Of course, what we're supposed to learn is that we don't really know someone until we actually spend time with him/her—something Denis gets a glimpse of with Beth's reckless driving and thirst for illegal adventures. But any sort of deeper emotional resonance is never established, which ultimately makes those 102 minutes of watching a total waste of time.
See, the trouble with I Love You, Beth Cooper is that there's virtually no character development to make any of these previous scenarios mean anything to the audience. Unlike those aforementioned ‘80s movies where the viewer got a real sense of who this guy and girl were, and what eventually endeared the unlikely duo to each other, this script never bothers with those important details. Instead all the audience has been left with is a haphazard stringing together of sexual innuendo and reckless behavior that doesn't add anything new to this already well-covered territory. Or give anyone a reason to love Beth Cooper.
CAUTIONS:
- Drugs/Alcohol: Several scenes with underage drinking, plus talk of Beth's boyfriend Kevin's (Shawn Roberts) cocaine use.
- Language/Profanity: A steady stream of profanity throughout, including one use of the "f" word. The Lord's name is also misused on numerous occasions.
- Sex/Nudity: Sex is a frequent topic in the flick, and is often done so in a rather crass, innuendo-laden fashion. Before Denis's graduation party, Denis's dad (Alan Ruck) tells him there's a roll of condoms in his nightstand and encourages him to "have fun" since he's still a virgin. Two beautiful friends of Beth's seduce Rich (at the same time) because they've heard he's gay. Not convinced the threesome was successful, Rich begins to agree with everyone that he is, in fact, gay. After sneaking into the school, Beth and her two friends take a shower and invite Rich and Denis along (Rich goes along with it, Denis doesn't). Later, Beth drops her towel in front of Denis in the locker room (the camera shows a glimpse of her breasts from the back and her backside).
- Violence: Beth's ex-boyfriend Kevin doesn't like that Beth is hanging out with Denis and proceeds to beat Denis up—several times, leaving him bloodied, scratched, and much of his home destroyed in the process. Kevin beats Denis up for a second time at a party later on before a friend of Denis' steps in and beats Kevin up.
- Reckless Behavior: Beth is quite a wild child. In addition to breaking into her high school with friends, Beth trades an impromptu make-out session so she can buy beer (since she's underage) from a local gas station attendant. She's also a reckless driver who has little regard for damaging other people's property or people's lives since she drives way too fast and often, without her lights on, for fun. At one point, she also steals her ex's Hummer and drives it into a classmate's house.
Christa Banister is a full-time freelancer writer, specializing in music, movies and books-related reviews and interviews and is the author of two novels, Around the World in 80 Dates and Blessed Are the Meddlers. Based in St. Paul, Minn., she also weighs in on various aspects of pop culture on her personal blog.
For more information, including her upcoming book signings and sample chapters of her novels, check out her Website.
