High school nerd Patrick Dempsey sees a way to buy himself into popularity (with the money he's saved for a telescope) when the obscure object of his desires, cheerleader queen Cindy (Amanda Peterson) desperately needs $1000 to replace a ruined dress she's 'borrowed' from her mother. He loans her the money in return for her dating him for a month. She's beginning to fall for him at the end of the period, but the poor sap is too blinded by the 'stardom' she's given him to see it. Around about here, the plot isn't too logical. But, although the film is overly simplistic and paints a pretty appalling picture of American girlhood at every turn, the two young leads involve us sufficiently in their lives to make us feel irritated and angry with them when they blow it. As in The Buddy Holly Story, director Steve Rash proves that the most moderate material can work well provided you can conjure up persuasive and personable performances to hold it together.

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