CAN'T HARDLY WAIT

4/5
stars ethan embry, jennifer love-hewitt, lauren ambrose, seth green

i remember watching this film back in 1998 when it first came out and not thinking much of it. maybe i wasn't paying attention or something, but to me it was one of those rushed teen movies aimed at jennifer love-hewitt fans. but watching it again recently made me realise was a gem this film is.

a common misconception about this movie is that all it is about is a guy getting the girl with the high school graduation party backdrop. sure it has those elements in it, but like i said earlier, this film is much more than that. it focuses mainly on preston myers (embry), a guy whose been in love with amanda beckett (love-hewitt) ever since he saw her on the first day of junior high.

the film's timeline is about 24 hours, from the moment of graduation to the morning after the party. but in that time all the main characters go through their own path of self-discovery and come to find that what they were looking for was always right under their nose - or sitting next to them in english class.

this is what make this film stand out: the stripper angel, performed superbly by the lovely jenna elfman ("dharma and greg"). there is a scene where elfman offers embry's character some excellent advice to which audiences can also reflect on. she says, "'fate', there is fate - but it only takes you so far because once you get there, it's up to you to make it happen," and preston replies, "you are so definitely right."

script-wise, "can't hardly wait" seems as if it could be real, as if the lines the actors were saying would be exactly what real teenagers in those situations would say. embry does an exceptional performance as both the best mate to denise (lauren ambrose), and the awkward, nervous love-struck guy around amanda. supporting cast were also believable, including of course lauren ambrose, and the unforgettable jock performance by peter facinelli, who plays the role of mike dexter, "the hottest senior at school".

the closing scene in this film is also another thing that i love, but you have to see this film to find out what actually happens.

there are also some awesome songs on the soundtrack, including "umbrella" by "dog's eye view".

hire the dvd, or better yet buy it - it's on $16ish from k-mart.

-LOki