Can't Buy Me Love poster
Can't Buy Me Love

Most Rewatchable Scene

Kenneth’s arcade confrontation

In the discussion (24)
Approx. transcript time · 00:26:59Read transcript
  • The telescope-shopping encounter where Ronald pays Cindy to date him is nominated.
  • Accepting the dating offer is considered understandable, and Ronald’s purchase of access to a new social world is defended as a smart decision.
  • The car-wash scene marks the couple beginning to connect, with Cindy sharing her secret poetry.
  • Cindy’s poem is mocked as badly written; its earnest delivery and Ronald later stealing it make the scene increasingly funny.
  • The final contracted date at the airplane graveyard is nominated.
  • The real airplane graveyard is praised as an exceptional date location.
  • Ronald introduces Cindy to an unfamiliar part of her hometown, reversing who opens a new world for whom.
  • Ronald failing to recognize Cindy’s obvious romantic interest on their last date is considered implausible.
  • The African Anteater Ritual scene is nominated as an encapsulation of1980s teen films.
  • The band, terrible songs, and nerd-herd insult contribute to the dance scene’s period character.
  • Everyone copying Ronald’s strange dance makes the scene both funny and painfully awkward.
  • Cindy watching the others imitate Ronald highlights her better judgment.
  • Peterson’s drunk acting in Cindy’s exposure scene is praised.
  • Cindy exposing the paid relationship after hearing the stolen poem is praised as a devastating attack on the followers.
  • Can’t Hardly Wait is praised for adapting the public-exposure scene with a different accusation rather than merely copying it.
  • The Halloween prank against Kenneth’s house is nominated as the moment Ronald betrays his friend to gain approval.
  • Kenneth rejecting the arcade apology with the house accusation is praised as an iconic and unusually specific comic explosion.
  • The friendship is considered beyond repair after the prank, despite the eventual reconciliation.
  • Ronald defending Kenneth in the cafeteria and rejecting social factions is nominated as the moral turnaround.
  • The handshake and earnest slow clap are praised as famous teen-film conventions, later used ironically.
  • The lawnmower ending is praised as clever symbolism and cited as an influence on Easy A.
  • The apparently departed lover reappearing is compared with Reality Bites and later romantic comedies.
  • The arcade confrontation is the first final scene choice, with the dance explicitly second.
  • The second final choice also selects the arcade confrontation, praising Kenneth’s look-away and emphatic performance amid the video games.