Love Dont Cost a Thing

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Entertainment: +2 1/2

Content: -2 1/2

In this remake of the 1987 Cant Buy Me Love, the main characters are African-Americans. The story begins in a racially blended California high school where students of mixed races get along great, but rich and poor students do not mingle. Its the elites versus the zeroes. So poor-boy Alvin Johnson (Nick Cannon) hires a rich, gorgeous student named Paris (Christina Milian) to be his girlfriend for two weeks so that he can become popular. The ploy works like a well-tuned engine, and engines are what Alvin knows best. Meanwhile, Alvins father, Clarence (Steve Harvey), does all that he can to re-live his glory days as a ladies man through his son. Before buying the girlfriend, Alvin was on track to win an auto-mechanic engineering scholarship. With his money running out, he must decide whats more important: true friendships and the scholarship or the attention of the popular crowd.

Love Dont Cost a Thing is filled with positive themes: money cant buy real relationships, popularity has its negatives, loyal friendship is superior to acceptance by the in crowd, and people should be true to themselves and pursue their potential. But mixed in with the good values are some degrading elements. Boys talk about self-gratification. A fathers legacy to his son is a box full of condoms. Teens call others losers because they do not dress fashionably. Sex is presented as acceptable outside of marriage. Also disturbing is that what separates cool people from geeks is that the cool people go to drinking parties and have premarital sex, while the geeks work hard in school. It is true that love cannot be bought, but the rest of what this movie is asking viewers to buy especially the sexual content and humor is not worth much.

Preview Reviewer: Blaine Butcher
Distributor: Warner Brother

Summary
The following categories contain objective listings of film content which contribute to the subjective numeric Content ratings posted to the left and on the Home page.

Crude Language: Many (44) times mild (hell 12, damn 4); moderate (butt 4, bastard 1, boobs 6, other 6); strong (ass 11)

Obscene Language: Many (14) times moderate (crap 2); strong (s-word 3, finger gesture 4, other 5)

Profanity: Several (8) times moderate (MG 3, OL 2, G 2); strong (GD 1)

Violence: Several times mild (shoving and struggling)

Sex: None

Nudity: Near Nudity: Many times mild (women in underwear, womans nipples seen through shirt, woman in bra, womans underwear seen through clothes)

Sexual Dialogue/Gesture: Many (15) times mild (innuendo when father tells son to scratch the kitty, teenagers kiss while laying down, teens talk about who is having sex with whom, father tells boy that he had lots of sexual encounters); moderate (father acts out having sex while clothed in front of son, father shows son how to use a condom, father gives son a shoebox full of condoms, girl tells friends that boy touched her breasts, girl loosens her shirt to expose her bra to boy, man fools around with lots of women)

Drugs: Several times mild (teens drinking beer at a party, woman offers beer to man)

Other: Teenage boy gives hard-earned savings to girl to pretend that they are dating, girl drives mothers car without permission, girl hides car accident from mother, emphasis on fashionable clothing, husband lies to wife about the advice he gives his son, father prays at dinner in an irreverent fashion, appropriate use of Gods name once (gracious God)

Running Time: 97 minutes
Intended Audience: Teens

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