The Perfect Score
The Perfect Score Theatrical Poster
Directed by	Brian Robbins
Produced by	Donald J. Lee, Jr.
Written by	Marc Hyman Jon Zack Mark Schwahn
Starring	Scarlett Johansson Erika Christensen Chris Evans Darius Miles Vanessa Angel Leonardo Nam Bryan Greenberg Kyle Labine Bill Mackenzie
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	January 30, 2004 (US)
Running time	92 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

The Perfect Score is a comedy-crime 2004 directed by Brian Robbins. It was produced through MTV Films and was released in the United States on January 30, 2004. The film stars Chris Evans, Bryan Greenberg, Scarlett Johansson, Erika Christensen, Darius Miles and Leonardo Nam. Image File history File links TPSposter. ... Brian Robbins, born on November 22, 1963, is an American actor and producer. ... Marc Hyman wrote the Warner Bros. ... Scarlett Johansson (born November 22, 1984) is an American actress. ... Erika Christensen in The Perfect Score. ... Chris Evans as Johnny Storm a. ... Miles (right) poses with a fan. ... Vanessa Madeline Angel (born November 10, 1966 in London) is a British actress. ... Leonardo Nam (born November 1979 at Buenos Aires, Argentina) is an American actor of Korean descent. ... Bryan Greenberg (born May 24, 1978) is an American actor, best known for starring in the WB Network TV show One Tree Hill. ... Kyle Labine (b. ... Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and distribution company, based in Hollywood, California. ... January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... // Please note that these are the top grossing films that were first released in 2004; because they may have made most of their income in a later year, they may not be the top-grossing films for calendar year 2004. ... United States is the current Good Article Collaboration of the week! Please help to improve this article to the highest of standards. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Comedy has a classical meaning (comical theatre) and a popular one (the use of humour with an intent to provoke laughter in general). ... // Please note that these are the top grossing films that were first released in 2004; because they may have made most of their income in a later year, they may not be the top-grossing films for calendar year 2004. ... Brian Robbins, born on November 22, 1963, is an American actor and producer. ... MTV Films is the motion picture production arm of cable channel MTV. Originally founded in 1995, it has produced films based on MTV programs such as Beavis and Butt-head Do America and Jackass: The Movie, as well as other adaptations and original projects. ... January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... People with the name Chris Evans include: Chris Evans, a British television presenter, radio DJ, and celebrity Chris Evans, an Australian politician Chris Evans, an American actor Chris Evans, a British artist Chris Evans, a South African artist and microbiologist This is a disambiguation page — a list of pages that... Bryan Greenberg (born May 24, 1978) is an American actor, best known for starring in the WB Network TV show One Tree Hill. ... Scarlett Johansson (born November 22, 1984) is an American actress. ... Erika Christensen in The Perfect Score. ... Miles (right) poses with a fan. ... Leonardo Nam (born November 1979 at Buenos Aires, Argentina) is an American actor of Korean descent. ...

The film focuses on a group of six high school students whose futures will be jeopardized if they fail the upcoming SAT exam. They conspire together to break into a building and steal the answers to the exam so they can all get perfect scores. The film deals with one’s future, morality, individuality and feelings. The SAT Reasoning Test, formerly called the Scholastic Aptitude Test and Scholastic Assessment Test, is a type of standardized test frequently used by colleges and universities in the United States to aid in the selection of incoming students. ...

The film has similarities to other high school movies, including The Breakfast Club and Dazed and Confused, which are often referenced throughout the film. However, the film was panned by most critics and performed quite poorly at the box office, losing out to the dance film You Got Served. The Breakfast Club (1985) is a film written and directed by John Hughes. ... Dazed and Confused is a song by folk singer Jake Holmes from his debut solo album The Above Ground Sound of Jake Holmes, released in June, 1967. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Tagline: The SAT is hard to take. It's even harder to steal.

Plot

The film revolves around high school student Kyle (Evans), who needs a score of 1430 to get into his preferred architect college. He constantly compares himself to his older brother Larry, who scored a 143 and is now living above his parents’ garage. Kyle’s best friend Marty (Greenberg) wants to get a high score so he can go to the same college as his girlfriend, but he is a slacker and fails his PSAT. They both complain that the SAT is standing in the way of their futures. The PSAT/NMSQT, or Preliminary-SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, is a multiple choice standardized test generally taken by high school juniors, sophomores, and freshmen in the United States. ...

The two boys realize that fellow student Francesca Curtis’ (Johansson) father owns the Princeton Testing Center, where the answers to the SAT is located; they decide to break into the building and steal the answers in order to achieve perfect scores. Francesca supports them but will not help them (She later changes her mind). Meanwhile, Kyle falls in love with Anna Ross (Christensen) and tells her about the plan. Marty doesn’t like the fact that the second-best student in school knows about the plan and has an outburst, right in the presence of stoner Roy (Nam), who now wants in on the heist. And finally, Anna tells the school basketball star Desmond Rhodes (Miles), who needs a 900 or better to get help entering the NBA. The National Basketball Association of the United States and Canada, commonly known as the NBA, is the premier professional basketball league in North America. ...

An early attempt to break into the PTC fails, but the team then devises another plan. On the eve of the exams, Francesca will arrange for Kyle and Marty to have a meeting near the top floor, staying after closing. The other three will wait outside and watch the night guard until Francesca, Kyle and Marty have successfully stolen the answers. The night finally arrives.

The first part of the plan goes well, with Francesca, Kyle and Marty successfully dodging security cameras and the night guard. However, the answers are located on a computer, and only the technical genius Roy can crack the password; he and the other two get in the building and Roy cracks the code. Still, the answers can’t be printed, so the friends decide to take the test now with all their brains combined and get the answers. In the early hours of morning, they are finished and have all the answers ready. The night guard ascends the stairs and they try to escape; however, Francesca is left behind and is about to be caught. Marty lets the guard arrest him in order to save Francesca, with whom he has identified most of himself in. Everyone else escapes, but each faces a certain confrontation before the exam: Kyle’s brother asks him if he’s really worse than a thief, Marty is bailed out by Francesca, Anna finds independence, and Desmond’s mother convinces Roy to quit drugs.

Before the SAT, all six students realize that they don’t really want to cheat; Roy hands out the answers to a group of stoners. In the end, everyone does well without cheating, and they all set off to live happy lives.

Reaction

The film was panned by almost all critics, scoring a 16% "Rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Slant Magazine critic Keith Uhlich called it an "MTV film that that extreme right-wing moralists can be proud of, as it posits a quintessentially American world of racial, intellectual, and sexual conformity." [1] Many compared the film unfavorably with The Breakfast Club, and many even called it a rip-off. Entertainment Weekly wrote the film off as being "like The Breakfast Club recast as a videogame for simpletons." [2] Likewise, Roger Ebert awarded the film zero stars out of four, the ultimate dishonor, calling the film "too palatable. It maintains a tone of light seriousness, and it depends on the caper for too much of its entertainment value." Ebert's review went on to point out that The Perfect Score was given a wide release, but that Better Luck Tomorrow, a similar film that received much more acclaim, was given a very limited release. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Slant Magazine is a non-commercial film and music review website. ... The Breakfast Club (1985) is a film written and directed by John Hughes. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Roger Ebert (right) with Russ Meyer, 1970 Roger Joseph Ebert (born June 18, 1942) is an Emmy Award-nominated American television personality, author, and film critic who began writing for the Chicago Sun-Times, every week since 1967. ... Better Luck Tomorrow is a 2002 drama directed by Justin Lin. ...

Financially, the film was unsuccessful as well. It opened in 2,208 theaters and grossd only $4.8 million, making for a small $2,207 per-theater average (By comparison, Better Luck Tomorrow opened in 12 theaters for a per-theater average of $27,751, and was also produced by MTV Films). Placing fifth over the weekend, the film saw sharp declines in following weeks and ended its domestic run with only $10.3 million (Worldwide, it grossed only $381,577 better). The film is also the twentieth highest-grossing MTV Films production. The film has not become much of a success on home video either. Better Luck Tomorrow is a 2002 drama directed by Justin Lin. ... MTV Films is the motion picture production arm of cable channel MTV. Originally founded in 1995, it has produced films based on MTV programs such as Beavis and Butt-head Do America and Jackass: The Movie, as well as other adaptations and original projects. ...

Trivia

• Darius Miles was recruited out of High school by St. Johns University to play basketball and elected instead to go pro. His character in the movie wanted to go pro and instead elected to go to St. Johns University.
• 'Mike Jarvis' plays himself as the head basketball coach at St. John's University. By the time the movie was released he had been fired as the university's head coach.
• It is impossible to actually steal a copy of the SATs because there are several versions. Everyone who takes it has different questions or the questions are in a different order.
• In one scene, Roy is watching Heat (1995).

Miles (right) poses with a fan. ... Mike Jarvis is a sports commentator and former NCAA basketball coach at Boston University, George Washington University, and St. ... St. ... Heat is a crime thriller/drama film released on December 15, 1995. ...

External link

• The Perfect Score at the Internet Movie Database
• Official website