Friday morning, February 6th, 1981. The day after the premiere, and the official opening day for 'Can't Buy Me Love'. Alex woke early, a knot of nervous anticipation in his stomach. He immediately sought out the morning papers, scanning for the first critical reactions. Nancy called soon after, having already gathered intel from the East Coast papers and early industry chatter.
The reviews, as they trickled in from major critics, were a mixed bag, though leaning towards favorable for a light teen romantic comedy. Roger Ebert, in his influential column, awarded the film only two stars. While he offered praise for Alex's performance, noting his charisma and handling of the character's arc, Ebert ultimately found the movie itself "silly" and predictable.
However, Janet Maslin at The New York Times provided a more positive take. She deemed 'Can't Buy Me Love' a "sweet, harmlessly silly movie," finding charm in its execution. Crucially for Alex, she specifically highlighted the appeal of the young leads, finding both Alex and his co-star, Phoebe Cates, "charming" together on screen.
Locally, Charles Champlin in the Los Angeles Times echoed a similar sentiment. His review focused on the film's lighthearted romance and comedic elements. While likely acknowledging the film's lack of deep substance, Champlin praised the performances, particularly the chemistry between the leads, and found it an entertaining, well-crafted piece that delivered on its modest promises.
Alex felt a measure of relief. While Ebert's dismissal stung slightly, the positive notices from the Times on both coasts, especially the praise for his performance and chemistry with Phoebe Cates, were significant boosts. It seemed the critics who appreciated the genre found merit in their execution.
Meanwhile, over at Universal Pictures, Thom Mount reviewed the same clippings. He noted Ebert's mixed review but gave more weight to the positive ink from Maslin and Champlin. Studio executives were often pragmatic about critical reception for teen-focused films; strong reviews were nice, but audience connection was paramount.
What interested Mount more were the preliminary audience reaction scores compiled from questionnaires distributed at preview screenings and perhaps even the premiere itself. The numbers reported back were strong: 87 percent of respondents gave positive reviews, indicating the film was connecting with its target demographic exactly as hoped.
"Eighty-seven positive," Mount mused, looking at the internal memo. That was a good number. It suggested strong word-of-mouth potential. He felt a cautious sense of satisfaction. The marketing push seemed effective, the audience scores were high, and the reviews, while not universally glowing, were positive enough.
But he knew, as did everyone involved, that reviews and questionnaires were just indicators. The real verdict would come from the weekend box office receipts. Now, all they could do was wait and see if the positive buzz, the targeted publicity, and the audience enthusiasm translated into actual ticket sales. The fate of 'Can't Buy Me Love', and by extension, the immediate future of '17 Again', rested on the numbers that would start rolling in over the weekend.
The weekend of February 6th-8th, 1981, was tense. 'Can't Buy Me Love' opened wide across 670 theaters, facing direct competition from a very different kind of film: 'Fort Apache, The Bronx', a gritty urban drama starring Paul Newman – an actor Alex personally admired greatly. It was a classic Hollywood counter-programming move by Universal, betting that the two films appealed to distinctly separate audiences.
Reports filtering back over the weekend suggested the strategy was working precisely as intended. Multiplexes saw older audiences lining up for the hard-hitting drama featuring the legendary Newman, while younger crowds, particularly teenagers and college students, were flocking to the lighter romantic comedy headlined by the rising star from 'My Bodyguard'.
Saturday afternoon at a busy multiplex in the Valley provided a snapshot. At one ticket window, an older couple requested, "Two for 'Fort Apache,' please." Moments later, a gaggle of high school girls rushed up to the next window. "Four for 'Can't Buy Me Love'!" one announced excitedly. "Did you see Alex Hayes on that talk show? He's so cute!" another chimed in. "And Janet Maslin said it was really charming!" added a third, referencing the New York Times review. The ticket seller nodded, tearing off the distinctively colored tickets for the teen hit, while the line for the Paul Newman film continued to draw a decidedly more mature demographic. Universal's bet on capturing the youth market seemed to be paying off.
Alex tried to stay busy, waiting for the official numbers. He knew 'Fort Apache' was the bigger film, but he hoped 'Can't Buy Me Love' could carve out its own success. He felt a pang of conflict, wanting his own film to succeed while also rooting for anything starring Paul Newman.
Monday morning brought the verdict. Nancy called Alex, her voice buzzing with excitement. "Okay, the weekend estimates are solidifying," she announced. "'Can't Buy Me Love' opened to three-point-five-one-six million dollars!"
Alex let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "$3.5 million? Is that... good?"
"Good?" Nancy laughed. "Alex, it's fantastic! From 670 screens? That's a per-screen average over five thousand dollars. For this budget? Universal is ecstatic. Yes, 'Fort Apache' opened bigger overall, took the number one spot with $4,565,000 from 795 theaters, but this is a huge win for us in its category. It proves the audience is there, they like you, and they liked the movie. The counter-programming worked perfectly."
$3,516,000. It wasn't 'Star Wars' or 'Jaws' numbers but for a film like 'Can't Buy Me Love', launched in early February, it was a clear, undeniable hit. The positive audience scores had translated into ticket sales. Alex felt a grin spread across his face, the relief immense.
The positive momentum didn't stop there. As the first week of release continued, industry buzz grew. Trade papers and calls later that week confirmed that 'Can't Buy Me Love' wasn't just a weekend wonder. It pulled in another $2.102 million from Monday through Thursday. This strong weekday performance indicated excellent word-of-mouth among its target audience. By the end of its first full week in release, the film had already grossed a cumulative total of $5,618,000, demonstrating real legs at the box office.
The success was solidifying. The gamble had paid off decisively. And with each positive report, the path forward for Alex, John Hughes, and '17 Again' looked significantly brighter.
Okay, let's detail the film's strong performance into its second week, capitalizing on Valentine's Day.
Chapter 10: Riding High on Valentine's
The explosive opening weekend of 'Can't Buy Me Love' sent ripples of excitement through Universal Pictures. Thom Mount and the distribution team, buoyed by the strong per-screen average and positive audience feedback, acted swiftly. Recognizing the film's momentum and appeal, particularly with Valentine's Day falling on the upcoming weekend, they moved to expand its reach. By Friday, February 13th, 'Can't Buy Me Love' was playing on 810 screens nationwide, an increase of over 137 theaters.
The timing couldn't have been better. Valentine's Day weekend proved to be a perfect storm for the romantic comedy. As predicted, the film became a go-to choice for teenage dates. Reports came in of packed screenings, fueled by positive word-of-mouth spreading through high schools and the film's inherent appeal as a lighthearted date movie. The specific marketing angle highlighting Alex Hayes, now solidified as a bona fide teen heartthrob thanks to the film's success, certainly didn't hurt.
When the numbers were tallied on Monday, February 16th, the results were stunning. 'Can't Buy Me Love' had not only held strong but had actually increased its weekend gross, pulling in a massive $4.123 million. Even more impressively, this surge propelled it past 'Fort Apache, The Bronx' to claim the number one spot at the North American box office for the weekend.
"Number one? Are you serious?" Alex asked Nancy incredulously over the phone, pacing his apartment.
"Dead serious," Nancy confirmed, unable to hide the delight in her voice. "Number one movie in the country. The Valentine's Day boost was huge, just like Universal hoped. All those teenage boys taking their dates pushed it right over the top. You, my dear nephew, are officially headlining the biggest movie in America right now."
The buzz naturally cooled slightly after the holiday weekend rush. The film grossed a still very respectable $1.85 million during the following weekdays (Monday, Feb 16th - Thursday, Feb 19th). But the message was clear: 'Can't Buy Me Love' was no fluke.
Adding up the figures, the film's performance was undeniable. After just two full weeks in release, its total combined box office gross stood at an impressive $11,591,000. It had already significantly out-earned its modest production budget and was well on its way to becoming a highly profitable hit for Universal. For Alex, Nancy, and John Hughes, the success was exhilarating. The path for '17 Again' wasn't just looking brighter; it was practically paved in gold.