Synopsis

High-school senior Ryan has a crush on popular Ashley, while his best friend Maggie secretly loves him. When Ashley's athletic cousin Chris falls for Maggie, the two boys make a deal: Ryan will help Chris win Maggie with romantic advice, while Chris teaches Ryan how to attract Ashley. Their plan involves deception, mistaken identities, and increasingly complicated attempts to reach the right people before prom.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film is a modern high-school adaptation of Edmond Rostand's 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac, translating Cyrano's romantic ghostwriting and unrequited love into a teen comedy setting.

• Whatever It Takes marked Aaron Paul's feature-film debut. He plays Floyd, one of the students caught up in the story's romantic schemes.

• Principal photography took place in Southern California from May 17 through July 13, 1999. Locations included Notre Dame High School, Eagle Rock High School, Beverly Hills High School, and areas of Santa Clarita.

• The prom scenes were filmed in the gymnasium at Beverly Hills High School.

• A carnival photo-booth sequence appeared in promotional previews but was removed from the finished film. In the deleted scene, Ryan attempts to kiss Ashley, only to end up with her hair in his mouth.