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Can't Buy Me Love Trivia

PG-13

1987

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Ronald is making an investment in his senior year.

Trivia

Cindy and Ronald have their first lunch together.

Totally Trivia

Film facts for the 1987 Romantic Comedy movie starring Patrick Dempsey, Amanda Peterson, Seth Green, Courtney Gains

Ami Dolenz, Tina Caspary, Devin DeVasquez, Darcy DeMoss, Sharon Farrell, Dennis Dugan, Cloyce Morrow, Cort McCown, Eric Bruskotter, Gerardo Mejía, Max Perlich, David Schermerhorn, Steve Franken, Phillip Simms, Tudor Sherrard, George Gray (IV) Update Cast

We believe the following trivia is all legit. If it's bogus or you have additional info, please update us.

Rewind Archive

Update

A limp urban rap remake of Can't Buy Me Love, starring Nick Cannon and Christina Milian was released in 2003 entitled "Love Don't Cost A Thing". Although it certainly is interesting to see some of the same scenes almost word-for-word in an updated format, the movie totally fails to capture the heart or success of the original.

Thanks to Dave Imrie

Update

Dennis Dugan, the actor who played Ronalds father, is also a director. He has done "Beverly Hills Ninja", "National Security" and "Big Daddy" to name a few.

Thanks to Stephanie

Update

In 1988, Patrick Dempsey won The Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor in a Motion Picture. Amanda Peterson was nominated for the film in the Best Young Actress category.

Rewind Archive

Update

Michael Swerdlick, the writer, would later write episodes of the TV series "Boy Meets World"

Thanks to Scott

Update

Just wanted to mention that Bobby Hilton (the boyfriend that goes off to Iowa) is none other than George Gray who is most well known as the Weakest Link Host! I re-watched to confirm this and it is hard to tell, but it is definitely him :-)

Thanks to Ashley

Update

Director Steve Rash had previously cut his teeth on music videos. On Halloween night the guys drive past a movie theater playing "The Buddy Holly Story" (1978), also directed by Steve Rash.

Thanks to William Stanley

Update

"Big John" the blond jock (Eric Bruskotter) had a small role in "Crimson Tide" in which he got punched in the nose.

Thanks to Courtney

Update

Tina Caspary (played 'Barbara') was in the feature film, "Annie" when she was a little girl, right alongside Amanda 'Mandy' Peterson. I wonder if they became friends and stayed in touch until Can't Buy Me Love?

Thanks to Alison Meeh

Update

A pre-"Rico Suave" Gerardo stars as macho jock Ricky.

Thanks to Megan

Update

The Monkees Mickey Dolenz's daughter Ami Dolenz is in the movie as "Fran"

Thanks to Annemarie

Update

Ami Dolenz is the main girl in the 1980's teen flick "She's Out of Control," which starred Tony Danza and the mom from 7th Heaven.

Thanks to Carolyn Gubala

Update

Ami Dolenz was also on General hospital as Dawn Quartermain. I believe she was the second recast of the character and it was short lived. Ronald's geeky friend Lester was also in Gleaming the Cube. He played Yabo, the sidekick of Brian (Christian Slater).

Thanks to 80sChik

Update

Born July 8th 1971, Amanda Peterson (Cindy) also appeared in the original hit movie "Annie" as one of the little orphan girls.

Her first starring role was in the 1985 Joe Dante Movie, "Explorers" as Ethan Hawke's love interest.

Not a lot of people know that she was a top-level tennis player as a 15-year-old sophomore, saying in a 1987 interview "I'm an actress who plays tennis".

She was also in a short-lived TV Series "A Year in the Life" which costarred Sarah Jessica Parker. She was also in a movie with Kirk Cameron and Jami Gertz called "Listen to Me".

After wrapping up her role in "Can't Buy Me Love", she went to Colorado Springs for the state tennis tournament before flying to Chile for five weeks to shoot "Lawless Land."

The fantasy film WindRunner (1994), starring Jason Wiles was Peterson's final onscreen role. She retired from Hollywood afterwards and returned to her hometown of Greeley, Colorado where she was married, and divorced, twice and had two children.

Amanda was tragically found dead on July 4, 2015 at her home in Greeley from an alleged overdose of prescription medication.

Despite "Can't Buy me Love" being 'only' a relatively minor cult teen film, her death made headlines around the world in the mainstream media and caused an outpouring of grief from her fans.

Her co-star Patrick Dempsey paid tribute to her saying "In my memory, she will always be vibrant and young."

Thanks to Teresa Parks

Update

Amanda Peterson also played Boone's little sister "squirt" in the tv series "Boone" starring Tom Byrd.

Thanks to Collette

Update

Courtney Gains, who plays Kenneth the geek, also appears as one of the creepy European guys in "The Burbs". Courtney Gains and Patrick Dempsey appear together again in the 2003 movie "Sweet Home alabama". Courtney Gains plays the local sherrif and Reese Witherspoon's childhood friend, while Patrick plays her love interest.

Thanks to Monica

Update

Courtney Gains also plays the creepy guy, Malachai, in Children of the Corn.

Thanks to Jennifer

Update

Courtney Gains also had a small role in "Back To The Future" where he is agressively dancing with Lea Thompson at the time that Marty(Michael J. Fox) is starting to vanish on stage while playing guitar at the Enchantment Under The Sea dance.

Thanks to Terri Dawn

Update

Courtney Gains, who plays Kenneth, and Darcy DeMoss, who plays Patty, both starred in HARDBODIES. Darcy also starred in "Eden" on USA Network.

Thanks to Megan

Update

Seth Green (Chuckie Miller) went on to star on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" as Oz, and the Austin Powers movies as Dr.Evil's son Scott.

Thanks to Betsy

Update

Seth Green also played child Richie on Stephen King's "It.".

Thanks to Ruthy

Update

Did you know that Playboy Playmate Brandi Brandt also appeared in the film but went uncredited? Formally married to Nikki Sixx from Motley Crue

Editor Nick

Update

In the scene in her bedroom watching Bobby on TV, Cindy is wearing a T-shirt with 'Blue Moon' on it... Not only reflecting the ultimate mood of the scene, but also a portent of things to come...

Thanks to Maggie

Update

Todd Walsh, who played TV sports guy 'Stocky Jones' is now a 'real' TV sports guy and does pre and post game shows for Fox Sports Network for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and for the Phoenix Coyotes as well as being the sports director for KDKB-FM in Phoenix.

Thanks to Timmy Floreno

Update

Courtney Gains was also in "Colors" as a gang member (alongside Gerardo Mejía again). Try and figure that one out. I laughed for about five minutes after recognizing him.

Thanks to Geoffrey Robe

Update

Patrick Dempsey also appeared as Detective Kincaide in "Scream 3".

Thanks to cantbuymelove

Update

The girl who played Iris in the film is former Playboy Playmate Devin DeVasquez.

Thanks to Anonymous

Update

Another cast member not talked about on your Can't Buy Me Love story is Corissa Miller who was originally cast as "The Attractive Girl" and then changed to "The Transfer Student". She was cast with an under 5 role. I believe she had two sentences. She dated Eric Bruskotter (Big John) for a while after the filming and lives in Arizona.

Thanks to evilash

Update

Amanda Peterson stopped acting all together after 1995's Windrunner, where she played Julie Moore.

Thanks to evilash

Update

Patrick Dempsey is no longer a geeky kid. Cast in his "McDreamy" role in Grey's Anatomy, he is now a middle aged heart-throb. As of late, he is in the Disney movie Enchanted alongside Amy Adams.

Editor Nick

Update

When Cindy takes her Mom's suede outfit back to the shop, the guy says that there are no exchanges - especially if "the garment has been marinated in Ripple." (sounds almost like he's saying Red Bull in the movie)

Did you ever wonder what Ripple was? If you did, it was a brand of cheap fortified (added alcohol) dessert wine popular among the down-and-outs in the '70s and no longer produced.

So that was what Quint was drinking at the party where he was saying that he was a connoisseur of fine wine -while he undid the cheap screw cap, hence the joke!

Thanks to Danielle

Update

Seth Green, the younger brother, also appeared alongside Patrick Dempsey again as a patient on Grey's Anatomy.

Thanks to Stogsdillalover

Update

If you're from Stillwater, Oklahoma, you'll know that Quint is wearing an Eskimo Joes T-shirt when he throws wine on Cindy's suede outfit! The real actor Cort McCown is from Tulsa. You can read more about this T-shirt in this archive news article from 1988

Thanks to Anonymous

Update

"Scoops" the local hangout on Speedway is now a Los Betos (fast food Mexican). The "Arcade" next door is now a flower shop. Ryan Bachman who hosts Tucson Cab Tours has this location as lunch stop for his clients who visit and are interested in Tucson movie history.

Editor Nick

Update

At the airplane graveyard, the first plane that Ronald & Cindy look at, with the "real bullet holes" is a Navy McDonnell F2H Banshee, tail number 125177. We'd love to know some history of this aircraft (or the other in the scene) if anyone can help?

Thanks to Anonymous

Update

A local Tucsonan has the mower Ronald Miller had in the movie. It's not in working condition, but sits in a shed.

Paul Fontaine, the owner, wants to restore it. He says after the movie it was re-sold to him while he was a student at Tucson High. Paul Fontaine currently is a pilot for Delta Airlines and avid 80s movie buff.

Add more trivia...

Bogus Trivia

There's often fake stuff floating round, y'know? -Like the 'ghost boy' that can allegedly be seen in "Three Men And A Baby".

The following trivia for "Can't Buy Me Love" is apparently bogus. If you disagree or have additional info, please update us.

Gerardo also stars in Wildcats with Goldie Hawn and Woody Harrelson.

Gerardo was not actually in Wildcats. We may be confusing him with Jsu Garcia who also goes by Nick Corri. Garcia was also famous for starring in Nightmare on Elm Street.

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1987 Touchstone Pictures
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