Say Anything
Who could ever forget high school? Those awkward years full of uncertainty, of first loves, and "first times." Writer-director Cameron Crowe (Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Singles,, Jerry Maguire) hits right at the heart of those sometimes hilarious, sometimes tragic teenage years in his romantic comedy Say Anything. It'll transport you right back to those days with surprising authenticity, especially if you were in high school around the time the movie came out in 1989.
It's the story of an unlikely couple that falls in love against all odds. Diane Court, the class valedictorian, is a brainiac, unwittingly trapped "in the body of a game show hostess," who accidentally falls for a "simple" guy named Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) -- an underachiever with a heart of gold and an undaunted persistence to win her over.
Lloyd is sweet, fumbling, hopeful, vulnerable, and above all else, desperately enamored with the lovely Diane, played by Ione Skye, who hardly knows he's alive. At first he admires her from afar, until finally, on graduation day, he gets up the nerve to call her under the guise of congratulating her on the speech she delivered at the ceremony. After stroking her ego a bit, he asks her out to a party that night - for what would probably be the last hurrah of their high school lives. She goes, reluctantly at first, and even asks him if it'd be okay if she wanted to go home early. Undaunted, Lloyd seems oblivious to the fact that she is less than ecstatic about being his date.
As fate would have it, Lloyd is appointed "keymaster" by the party's host upon their arrival. Grudgingly, Lloyd performs his duties, which keep him from spending much time with Diane. The party lasts until the wee hours, and Lloyd and Diane spend the latter part of the night and early morning getting to know each other better. At some point toward the end of the night, Diane senses something charming in Lloyd, despite his rather dorky behavior. All of a sudden, they're spending virtually every waking moment together.
But there's one problem: Diane, being the star student, finds out she's earned a fellowship to study in England, and she ships out at the end of the summer. And to make matters worse, her father ("Frasier's" John Mahoney) is under investigation for tax fraud and might be imprisoned before summer's end. Can Diane and Lloyd stay together amidst the chaos of her life and future plans? And where does Lloyd fit in anyway?
This is one of John Cusack's most heartfelt and convincing performances, giving hope to lovestruck guys everywhere who think they'd never have a chance with the girl of their dreams. He scores big points in the romance department for one scene in particular, in which he "serenades" Diane under her window with a boom box and a tape of Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes."
It's one of the many classic John Cusack films that are practically a rite of passage for anybody on the brink of adulthood -- this is prime college classic material. And so is just about every other film Cusack did in the '80s, including Better Off Dead and The Sure Thing.
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There's no really compelling reason to get hammered while you watch this, but a glass or two of wine might set the mood nicely.
This would be a perfect first at-home date flick, sure to inspire romantic ardor in the hardest of hearts, especially the boom box scene. It's pretty much a sure thing.
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Buy this poster from allposters.com
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