An adorable, cute and melodramatic teen romance.
The film begins with a teenager who stands out for his artistic ability – he draws well and also paints – and his love of automobile mechanics. He is not rich and is jealous of his wealthier schoolmates. Is it a problem of lack of self-esteem? Maybe, but things get worse when he falls in love with a beautiful, rich girl with a handsome, rich, stupid boyfriend. From then on, he will use the money his parents saved to pay for college in an attempt to humiliate his rival and impress his beloved, with the help of a friend, a drummer and rocker, who is secretly in love with him.
Firstly, the film is very moving due to its main message around love, and the way we should value and love those who truly value and love us. This is the main message of the film and what has made it work so well for decades. However, I recognize that teenage rebellion is unpleasant, especially if we are adults and tend to identify with the position of parents, who want the best for their child and know that having higher education, no matter how little it is worth, still helps to open up doors in the job market. The issue is the focal point of the relationship between the main character and her parents, but it goes unnoticed in this film, focused on rose-colored romance.
If the film does not strictly stand out for its technical qualities (absolutely the standard of films of this time), it is in the acting and cast that the film bets most safely, casting Eric Stoltz in the main role. He's young enough for the role, but mature enough to give a solid performance. Mary Stuart Masterson also does an excellent job. Much less interesting, because one-dimensional, Lea Thompson and Craig Sheffer do what they can in characters without much juice, while Elias Koteas takes advantage of every opportunity in a supporting role.