freshman year.

And even near the start of the movie, Denise, his best friend, expresses skepticism over how well his intended letter for Amanda will go.

Meanwhile, the movie appears to want to have a jerk jock like Mike evolve and grow while also trying to reaffirm his status as really the closest thing that the movie has to a villain. Mike has to learn through Trip McNeely that college isn't going to be like a continuation of high school and college isn't going to be like something out of Animal House.

And yet, in the following scene, his character is dogged out and humiliated in front of everybody after trying to get back with Amanda one more time. And after it's revealed that Mike covered for William after getting busted by the cops, he has to retain his jerk jock persona while in the presence of his buddies at the diner after William thanks him for bailing him out. And to add insult to injury, we're informed that he becomes a total loser following high school.

[–] Kowalski (75528) 3 years ago

MESSY AND CONFUSING...JUST LIKE TEENAGERS...THE FILM REALLY SPOKE TO ME WHEN IT CAME OUT...I MYSELF WAS A TEENAGER...I STILL VERY MUCH ENJOY IT.

[–] strntz (12236) 3 years ago

And after it's revealed that Mike covered for William after getting busted by the cops, he has to retain his jerk jock persona while in the presence of his buddies at the diner after William thanks him for bailing him out. And to add insult to injury, we're informed that he becomes a total loser following high school.

I don't see a problem here. William learned a lesson about some leopards never changing their spots after Mike trashes him in front of the other "cool" guys, and in Mike, we see a guy who *down deep* shows glimpses of having the potential for righting the ship, but never actually does.

We all know people who have had the necessities to go far, but make one stupid decision after another and waste their potential. Who knows, maybe one high school "big dog" saw himself in this picture and changed his path.

Peaking in high school is a real thing.

[–] daveyh (624) a year ago

the title alone is contradictory - sort of a double negative - so, with all the contradictions listed above, it's a pretty perfect title!
I'd say it's very nuanced, something you rarely see now, never mind in 1998.
The nearest thing to a protagonist - Preston - also has bad points and weaknesses, as does Aman-duh.
The OP has pointed out that Mike Dexter is the nearest thing the movie has to a villain, yet he's shown to have redeeming qualities too.
Most movies, Mike would have had his epiphany/lightbulb moment and been good from that point on. The way it's done here is, I think, more realistic.

[–] strntz (12236) a year ago

The OP has pointed out that Mike Dexter is the nearest thing the movie has to a villain, yet he's shown to have redeeming qualities too. Most movies, Mike would have had his epiphany/lightbulb moment and been good from that point on. The way it's done here is, I think, more realistic.

This was indeed realistic.

I think even the biggest jerks have at least a *small* amount of decency buried deep in them somewhere that can be tapped if something causes it to surface. Mike had the chance right the ship but couldn't resist to look cool in front of his friends, so he again trashed William. He then went on to blow his scholarship ride and ruin the rest of his life - some people never learn.

I always told my sons: be careful who it is you want to impress - where will these people be in 20 years and is it where you want to be? My sons mostly avoided the self destructive jerks and had a pretty good circle of friends fortunately.