John Tucker must Die (2006)
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After discovering a popular basketball star is dating three different girls simultaneously, a group of girls enlists a newcomer to help them get their revenge.
The story
Teenager Kate Spencer discovers that the popular local boy, John Tucker, is secretly dating three different girls from different social cliques. After the girls learn of his deception, they realize they need a way to punish him for his behavior. They recruit Kate, a shy and unpopular girl who is able to see through his charm, to join their cause. Together, they devise a plan to publicly humiliate him and break his heart, starting with a series of pranks and a makeover for Kate to draw him in.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Kate Spencer discovers that local heartthrob John Tucker is dating three girls simultaneously by keeping them apart. When the three girls find out, they enlist Kate to help them get revenge. After several failed attempts, they decide to make Kate the primary 'heartbreaker.' Following a makeover, Kate joins the cheerleading squad. John becomes obsessed with winning her over, while the other girls secretly record his chauvinistic behavior. During a high-stakes event, Kate's actions lead to John becoming a laughing stock, though he initially tries to spin it to his advantage. Eventually, Kate realizes that the plot is still centered on John's actions and wants out. At John's birthday party, the girls play a tape of his public humiliation, and Kate reveals the entire plot. Despite the chaos, the film ends with John and Kate agreeing to be friends and the possibility of Kate dating his brother, Scott.
- First release year
- 2006
- Runtime (minutes)
- 89
- Production countries
- United States; Canada
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Betty Thomas
- Writers
- Jeff Lowell · writer
- Cast and characters
- Jesse Metcalfe · John Tucker; Brittany Snow · Kate; Ashanti; Sophia Bush; Arielle Kebbel; Jenny McCarthy
- Genres
- teen comedy; romantic comedy; buddy comedy
- Themes
- revenge; infidelity
- Tone and mood
- comedy
- Premise and plot tags
- high school; basketball; revenge
- Source material / true-story basis
- William Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the cast's performances but called the film derivative. It was a box office success.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 28% · review count: 93; Metacritic · score: 41 · scale: 100 · review count: 27; CinemaScore · score: B+ · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- Razzie Award · Worst Supporting Actress · nomination
- Production trivia
- The story is loosely based on William Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor.; The film was heavily promoted to female teenagers on MySpace.; A script for a sequel was reported to be circulating in Hollywood as of March 2024.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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