We all have that one object that tethers us to another place and time. Whether it’s a favorite college sweatshirt or a cherished book, the object helps us remember a time when afternoons were long and carefree and adult responsibilities were minimal. For some, the object or item may even represent at time when they were thinner, less wrinkled and obsessed with Jon Bon Jovi (I’m looking at you moms with bedazzled jeans jackets dating back to high school).
For me, it’s the movie Can’t Buy Me Love.
From the time the movie hit the theaters in the late 1980s, I was obsessed with main character Cindy Mancini, played by Amanda Petersen, and the unlikely teen romance that develops between her and Ronald Miller, the geeky nerd who mows her lawn. For those who either slept through the 80s or don’t watch quality 80s movies, Can’t Buy Me Love centers around Ronald’s desire to hang with the popular crowd in school. He devises a plan to “pay” Cindy to date him for one month under the premise that in doing so, he’ll be popular.
Oh, and by the way, Ronald Miller is played by a very young and yet undiscovered Patrick Dempsey. Swoon.
As a result of an unfortunate incident with a glass of wine, Cindy finds herself having to replace an expensive outfit that she borrowed from her mom’s closet without permission. Ronald, having saved enough money from mowing lawns, offers to replace the outfit if Cindy agrees to date him. Naturally, hilarity ensues and while the premise is cheesy, the message is clear: no one in high school ever feels like they totally fit in with the “In Crowd.” And, sometimes, the Geek gets the Girl.
Over the years, I’ve watched the movie as a newlywed, while breastfeeding at 2 am and on rare evenings when my tired yoga pant clad mom hips have the couch to myself. No matter what stage of life I’m in, the sounds of the music, the story and the characters always bring me back to my high school days. And I’m not ashamed to admit that, some days, I still feel like the nerdy girl who didn’t fit in with the cool crowd.Can’t Buy Me Love reminds me that good things come to those who live authentically, regardless of the mean moms at the PTA meetings.
In the movie, Cindy drives every teenage girl from the 80s’ dream car: a white VW Cabriolet convertible. Go ahead, ask anyone who loved Can’t Buy Me Love about the car and they’ll gush about wanting to own that little white dream when they were sixteen. I begged my parents for a Cabriolet when I was sixteen. I was given keys to the family station wagon.
Several years ago, after my 700thviewing of Can’t Buy Me Love, I confided in my husband how the movie helped me connect to a time when I spent long afternoons shopping in malls and talking with my friends for hours on end on a pink princess phone.I told him that the little Cabriolet represented being a “cool kid,” as corny as it sounds. And then I promptly forgot about the conversation.
But he didn’t.
Unbeknownst to me, and for many years, he scoured internet auctions and car sites, looking for a little white 1985 Cabriolet. He’s a man who is obsessed with cars and engines and parts that make cars do things that I don’t understand: cars are his love language. He may not swoon when Patrick Dempsey is on the screen but a classic car makes his heart go pitter patter.
And last year, he made mine go boom when that little white VW Cabriolet arrived to our driveway on a cold February morning.
My husband made my teenaged dreams come true.
When I eased myself into the white leather of the driver’s side, my teenaged self started to cry. The girl with the with glasses, braces and acne who was always the new kid in town thanks to constant moving, was shedding tears. Until that moment, I’d never realized how much the character of Ronald represented how I felt about myself as a teen. I might not ever make it to the “cool crowd” but this car makes me feel like the popular cheerleader (sans the perfect blond hair, of course) every time I fire her up to run errands.
So, while it’s true you can’t buy love or happiness, this little VW Cabriolet has made me make peace with the awkward, geeky teenaged girl I used to be. And on sunny days, as I tool around town with the top down and my hair whipping at my cheeks, I can almost see her smiling in the passenger seat as we leave our awkwardness in the dust.
2 Responses
Reading this post, I can’t believe I somehow missed watching “Can’t Buy You Love.” Now I have to watch it. Probably it won’t inspire me to buy the car. Not a fan of white cars, but the movie sounds cute.
I just started crying reading this. Was looking for a picture of Cindy Mancini (don’t ask why lol) and your article popped up. SO timely because my lease is up in a couple of months, my second child finishes HS tomorrow, everyone has their own cars and we are rarely, if ever, all in a car together. Can’t Buy Me Love is one of my favorite movies ever! I wanted to be her and have her life and her car! I cut out pics of the car and put on my christmas list every year during my teen years. Never got it though. A month or so ago the movie was on tbs or something and my fiancé and I watched it and I went on and on and on about the car. He looked them up online just curious if there were any out there and what they’re selling for. A couple weeks later I started thinking about what I’m going to do when my lease is up and suddenly thought I could get my vw cabriolet, and it would be cheaper than what I’d spend on a lease for 2 or 3yrs…assuming it ran and didn’t need a lot of repairs. Now that is my current obsession, trying to find one…has to be white, of course. Don’t think I ever thought too deeply about why I love the movie so much or the car so much (aside from the fact that it’s the cutest car ever!) but your description seems so spot on for me too…braces, nerd, never went to games…aside from the entrepreneur side of Ronald miller making $$$ I think I was just like him…and wanted to be her, but never did break into that circle.
Anyway, found a 2002, so not the exact car, but just about, and going to go see it 200mi away in two days. Seriously praying everything is good and I can get it, since I know nothing about cars so can’t fix anything myself. And was already thinking about if I get it how I think I will literally cry.
Do you still have yours and do you love it???