Synopsis

After popular high school student Zack Siler is dumped by his girlfriend, he accepts a bet that he can turn artistic outsider Laney Boggs into prom queen within six weeks. As Zack guides Laney through the school's social world, their staged arrangement becomes complicated by genuine affection, hidden insecurities, and the consequences of starting a relationship under false pretenses.

Factoids & Trivia

• The story is a modern high school adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's play "Pygmalion," the same source that inspired "My Fair Lady."

• Filming took place at Torrance High School in California, a location also used for "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Beverly Hills, 90210," and later "Not Another Teen Movie."

• The elaborate prom dance number was not part of the original plan. It was added late in production and later expanded after test audiences found the sequence confusing.

• Sixpence None the Richer's "Kiss Me" became closely associated with the movie. Its appearance helped push the song to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

• Made for an estimated $10 million, the film earned more than $103 million worldwide and became one of the defining teen romantic comedies of the late 1990s.

• The film's script became the subject of a public authorship dispute after M. Night Shyamalan said he had worked extensively on it. Credited screenwriter R. Lee Fleming Jr. disputed that characterization, while commentary confirmed that Shyamalan contributed during development.

• A gender-swapped remake, "He's All That," was released in 2021, with the original film's concept and several recognizable elements carried over.