Do I really have to say anything about this movie? "Can't Hardly Wait" is about the party after a high school graduation. Which is generic. And it was made in the late 90s. Which is totally radical!
It's a fun watch but oh, so predictable and forgettable. We have all kinds of stereotypes: The douchebag star quarterback who is dating the hottest girl in school. The nerdy smart kid who is about to have the time of his life. The pretentious alternative girl who thinks she's cooler than everyone else. The whitest kid in town who thinks he's black.
There's no focus on a single character, instead we get a whole ensemble. One can see the influence of other (better) teen movies such as "American Graffiti" and "Dazed and Confused" and while it is far from being as memorable as the latter ones it still succeeds in what it sets out to be, pure innocent late 90s popcorn entertainment.
There's really not much else to say. Personally the most fun part was to spot all the actors who were big back then and are gone now or reversed. Jennifer Love Hewitt? First teenie and slasher movies and now a regular on TV. Seth Green? Hit it big with the Austin Powers movies and is still around on the big and small screen. Charlie Korsmo? Big shot roles in "Hook" and "Dick Tracy" before he ended his acting career with "Can't Hardly Wait". Jason Segel? Watermelon Guy here and now major star thanks to "How I Met Your Mother", "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and "The Muppets".
This film is a time capsule, captivating the lost innocence of teenie films in the spirit of the late John Hughes and also the style and music of the late 90s. It might sound pathetic but here it comes: They just don't make 'em like that anymore.
