Independent Films, Film Profiles

Love Don't Cost a Thing (film)

Love Don't Cost a Thing is a 2003 teen-comedy film, written and directed by Troy Beyer, which stars Nick Cannon, Christina Milian, Steve Harvey, Kenan Thompson, and Kal Penn. The film is loosely based on the 1987 film Can't Buy Me Love.Geeky Alvin Johnson (Cannon) is extremely intelligent and being considered for a General Motors scholarship, as he is skilled in designing engines. However, he wants to go from nerd to cool guy, and wants to hang out with the popular kids. A little bit of luck, and being at the right place at the right time, provides him with that chance. Popularity queen Paris Morgan (Milian) crashes her mom's car and needs someone to fix it, before her mother finds out. Alvin pays for the car parts, but in return asks her to act as his girlfriend so he can become popular. It works, and Alvin is transformed from a nerd to a popular kid. Part of the agreement said they'd break up after two weeks, which Al did at their school. This makes Paris mad because she feels it ruins her reputation. Not only that, but Al did it in a very disrespectful manner. Eventually Al views himself as "unbreakable" and starts diminishing Paris's rep. He also starts dissing his nerd friends from before. When Paris's boyfriend breaks up with Paris thinking that she was dating Al, Paris asks Al to tell him about the deal. However, Al has become so full of himself, that he believes the deal never existed. Paris then "breaks" him by saying in front of the popular kids that he paid her to be his friend so he could be popular. Alvin, completely embarrassed, comes back to himself and starts acting life his old self again, with his nerdy friends. The story comes to head at a school basketball game when Alvin stands up to a popular jock who is bullying him. He says that he was sorry to ever be ashamed of who he was. That earns Alvin and his friends the respect of the student body. Later on outside, Dru (Paris' ex-boyfriend) tries to take her back but she replies "I have other dreams". Paris and Al eventually make up as the film ends.