After the Huntington Hills High graduation ceremony, the fun gets underway at the graduation party where an assortment of jocks, geeks, prom queens, bimbos, headbangers, and nerdy misfits unload four years' worth of emotional baggage at a house where the hostess (Michelle Brookhurst) loses control of her guests. Writer wannabe Preston Meyers (Ethan Embry) has been in love with Amanda (Jennifer Love Hewitt of "Party of Five") since the first time he saw her during their freshman year. His tormented infatuation with Amanda has intensified throughout high school and culminates at the party, where Preston must now seize this final opportunity to proclaim his love for her before he leaves the next day for Boston. Preston decides to make his move at some point during the party, a particularly auspicious occasion since Amanda has just been dumped by her super-jock boyfriend, Mike Dexter (Peter Facinelli), who wanted freedom to pursue his testosterone-charged fantasies with college women. Cringing at this ludicrous love triangle is Preston's introverted pal and confidante, Denise Fleming (Lauren Ambrose). When Denise runs into her ex-childhood friend Kenny (Seth Green), the two begin sexual experimentation behind the closed bathroom door. Geeky science-fiction fan William Lichter (Charlie Korsmo) devises a plan to ruin Mike's stud reputation and publicly humiliate him and his meathead buddies -- sweet revenge for four years of agony. Former Huntington Hills graduate Trip McNieley (Jerry O'Connell) tells Mike about the terror awaiting in college where "Guys like us are a dime a dozen." Yearbook Girl (Melissa Joan Hart of "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch") wants everyone to sign her cherished volume of memories as the partying teens attempt to move into the uncertain future. Party house exteriors were shot on Rubio Street in Altadena, California, and other California locations included Johnnie's Broiler in downtown Downey, Dutton's Book Store in Reseda, Marshall High School in Los Feliz, and Union Station in LA. With more than 70 speaking parts, this film is the directorial debut of the scriptwriting team of Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
Menu
Side #1 -- Widescreen
Play Movie
Languages/audio
Subtitles
Extra Features
Audio Commentary
Photo Gallery
Theatrical Trailer
Smash Mouth Video
Side #2 -- Standard
Play Movie
Languages/audio
Subtitles
Extra Features
Audio Commentary
Photo Gallery
Theatrical Trailer
Smash Mouth Video
Chapters
Side #1 -- Widescreen
0. Scene Selections
1. Start [2:22]
2. Preston [3:34]
3. Mike [1:37]
4. William [2:10]
5. Kenny [6:56]
6. Amanda [7:21]
7. Asinine stories [5:54]
8. The next guy [2:43]
9. Be prepared [11:54]
10. Special delivery [:57]
11. Anti-Social & Homeboy [3:40]
12. Earth angel [4:31]
13. Scott Baio thing [3:31]
14. "Paradise City" [2:54]
15. Six Years of angst [2:28]
16. Future shock [3:44]
17. Making up's hard to do [3:32]
18. "Amanda, I love you " [2:31]
19. Fashion victims [1:33]
20. "Romeo and Juliet" [2:51]
21. "Ever done this before?" [:36]
22. Cops! [2:47]
23. Pillow talk [2:02]
24. Apologies [1:34]
25. Dexter's statement [1:34]
26. "Umbrella" [3:54]
27. Where are they now? [2:06]
28. Union Station [8:58]
Side #2 -- Standard
0. Scene Selections
1. Start [2:22]
2. Preston [3:34]
3. Mike [1:37]
4. William [2:10]
5. Kenny [6:56]
6. Amanda [7:21]
7. Asinine stories [5:54]
8. The next guy [2:43]
9. Be prepared [11:54]
10. Special delivery [:57]
11. Anti-Social & Homeboy [3:40]
12. Earth angel [4:31]
13. Scott Baio thing [3:31]
14. "Paradise City" [2:54]
15. Six years of angst [2:28]
16. Future shock [3:44]
17. Making up's hard to do [3:32]
18. "Amanda, I love you" [2:31]
19. Fashion victims [1:33]
20. "Romeo and Juliet" [2:51]
21. "Ever done this before?" [:36]
22. Cops! [2:47]
23. Pillow talk [2:02]
24. Apologies [1:34]
25. Dexter's statement [1:34]
26. "Umbrella" [3:54]
27. Where are they now? [2:06]
28. Union Station [8:58]
Features
Languages: English [two-channel and 5.1 Dolby Digital], French
Subtitles: English, French
Scene selections
Audio commentary
Photo gallery
Theatrical trailer
Smash Mouth's music video "Can't Get Enough of You Baby"
Art Director - Bo Johnson
Associate Producer - Richard Graves
Casting - Mary Vernieu
Casting - Anne McCarthy
Cinematographer - Lloyd Ahern, Jr.
Composer (Music Score) - David Kitay
Composer (Music Score) - Matthew Sweet
Costume Designer - Mark Bridges
First Assistant Director - Richard Graves
Production Designer - Marcia Hinds-Johnson
Re-Recording Mixer - Tom Perry
Sound/Sound Designer - David Kirschner
Just when it seemed that Hollywood had forgotten about teen sex comedies in the vein of "Porky's" and "Fast Times at Ridgemont High", the aptly titled "The Party" was created. Most likely inspired by the epic party scenes featured in many John Hughes flicks, screenwriters Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont envisioned an entire movie that occurred during a raging high-school gala. Later retitled "Can't Hardly Wait", the film possesses the look and feel of a John Hughes classic, but lacks the heart and three-dimensional characters. The narrative features a wide variety of stock characters including the geeks, the football star, the hip-hop kid, the bitchy girl, and a foreign guy similar to infamous Long Duck Dong. Occasionally, the story strays from the typical sophomoric gags and becomes an amusing exploration of young love in the '90s. Unfortunately, Kaplan and Elfont's script lurches awkwardly from romantic showdowns to deep conversations to bathroom humor. It does manage to become charming when high school clichés aren't tossed about and the characters exist in a more "real" world. Supposedly, the funniest moments of the movie were removed (i.e. a "drunk girl" character) to garner its PG-13 rating. For fans of Jeff Spicolli and Lloyd Dobler, "Can't Hardly Wait" will be a bit of celluloid nostalgia. But those searching for a real-life, poignant exploration of the high school experience should venture back a decade and watch a film starring Anthony Michael Hall and Molly Ringwald.
~ Adam Goldberg, Rovi
![Josie and the Pussycats [WS] , Rachael Leigh Cook](http://image.allmusic.com/13/adg/cov75/drt100/t125/t12551lwkir.jpg "Josie and the Pussycats [WS] , Rachael Leigh Cook")
