Whatever It Takes (2000)

17% of critics liked it
(66 reviews)
51% of users liked it
(44,588 ratings)

In this teen-oriented romantic comedy, Ryan Woodman (Shane West) is a socially inept high school senior whose idea of a good time is practicing his accordion, while Chris Campbell (James Franco) is a BMOC football star (and intellectual lightweight) at the same school. Ryan is hopelessly in love… More In this teen-oriented romantic comedy, Ryan Woodman (Shane West) is a socially inept high school senior whose idea of a good time is practicing his accordion, while Chris Campbell (James Franco) is a BMOC football star (and intellectual lightweight) at the same school. Ryan is hopelessly in love with Ashley Grant (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe), who is beautiful, popular, and entirely out of his league, while Chris has a serious crush on Maggie (Marla Sokoloff), a pretty but bookish friend of Ryan's. Chris and Ryan realize that they're in a position to help each other, and through a complicated arrangement of phone calls, e-mails, and double dates, they try to work out a system by which each guy will be with the girl of his dreams -- though things hardly turn out the way anyone expected. Produced under the title Got to Be You, Whatever It Takes also features Julia Sweeney and Colin Hanks. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 34 min.
Directed By: David Raynr
Written By: Mark Schwahn
Genres: Comedy

In Theaters: Mar 24, 2000 Wide
On DVD: Oct 30, 2001
Studio: Columbia Pictures

Critic Reviews

Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
What you're actually hearing is the sound of a really old coot preaching a very practised sermon.
Jay Carr, Boston Globe
The producers ... settle for the most obvious load of formula stuff in a numbingly cliched teen comedy pivoting on a lot of plastic angst over who'll take whom to the prom.
Mark Caro, Chicago Tribune
What was that movie that finds humor in someone barfing on someone else? Give me a minute, it's on the tip of my tongue! Whatever It Takes.
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
Lame corruption of the 'Cyrano' legend.
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If you saw a single John Hughes movie from the 1980s, you've already seen this territory covered with more style and insight.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Still another movie arguing that the American teenager's IQ level hovers in the low 90s.
Ellen MacKay, Common Sense Media
This is simply an assembly of cinematic cliches.
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
Please, oh please, make these teen-targeted romantic comedies go away.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
Whatever It Takes is certainly nothing new or ground-breaking, but for what it is, it's entertaining and slightly above-average.
Chris Gore, Film Threat
This is about as lame as teen comedy/romance films come.
Mike Kerrigan, Boxoffice Magazine
It never has enough confidence to let itself go and shock or surprise the audience.

Read all 11 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Bobby H

Whatever it takes is a basic teen chick-flick. It's predictable. Very easy to guess what will happen right at the start, but, it's fun to watch. James Franco and Shane West are both insanly good with there roles, there's alot good looking girls, and the comedy side… More
Whatever it takes is a basic teen chick-flick. It's predictable. Very easy to guess what will happen right at the start, but, it's fun to watch. James Franco and Shane West are both insanly good with there roles, there's alot good looking girls, and the comedy side of it is not so bad either. Overall: It's worth watching and a fun flick. The actors/comedy saves it from being anything worse then average, but the predictable typical storyline keeps it from being any better then average. Check it out if you wanna just relax and watch a tyipcal teen-chick flick.
Rachel F

This is a great teen flick. Plus it has Shane West and James Franco who are both so hot.
Megan S

I give this movie one star...but that hasn't stopped me from watching it on more than one occasion (on abc family or something like it).
Leigh R

So cute.
Steven V

Cute teen flick is not too bad at all and has some pretty funny silly jokes at the beginning. Overcoming the predictable plot, some dialogue is very clever and the acting and directing are good. A few characters are interesting enough to hold attention and even get a few laughs. Many… More
Cute teen flick is not too bad at all and has some pretty funny silly jokes at the beginning. Overcoming the predictable plot, some dialogue is very clever and the acting and directing are good. A few characters are interesting enough to hold attention and even get a few laughs. Many moments seem to be like <b>She's All That</b> too. A cute renter but do not put too much thought into it. Better than average coming-of-age fare. Overall good job but the ending is bad.
Andrew F

It's not a good movie. Completely unrealistic about high school. It had a neat plot at the beginning, but then it got stupid.
Sunil J

James Franco possibly made it worth the watch but I still wouldn't recommend it.