Nerdy teenager Denis Cooverman (Paul Rust) harbors a secret crush on Beth Cooper (Hayden Panettiere), the hottest girl in high school. During his graduation speech, Denis lets the cat out of the bag and declares his love for Beth, who, instead of dissing Denis, shows up at his house later that day and promises to show him the time of his life in I Love You, Beth Cooper. 
Supremely dorky high-school valedictorian Dennis (Rust) decides to tell it like it is in his commencement address, trashing bullies by name and declaring his love for head cheerleader Beth Cooper (Panettiere). We've seen nerds pine for less-unattainable-than-expected hotties before, but rarely does it feel this real...and funny. Rust is no hunky actor pretending to be nebbish under glasses and a bad hairdo—he is genuinely strange-looking, and his Dennis is so realistically awkward and askew that you can understand why people might not want to hang out with him. As is his best friend Rich (Jack Carpenter), a possibly closeted movie geek who thinks Jack Nicholson impersonations are the height of hilarity. So when Dennis decides to talk smack in front of the whole school, seizing his final opportunity to say everything he was always afraid to utter, he might as well be painting a target on his head, especially in the eyes of Beth's psychotic, Terminator-built military boyfriend Kevin (Shawn Roberts). After she confronts him after graduation, he invites her and gal pals to his graduation party. Intrigued, they take him up on the offer, not knowing that the "party" consists only of himself and his equally goofy sidekick. Oh, and also showing up: Beth's jealous and possessive boyfriend, who crashes the party to beat Denis to a pulp. The kids flee, setting in motion a night of violence, drinking, debauchery and law-breaking shenanigans: In other words, a dream evening for a couple of geeky virgins who have lived at the bottom of the school's food chain. Beth takes enough pity on her sad-sack suitor that she saves him and Rich from a massive beatdown, and along with her sidekicks—plainspoken Cammy (Lauren London) and nymphomaniac Treece (Lauren Storm)—they spend the evening crashing parties while fleeing not just from Kevin's posse, but also the numerous other aggrieved parties from graduation, all while avoiding the parents (one even played by former Ferris Bueller BFF Alan Ruck). Some sweet moments emerge as Denis learns that not all is as it seems: that Beth, unlike him, is not on the fast track to college, and that her high school career is most likely the highlight of her life. Denis, ever the gentleman, reminds her that life is there for the taking, if you only are brave enough. And if that's all we learn in high school, it's enough.
I Love You, Beth Cooper pushes the limits of PG-13, with some very frank sex talk and even brief nudity. Yet that isn't the main reason it feels so honest: The secret weapon here is Panettiere, who may lure in the boys with her looks, but who is also a genuinely formidable actress who renders in Beth a complex soul. Panettiere is enjoyable as the object of overwhelming desire and Carpenter, as Denis' best friend, is delightful as the flamboyant kid who spouts famous movie lines. Impressionable kids should probably be kept away, as the movie's teen heroes break multiple laws, wreak massive havoc and aren't even remotely punished; their experiences prove almost entirely rewarding. If you like morals to your movies, this ain't the one. It's a cute lil teen movie that has it's moments. This gets a 3 on my "Go See" scale.
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