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Can't Hardly Wait poster

Can't Hardly Wait

year 1998decade 90sdirector Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfontgenre Teen comedy

101 minutes

Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Ethan Embry Preston Meyers
Jennifer Love Hewitt Amanda Beckett
Lauren Ambrose Denise Fleming
Peter Facinelli Mike Dexter
Seth Green Kenny Fisher
Charlie Korsmo William Lichter
Robert Jayne Richie Coolboy
Michelle Brookhurst Molly Stinson
Joel Michaely Geoff Piccirilli, X-File #1
Jay Paulson Murphy Pelan, X-File #2

Can't Hardly Wait | The Rewatchables

host Bill Simmonshost Joanna Robinsonproducer Craig Horlbeck
Explore episodeClose episode

What’s Aged the Best?

The fluid party editing has aged well.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:23:41Read transcript
  • Following one character directly into the next scene and inventive transition cuts are praised for reproducing a party’s restless flow without feeling dated or panicky.
  • The positive assessment receives agreement.

Roger Ebert's review

1.5 stars (scale not stated)

Ebert gave one and a half stars; his praise for Denise is read alongside disagreement with his dismissal.

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:25:55Read transcript
  • The rating is reported as one and a half stars; no scale is stated.
  • Ebert’s review is quoted praising Lauren Ambrose as Denise as the interesting, funny exception in the cast.
  • The response to the review is the dismissive phrase “Crap on this.”

Most Rewatchable Scene

Multiple party micro-scenes are nominated; the Kenny–Denise bathroom scenes receive a personal preference.

In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 00:27:07Read transcript
  • The coordinated girlfriend-dumping plan and Star Wars code names for the nerds’ raid are nominated.
  • Amanda’s friends comparing her to Gwyneth and Kenny overhearing the next-guy hookup promise are nominated.
  • The wandering letter and Tripp McNeely’s college warning are praised.
  • Jason Siegel’s one-scene appearance and the girl compared to Velma finding romance are mentioned.
  • Mike and Amanda’s public showdown and emphatic line deliveries are favorites.
  • The bathroom scenes, Mike’s crew turning on William, Kenny and Denise’s pairing, and Jenna Elfman’s Scott Baio monologue are nominated; the bathroom scenes receive a personal pick for dropping pretenses and revealing shared history.

The most "year the movie came out" thing

Soundtrack, pop-culture references, Jennifer Love Hewitt and rave goggles define1998.

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:30:41Read transcript
  • Smash Mouth/Blink182, The X Files and the David Duchovny reference are nominated.
  • The fabricated Christy Turlington girlfriend, Gwyneth and Amanda’s Jewel yearbook quotation are nominated.
  • The goggles evoke rave and snowboard fashion, even though not remembered as typical house-party wear.

What’s Aged the Best?

Yearbook jokes, sex positivity and optimistic cross-clique friendship are praised.

In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 00:32:19Read transcript
  • Denise’s no-activities yearbook listing and Kenny’s one-game JV basketball credit remain funny.
  • The awkward first-time sex and sex-positive tone are praised, along with Tripp McNeely.
  • The hopeful blurring of social groups is preferred to the rigid stereotypes and unresolved Monday question in The Breakfast Club.
  • The interest in attacks from outer space is jokingly praised.
  • William’s nerd persona is described as a precursor to McLovin, with the cannot-feel-my-legs line praised.
  • Kenny’s time-is-honey wording and Paradise City as an enduring nostalgic rock choice are praised.

The Butch’s Girlfriend Award for the Weakest Link in the Film

Ethan Embry/Preston is a forceful personal pick; another participant defends him and questions Mike Dexter instead.

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:38:42Read transcript
  • One participant dislikes Embry’s Preston and connects his performance to an interview about being heavily stoned; another loves the sensitive romantic character and compares the appeal to Lloyd Dobler.
  • Another participant initially says there is no weak link, then identifies Facinelli’s Mike as a possible limitation and wishes him less evil.
  • Billy Zabka, James Spader, Judd Nelson and Craig Sheffer serve as comparisons for the missing menace, charisma or rationale for Amanda’s attraction.
  • Staying with Mike for three years simply for football status is criticized as weakening Amanda too.

What’s Aged the Worst?

The gay-sex trap, slur and Scott Baio devotion are criticized; the PG13 cuts are regretted.

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:42:25Read transcript
  • The gay-sex trap and homophobic slur are explicit aged-worst choices.
  • The Scott Baio crush monologue is reconsidered in light of his later public persona.
  • A Lestat joke is initially considered obscure, then acknowledged as newly relevant because Interview with the Vampire returned; the Hootie reference is also recalled.
  • The lost R rating version is discussed through reported deleted drunk/stoned characters, sanitized brownies/language and watermelon sex; Embry’s resentment of later raunchy hits is quoted.

Van Lathan Award for Did This Movie Need More Black People?

Yes: the small number of Black characters and Kenny’s persona call for a more substantial Black presence.

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:45:00Read transcript
  • Donald Faison and Sean Patrick Thomas are among the few recalled Black cast members; a substantial Black character responding to Kenny’s appropriation is suggested. The absent Van’s response is guessed, not his own vote.

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Amanda should choose herself rather than immediately date Preston.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:46:23Read transcript
  • A participant argues that Amanda needs time to discover herself after defining her identity through Mike, instead of starting another relationship the same day; Kelly Taylor’s self-choice is invoked.
  • Another agrees the new romance felt too soon and had listed it under Picking Nits.

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Make a teen ensemble party movie every year.

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:47:26Read transcript
  • An ensemble cast high school movie centered around one big party is called easy and watchable, deserving many more releases.
  • The invited participant agrees about watchability but disputes ease: many attempts fail, and Sweethearts is cited as a streaming film that disappeared; theatrical release is suggested.
  • The annual-film idea becomes a joking legal requirement, with Mikey Madison encouraged to use her Oscar leverage.

What’s Aged the Worst?

The Kenny–Denise reunion is questioned.

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:49:13Read transcript
  • A participant nearly nominated the epilogue saying they break up five minutes later, preferring to stop there without reconciliation; Denise’s freeze-frame is compared to The Graduate.

Casting What-Ifs

Reported alternatives include Meyer as Kenny, Embry as William, Marsden as Mike and Witt/Witherspoon/Ricci as Denise.

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 00:49:31Read transcript
  • Kenny was reportedly written for Breckin Meyer, unavailable due to54; he took the band role. Embry was wanted for William but insisted on Preston.
  • James Marsden was reportedly closely considered for Mike; Facinelli’s danger won the role. Marsden is endorsed.
  • Alicia Witt was wanted for Denise, a choice praised as similar to her Sybil persona.
  • William was initially cast with the Little Man Tate actor transcribed Adam Handbird; the speakers say he looked too young and was replaced. Exact name remains unresolved.
  • Reese Witherspoon and Christina Ricci are also reported Denise alternatives; one participant doubts Witherspoon’s plausibility because of her existing profile.

The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award

Three role-identified performers and Amber Benson are nominated.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:54:25Read transcript
  • The man who paid Dirk at the church, Seinfeld’s Poppy as the cop, and90210’s obsessive Tara are a favored trio; personal names are not supplied.
  • Amber Benson from Buffy is added.

The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance

Melissa Joan Hart, Sara Rue, Jenna Elfman, Jerry O’Connell, Jason Segel, klepto kid and Brian Klugman are discussed.

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:55:57Read transcript
  • Hart, Rue, Elfman, O'Connell and Siegel form the initial eligible field.
  • The recurring silent klepto kid is a personal favorite, capped by stealing the gumball machine.
  • Brian Klugman’s stoner is praised for the Velma comparison and Preston-wears-T-shirts observation.

Recasting Couch

Freddie Prinze Jr., James Marsden or Jason Segel as Preston.

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:56:45Read transcript
  • Freddie Prinze Jr. is proposed for a sensitive rather than popular-jock role.
  • Marsden is proposed as Preston, with altered hair to nerd him up; his extreme attractiveness is a possible objection.
  • Swapping Siegel and Embry is proposed and accepted, with Siegel’s later Freaks and Geeks work supporting the idea.

Half-Assed Internet Research

Reported production anecdotes concern Hart’s schedule, set destruction and Meyer/Kaplan.

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:00:37Read transcript
  • Melissa Joan Hart reportedly took B12 while juggling Sabrina and overnight filming.
  • The cast reportedly destroyed the interior set for a final scene; this is distinguished from the real exterior house.
  • Breckin Meyer and Deborah Kaplan are reported to have married and had two children.

Recasting Couch

Breckin Meyer and Justin Long are additional Preston possibilities.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:01:25Read transcript
  • Meyer is suggested, with his Clueless stoner persona noted.
  • Justin Long is tested but considered too young-looking despite being Embry’s age; Embry’s apparent age is criticized.

Apex Mountain

Embry and Love Hewitt’s1998 period receive support; several other careers and teen-film forms remain debated.

In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 01:01:48Read transcript
  • Ethan Embry receives an affirmative apex response.
  • Love Hewitt’s overall1998 moment spanning Party of Five, this film and I Know What You Did Last Summer is selected, rather than asserting this film alone.
  • Facinelli’s Twilight patriarch role is preferred over this film.
  • Elfman’s Dharma and Greg period and major cameo receive support, with Keeping the Faith raised as a comparison.
  • For1990s teen films, Scream, Clueless and American Pie are debated; no single shared outcome is settled.
  • What about Bob and Hook are raised.
  • Superbad is favored for single-night high-school movies, alongside Booksmart and Days and Confused alternatives.
  • Blink182 and Smash Mouth are raised, with explicit support for Smash Mouth.

Cruise or Hanks?

Young Hanks as Preston is the final stated choice.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:04:47Read transcript
  • Young Hanks as Preston and Risky Business-era Cruise as Preston or Mike are considered; Craig supports Hanks leading and Cruise as Mike.
  • Cruise’s size is questioned for football player Mike; the final Hanks choice mistakenly says Mike and is immediately corrected to Preston.

Scorsese or Spielberg?

Spielberg is preferred.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:05:46Read transcript
  • Both stated responses select Spielberg.
  • A Scorsese version is jokingly imagined with cocaine.

Picking Nits

Amanda’s thin characterization, bathroom logistics and rushed intimacy are questioned.

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:06:11Read transcript
  • One participant initially calls the film perfect with no nits.
  • Police would shut down the party quickly; Amanda’s lack of friends, identity and agency is criticized.
  • Nobody trying the upstairs bathroom during a crowded party is implausible.
  • Amanda not knowing Preston prompts debate about narrow social circles; Say Anything’s sheltered heroine is considered better motivated.
  • Kenny and Denise having sex so quickly after reconnecting is questioned; her prior experience and his love kit are counterpoints.

What’s Aged the Best?

Jaime Pressly’s performance receives a retrospective nomination.

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:07:27Read transcript
  • Her performance is praised as iconic and explicitly identified as something that should have appeared in Aged Best.

Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake

An eight-episode real-time party series is proposed.

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:08:42Read transcript
  • An Amazon series tracking eight actual party hours is pitched through The Pit and American Vandal comparisons; the invited participant says he would watch.

Just One Oscar

Editing and costume design overcome an initial nobody answer.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:10:25Read transcript
  • One participant initially chooses nobody; the challenge produces an editing nomination and agreement.
  • Mark Bridges’ costume design is nominated, especially Kenny and the popular girls’ clothes.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Why was a five-year reunion sequel not made?

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:11:07Read transcript
  • A raunchier2003 reunion is described as a missed opportunity once the film had gained cult status; a30-year version is considered less certain.
  • Another participant sees appeal in revisiting the cast decades later and jokes Amanda might finally have a personality.

The Coach Finstock Award for Best Life Lesson

Fate has limits; wear shower shoes.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:12:53Read transcript
  • Fate only takes you so far is selected as a lesson.
  • Always wear shoes in dorm showers is another lesson, reinforced by a personal dorm anecdote.

Best Double Feature

Superbad and Sixteen Candles expand into a generational mini-marathon.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:13:20Read transcript
  • Superbad is one pick and Sixteen Candles another.
  • The sequence expands to Sixteen Candles, the current film, Superbad, Booksmart and optionally Say Anything.

Who Won the Movie?

Seth Green receives the final shared preference after several alternatives.

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:13:44Read transcript
  • The1990s is floated before Seth Green is chosen for contemporary visibility and momentum.
  • Ethan Embry’s chance to lead and Seth Green’s strong run are the other shortlist.
  • Lauren Ambrose’s later career and Love Hewitt’s contemporary moment are considered.
  • The speakers converge on Green, particularly Kenny’s quotability.
Podcast choices
Speaker not identified
Seth Green
Speaker not identified
Seth Green

Apex Mountain

Seth Green’s late1990s run is belatedly raised.

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:14:24Read transcript
  • Austin Powers, Buffy and this film are cited as a high-approval period, with Robot Chicken later mentioned.

Producer review

Craig’s first viewing is mostly negative, with William and Tripp McNeely exceptions.

In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 01:16:21Read transcript
  • Introduced as producer Craig, the first-time viewer finds the earnest romance dated, the archetypes and casting weak, and the film caught between Say Anything and American Pie.
  • He likes William getting drunk and especially Jerry O'Connell’s warning about peaking in high school, likened to Mike seeing his future.
  • He wants a college follow-up with Mike and Tripp.
  • He concludes that the apparent archetype satire instead feels sloppy.
  • The other speakers call this a time capsule and a movie where you had to be there.
  • The others defend the film’s modest ambitions, cheap production, young cast and humorous execution as characteristic of the era.

More from the conversation

Joanna’s extended Los Angeles visit and shared Prestige TV work lead to selecting Can’t Hardly Wait as a personal favorite.
Approx. transcript time · 00:01:43Read transcript
The film is treated as a long-growing cult favorite whose mainstream teen-film form would now more likely become television; American Vandal and Booksmart are comparisons.
Approx. transcript time · 00:02:53Read transcript
A participant places the film precisely between Gen X and millennials, describing ubiquitous high-school quoting despite its modest actual success.
Approx. transcript time · 00:04:11Read transcript
Say Anything’s party, John Hughes films, Secret Admirer and Can’t Buy Me Love are cited as influences; the film bridges rigid cliques and later stories of teenagers sharing the same uncertainties.
Approx. transcript time · 00:05:11Read transcript
Cutting an R-rated version down to PG13 is judged both limiting and a source of sweetness; the tame content is credited with an enduring cable and DVD life.
Approx. transcript time · 00:07:06Read transcript
Scream, television-trained young actors, PG13 marketing, magazines and soundtrack-friendly pop music are described as ingredients of the teen boom.
Approx. transcript time · 00:08:45Read transcript
Clueless, Can’t Hardly Wait and American Pie are associated with closely spaced microgenerations; one-night adventures and last-chance reinvention are praised as reliable premises.
Approx. transcript time · 00:10:58Read transcript
A roughly twenty-title post-Scream teen-film rundown illustrates the three-year boom, with Dawson’s Creek and Party of Five supplying actors.
Approx. transcript time · 00:12:01Read transcript
Party of Five actors’ different trajectories are discussed; Love Hewitt is said to have signed this film before I Know What You Did Last Summer increased her profile.
Approx. transcript time · 00:13:47Read transcript
Time of Your Life is recalled as Love Hewitt searching for her birth parents in New York; Jamie Walters participation is uncertain. Romeo and Juliet and Brokedown Palace casting losses are reported.
Approx. transcript time · 00:14:32Read transcript
TV schedules are said to constrain film careers, including Melissa Joan Hart’s late-night shooting; a Punk’d fake prestige-role offer is remembered as particularly cruel to Love Hewitt.
Approx. transcript time · 00:15:25Read transcript
The speakers discuss Love Hewitt’s perceived appeal to men versus women, contrasting her with Neve Campbell; these are their generalizations, not audience research.
Approx. transcript time · 00:16:35Read transcript
The ensemble mixes named leads with familiar unnamed school-party types; Charlie Korsmo’s childhood roles, MIT hiatus and brief return are discussed with uncertainty about later acting.
Approx. transcript time · 00:17:19Read transcript
Lauren Ambrose’s performance is praised, the Six Feet Under connection noted, and the many television/cameo actors celebrated. Casting is described as choosing among available young-looking actors and friends.
Approx. transcript time · 00:19:35Read transcript
Seth Green’s persona is considered specific to a short late1990s window but still funny because the film exposes and punctures his affected identity.
Approx. transcript time · 00:21:02Read transcript
The soundtrack is celebrated as a1998 time capsule mixing contemporary acts with nostalgic songs, including Mandy, Paradise City, Only You and Romeo and Juliet.
Approx. transcript time · 00:21:50Read transcript
Entertainment Weekly’s2012 top50 high-school ranking placing the film44th is considered too low; teens or twenties are preferred.
Approx. transcript time · 00:24:47Read transcript
Josie and the Pussycats is recommended as another underrated Kaplan/Elfont film with similar generational humor and joke density, especially Alan Cumming and Parker Posey.
Approx. transcript time · 00:25:04Read transcript
The film is reported to cost13 million and earn25 million, with a crowded teen-film market suggested as a reason it fell short of expectations.
Approx. transcript time · 00:25:50Read transcript
The speakers report that the Altadena filming house burned down; this is an episode claim, not independently verified property reporting.
Approx. transcript time · 00:36:43Read transcript
A new flex category asks whether a cell phone would ruin the film: social profiles would identify Preston, smartphone use would change party interaction, and no payphone would mean no Jenna Elfman encounter.
Approx. transcript time · 00:37:21Read transcript
Embry is quoted recalling heavy marijuana use during filming; an anecdote says Love Hewitt gave him breath mints before their kiss. The participant interprets his performance through this reported account.
Approx. transcript time · 00:39:01Read transcript
The original conception reportedly paired Preston with Denise, consistent with Teen Wolf/Some Kind of Wonderful. A participant favors that pairing and Amanda’s independence; Kenny is judged inadequate for Denise.
Approx. transcript time · 00:48:32Read transcript
The54 director’s cut is strongly recommended as substantially more coherent than the theatrical edit, restoring the central three-person relationship.
Approx. transcript time · 00:49:43Read transcript
Marsden’s belated recognition through Jury Duty and a current Hulu show leads to praise for his romantic/comic work and a reported pleasant Oscars-party encounter; Witt’s unrealized career potential is also discussed.
Approx. transcript time · 00:51:05Read transcript
Witherspoon’s edgy1996–98 phase, including Fear, Freeway and Overnight Delivery, is contrasted with her later good-girl image.
Approx. transcript time · 00:53:15Read transcript
The Buffy/90210 connection and Brandon’s newspaper-editor girlfriend lead back to the WB as a teen-film casting pipeline.
Approx. transcript time · 00:55:13Read transcript
Craig proposes the Matt Flynn contract award for mistaken star expectations and chooses Ethan Embry; a participant explicitly disagrees with the premise while endorsing the category. Tom Everett Scott also prompts an unrealized-star observation.
Approx. transcript time · 00:58:20Read transcript
The film is said to need one leading actor who remained highly famous to extend its reach beyond a microgeneration;10Things I Hate About You supplies the comparison.
Approx. transcript time · 01:00:21Read transcript
Green’s early roles prompt a Can’t Buy Me Love identification and an Airborne recommendation; the other participant says skating and rollerblading films passed him by.
Approx. transcript time · 01:14:43Read transcript
Craig wants a follow-up taking Mike Dexter to college with Jerry O’Connell’s character.
Approx. transcript time · 01:18:50Read transcript
The speakers describe late1990s teen production as fast and derivative, using She’s All That/Can’t Buy Me Love and The Faculty as examples; these are their characterizations, not verified production histories.
Approx. transcript time · 01:19:56Read transcript