Can’t Hardly Wait still is a favorite high school movie of mine, partially because it came out at the end of my junior year and because even though I’ve seen it several times over the years, I still manage to laugh and it’s just a fun, almost comfort-like movie.
Can’t Hardly Wait
(1998)
Genre(s): Comedy
Sony Pictures | PG13 – 100 min. – $0.00 | January 8, 2023
Date Published: 01/29/2023 | Author: The Movieman
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Sony Pictures Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post.
The opinions I share are my own.
Note: The movie and special feature portions were copied over from my DVD review so keep that in mind with some references.
THE MOVIE — 3¾/5 |
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Can’t Hardly Wait is one of my favorite teen comedies, not for the generic story and there isn’t any one performance that stands out. It’s a not a movie that stands the test of time like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off or The Breakfast Club (John Hughes deserves a lifetime achievement award just for those two movies), but CHW is a film I admire for two reasons: 1) Nostalgia – I look back on high school years with bitter sweet memories and a part of me wishes to go back and do things over again; and 2) what writers/directors Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont did in casting was incredible. This film features so many recognizable faces and names of actors who, at the time, may not have been established yet. Jennifer Love Hewitt at the time was on Party of Five but had not yet become the actress we know from the I Know What You Did Last Summer movies or Ghost Whisperer. While her role is important, she actually doesn’t have that much screen time and only maybe 2-3 minutes with the “leading man” played by Ethan Embry. Seth Green’s career has taken off with the cult popularity of the hilarious Robot Chicken as well as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Austin Powers movies. Lauren Ambrose may not be a ‘star’ per se, but she established herself on Six Feet Under and Peter Facinelli is, well, that guy who starred on Fastlane… But the supporting cast is what is most impressive: Sean Patrick Thomas (TV’s The District), Freddy Rodriguez (Planet Terror), Donald Faison (TV’s Scrubs), Jaime Pressly (DOA: Dead or Alive, TV’s My Name is Earl), Chris Owen (American Pie movies), Mairsol Nichols (Vegas Vacation), Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Clea DuVall (The Grudge), Eric Balfour (TV’s 24, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake), Selma Blair (Hellboy movies), Jenna Elfman (TV’s Dharma and Greg), Melissa Joan Hart (TV’s Sabrina the Teenage Witch) and Breckin Meyer (Road Trip), Jerry O’Connell (Scream 2) and apparently Liv Tyler. I think it’s more fun to look back on Can’t Hardly Wait to see these known names and faces, along with a decent teen comedy storyline. As I said, this isn’t a teen comedy great compared to the numerous John Hughes 80s flicks, but it tends to stand on its own at times despite not having key memorable scenes or lines. I know I’ll pull this DVD (** 2024 edit: 4K Ultra HD **) out every so often. It’s a movie that works because of the cast as even though the two leads with Ethan Embry and Jennifer Love Hewitt don’t really even speak to one another until the third act (and in more depth at the end), the two of them were at least semi-believable. Add to that two funny supporting performances from Seth Green as a wannabe gangsta (or whatever) and Ambrose as the wise ass/kind of anti-social best friend, it’s a movie that keeps the flow from beginning to end. Can’t believe it’s been 10 years (** 2018 edit 20 years **), but Can’t Hardly Wait does at least hold its own and is one of the better teen comedies of the 1990s going into the 21st century. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 4/5 |
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This release comes with a matted slip cover and a redemption code for the Digital HD copy. Audio Commentaries:
Huntington Hills High Class of ’98 Reunion (26:41) – Awesome featurette that has many cast members, though the female leads (Hewitt, Ambrose) are missing. Participants include Ethan Embry, Peter Facinelli, Seth Green, Freddy Rodriguez (Jock #3), Michelle Brookhurst (“Girl Whose Party It Is”), Joel Michaely (X-Phile #1), Jay Paulson (X-Phile #2), Donal Faison (Drummer), Tamala Jones (Girlfriend #2), Jennifer Lyons (Girlfriend #3), Victor Togunde (Reminiscing Guy), Nicole Bilderback (“Ready to Have Sex Girl”) and Jenna Elfman. Odd that they couldn’t at least get comments from Jennifer Love Hewitt, though… Deleted & Alternate Scenes (7:30) — There are 7 deleted or alternate scenes. Deleted & Alternate Scenes (7:25) – Here we get some more scenes excised from the movie. Can’t Hardly Wait: The Making of a Teen Classic (14:26) – Basically more reminiscing about filming CHW from the participants listed above. Not as interesting as the reunion featurette, but anymore from this group is pretty cool. Life of the Party (9:28) – Said same people talk about their own party experiences in high school, what makes a party lame or cool and just some more tidbits about their past. Music Video (2:50) — “Can’t Get Enough of You Baby” by Smash Mouth Theatrical Trailer (2:33) |
VIDEO – 4¾/5 |
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Can’t Hardly Wait comes to 4K Ultra HD from Sony Pictures and is presented with a 2160p high-definition transfer and the original 1.85 widescreen aspect ratio. This movie has had a checkered history in HD first being released on Blu-ray first from Sony (10th anniversary) and then Mill Creek (20th anniversary), and neither of these transfers looked great, a bit on the splotchy side. Here the transfer does look significantly better with sharp, well balanced detail while colors are more on the darker side given the bulk does take place at night in a darkly lit house. Still, the natural film grain is intact and there are splashes of color while black levels are stark without appearing crushed. Although I tend to think releasing comedies to 4K UHD is a bit of a waste of money no matter how good they look, this is an example (akin to when Lionsgate released Van Wilder) where it is worth the upgrade. |
AUDIO – 4½/5 |
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Also getting an upgrade, and this one is what I consider overkill, the movie comes with a Dolby Atmos track (along 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio tracks). Dialogue does come across the center channel with great clarity and there is some good depth inside the party. |
OVERALL — 4¼/5 |
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Can’t Hardly Wait still is a favorite high school movie of mine, partially because it came out at the end of my junior year and because even though I’ve seen it several times over the years, I still manage to laugh and it’s just a fun, almost comfort-like movie. |