I Love You, Beth Cooper

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

The story is timeless; this could have taken place when Doyle graduated in '76 -- or any year, really, since the effects of high school linger throughout adult life and nerds are forever.

New York Post Kyle Smith

Isn't especially hilarious, but it has a warm sense of humor instead of a string of gross-out jokes. It'll be a cable mainstay.

Christian Science Monitor Peter Rainer

Has some smart flashes, and a few of the young performers resemble real people and not the usual prefab teen idols.

TV Guide Jason Buchanan

For a teen film to resonate, it has to feel honest, and I Love You, Beth Cooper simply comes off as too paint-by-numbers to achieve any level of emotional authenticity.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

There's a sense that a much better movie is trying to get out but it never attains escape velocity.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

Of the two co-stars, what I can say is that I’m looking forward to their next films.

Miami Herald Rene Rodriguez

The problem with I Love You, Beth Cooper is that aside from Denis' speech at the start, everything else seems familiar.

Boston Globe Ty Burr

Panettiere, I’m sad to report, is a dud as the title character, a supposed wild thang who never rises above the level of runty, obnoxious mall chick, down to the roll-on tan.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Stephen Cole

The movie feels like something parents want their kids to see. Harold and Kumar wouldn't want anything to do with Beth Cooper or Denis Cooverman. You're probably not going to like them much either.

Baltimore Sun Michael Sragow

Since that gifted, attractive performer is Hayden Panettiere, who has already won a wide following for "Heroes," it's a wonder that the studio hasn't been more heavily promoting her appearance in this decent, genial youth comedy. After all, she does play, ah, Beth Cooper.

USA Today Claudia Puig

This leaden teen comedy is meant to be lively, but it's curiously bland.

San Francisco Chronicle Peter Hartlaub

Isn't a terrible addition to the teen coming-of-age party movie catalog. It just feels dated.

Los Angeles Times Mark Olsen

Not a remake -- it just feels like one.

Salon.com Stephanie Zacharek

Moves along, taking two steps backward into crassness for every clever or just plain sweet moment it offers. Although many of the movie's problems seem to be rooted in the script, Columbus has such a heavy touch that he sabotages nearly every scene.

Empire Staff (Not credited)

Painfully unfunny, I Love You, Beth Cooper is more likely to elicit the opposite reaction.

Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea

The film quickly turns unintentionally, and unrelentingly, awkward.

NPR Ella Taylor

Lumbering comedy, adapted by Larry Doyle from his own novel.

Washington Post Ruth McCann

Perhaps the best thing that can be said about I Love You, Beth Cooper is that the title is correctly punctuated. Beyond that, the movie is a disappointingly flabby teen flick.

Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov

Ends up as little more than a recursive footnote to the infinitely better up-all-night teen comedies of, you guessed it, John Hughes.

The Hollywood Reporter Stephen Farber

Although the teenage audience is notoriously undiscriminating, it's hard to imagine many kids turning out for this laugh-free comedy.

Variety Brian Lowry

Peaks early -- like, during the first three minutes -- and rapidly goes downhill from there.

Chicago Reader J.R. Jones

A more accurate title might be "Sub-Bad."

The New York Times A.O. Scott

Drab and incoherent teen comedy.

Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips

A funny thing happened to Larry Doyle's 2007 debut novel on the way to the multiplex. It turned into its own ring of coming-of-age comedy hell.

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

Aiming for the heartfelt hilarity of "Superbad," I Love You, Beth Cooper is just super bad.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Scott Tobias

There’s hardly an authentic second in the film.

Village Voice Scott Foundas

Joyless, offensively stupid end-of-high-school farce.

Portland Oregonian M. E. Russell

I was stunned to learn that "Beth Cooper" was adapted by former "Simpsons" writer Larry Doyle from his young-adult novel and directed by "Harry Potter" helmer Chris Columbus. Rarely have two seasoned Hollywood professionals produced something so painfully, amateurishly, relentlessly unfunny.

Film Threat Don R. Lewis

Sloppy, not funny, downright stupid, ridiculous as well as horribly themed and shot.

New York Daily News Joe Neumaier

This unfunny, unoriginal, charmless teen comedy is so stunningly awful from start to finish, it's amazing to think its director has made a single film before, much less a dozen.