<Tr> <Th> Box office </Th> <Td> $31,623,833 </Td> </Tr> <P> Can't Buy Me Love is a 1987 American teen romantic comedy feature film starring Patrick Dempsey and Amanda Peterson in a story about a nerd at a high school in Tucson, Arizona who gives a cheerleader $1,000 to pretend to be his girlfriend for a month . The film was directed by Steve Rash and takes its title from a Beatles song with the same title . </P> <P> Ronald Miller (Patrick Dempsey) is a typical high school nerd living in suburban Tucson, Arizona . He has spent all summer mowing lawns to save up for a telescope . At an opportune moment, he makes a deal with next - door neighbor and popular cheerleader Cynthia "Cindy" Mancini (Amanda Peterson). Cindy had borrowed an expensive suede outfit belonging to her mother (Sharon Farrell), without her permission, to wear to an end - of - the - summer / back - to - school party, and needs to replace it quickly after Quint (Cort McCown) accidentally spilled red wine on it at the party . Having few options, save for telling her mother the truth, Cindy reluctantly agrees to Ronald's proposal: he will give her $1000 to purchase a new suede outfit, and she will help him look "cool" by pretending to be his girlfriend for a month, even though she already has a boyfriend named Bobby (George Gray) who is away at his freshman year at the University of Iowa . Ronald feels that he can be a part of the popular crowd if they think Cindy is dating him . Both agree never to reveal their financial arrangement . </P> <P> Ronald then trades his nerdy, yet loyal, friends for the popular, but shallow, students, and undergoes a complete clothing and hair makeover under Cindy's direction . Over the course of the month, they discover each other's individuality and a bond develops organically between the two . Cindy soon starts to genuinely like Ronald and appreciates his company . As he washes her car at her house, she opens up to him, fetching a poem that she had written that means the world to her and letting Ronald read it . She gets to know him better as he reveals his interests in astronomy and space travel . They gaze at the moon and he tells her how, when they are their parents age, "people will be working there and living there...maybe even us ." On the last date which Ronald has "paid" for, Cindy hints that she would like to kiss Ronald, signifying that she has real feelings for him, but he misunderstands and assumes she wants to talk about ending their arrangement . They dramatically "break up" in front of a crowd at school, but Ronald takes things too far and says some hurtful things about Cindy in front of their friends . She becomes cool and distant, but warns him that popularity is hard work and he needs to make sure that he "stays (him) self". The next day, Cindy appears disgusted with Ronald when she sees him behaving arrogantly at school, and becomes jealous when she sees him flirting with her best friends Barbara (Tina Caspary) and Patty (Darcy DeMoss), whom he later takes out on dates . </P>

Who played bobby in can't buy me love