Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- None
- witty
- awkward
- sincere
- lazy afternoon
- teen movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film to be a predictable, clichéd teen romance with few laughs and an insensitive treatment of its romantic complications.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Ryan and Chris agree to coach each other through competing romantic pursuits, creating the film's central comic mechanism.
Ryan pursues Ashley while overlooking Maggie, and the romantic conflict turns on that change in perception.
The relationships are shaped by Ashley's popularity, Chris's jock identity, and Ryan's outsider status among school peers.
Ryan and Chris adopt artificial dating personas, while the eventual romantic resolution depends on more genuine feelings.
Films like Whatever It Takes, and why
She's All That
teen romantic comedy built around high-school social hierarchies, mistaken romantic strategies, and a conventional coming-of-age arc
10 Things I Hate About You
high-school romance featuring an unpopular protagonist, social transformation, and familiar teen-comedy conventions
Can’t Hardly Wait
teen romantic comedy centered on popularity, dating schemes, and shifting perceptions of an initially overlooked love interest
Movie Details
- Director
- David Raynr
- Release Date
- 2000-03-31
- Runtime
- 94 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (308)
Cast
- Jodi Lyn O'Keefe
- Shane West
- Marla Sokoloff
- James Franco
- Aaron Paul
- Colin Hanks
- Julia Sweeney
- Richard Schiff
- Kip Pardue
- Nick Cannon
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Whatever It Takes about?
- Two high-school friends coach each other through doomed crushes until their elaborate dating strategy reveals the affection that was beside them all along.
- What is Whatever It Takes like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Whatever It Takes as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Whatever It Takes violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Whatever It Takes.
- What did critics think of Whatever It Takes?
- Critics broadly found the film to be a predictable, clichéd teen romance with few laughs and an insensitive treatment of its romantic complications.
- Which films are like Whatever It Takes?
- Films with a similar feel include She's All That, 10 Things I Hate About You, and Can’t Hardly Wait.
- How long is Whatever It Takes?
- Whatever It Takes runs 94 minutes.
- Where can I watch Whatever It Takes?
- In United States, Whatever It Takes is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
