Love Don't Cost a Thing (film)

Love Don't Cost a Thing
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Troy Beyer
Produced by	Andrew Kosove Broderick Johnson Mark Burg Reuben Cannon
Written by	Michael Swerdlick Troy Beyer
Starring	Nick Cannon Christina Milian Kenan Thompson Kal Penn Vanessa Bell Calloway and Steve Harvey
Music by	John E. Rhone Richard Gibbs
Cinematography	Chuck Cohen
Edited by	David Codron
Production company	Alcon Entertainment
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date	December 12, 2003 (2003-12-12)
Running time	101 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$21,964,072

Love Don't Cost a Thing, stylized as Love Don't Co$t a Thing, is a 2003 teen comedy film written and directed by Troy Beyer and starring Nick Cannon and Christina Milian It also stars Steve Harvey, Kenan Thompson and Kal Penn. The film is a remake of the 1987 film Can't Buy Me Love.

Alvin Johnson (Nick Cannon) is an extremely intelligent nerd under consideration for a General Motors scholarship, as he is skilled in designing engines. He's always dreamed of hanging out with the popular kids, especially Paris Morgan (Christina Milian), a beautiful, popular cheerleader dating NBA star Dru Hilton. When Paris crashes her mother's expensive SUV during an argument with Dru, Alvin agrees to repair the car in return for two weeks of dating. Alvin uses money he had saved all summer for his project, jeopardizing his scholarship.

After a few missteps, Alvin begins to integrate himself with the popular crowd. He and Paris grow closer as she shares with him her secret love of music, but Alvin misinterprets her feelings and stages a break-up at the end of two weeks. Alvin continues to grow in popularity, alienating his former nerd friends and dating Paris's friends. In the meantime Paris starts to realize just how shallow and vapid most of her popular friends really are and she starts to question being a part of this group. At the end of year Senior Ditch Day, Dru returns, but leaves after he finds out Paris had been dating Alvin. In an attempt to get him back, Paris exposes her deal with Alvin to the whole school, returning him to mediocrity.

Alvin's father (Steve Harvey) agrees to pay for the part, explaining to Alvin that he'd supported his sudden transformation because he wanted him to have some of the same experiences he did in high school. At the basketball game, Alvin stands up for his nerd friends against the former jocks. As Paris follows him out, she is stopped by Dru, but Paris blows him off for Alvin and they kiss.

The school scenes were filmed at Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, California.