Love Don’t Cost a Thing (2003)

Sweet and kind of touching, and I liked it. The difference, I think, is that the new one is lower on cynicism and higher on wisdom, and might actually contain some truth about the agonies of high school insecurity.

Often rowdy and uproarious, the film also has surprising depth and subtext.

The cast is uniformly high spirited and attractive, and Ms. Beyer's direction, apart from a few over-weighted Wellesian camera angles, is functional.

The music, at least, is welcome.

Sadly, though, the movie as a whole feels blatantly dedicated to fleecin' da kidz.