SAY ANYTHING (1989) (PG-13)

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Written/Directed by:
Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire)

Starring:
John Cusack
Ione Skye
Lili Taylor
John Mahoney
Joan Cusack


For many girls, 1989's Say Anything is the movie that made them fall in love with John Cusack, forever.

John plays Lloyd Dobler, the sweetest guy in high school. You know the one. The guy everybody likes, but who never gets the girls (although both his best friends are female, of course).

When we meet loveable Lloyd, it's graduation time and, after months of agonizing over it, he's finally decided he's gonna ask Diane Court, the prettiest and smartest girl in school, out on a date. (If this sounds familiar it's because, for years, movies like Can't Hardly Wait have "borrowed" from this classic teen flick.)

Soon, having bucked all the odds, Lloyd, the loveable underachiever, and Diane, the perfect valedictorian, are caught up in a hot and heavy summer romance. Diane is blown away by Lloyd's sweetness, and she ignores her uptight father's disapproving warnings. But as Fall and all its responsibilities approaches, and Diane is accepted into a prestigious study program in England, things start to unravel. Will Lloyd's romantic gestures and sympathetic spirit be enough for Diane, or will she board that plane for Europe and leave him behind?

This flick is full of classic moments—some romantic and some hilarious. Indie queen, Lili Taylor, who plays the broken-hearted musician, Corey, will crack you up with her songs about her ex, Joe, ("Joe Lied" is particularly great) and the ever-awesome John delivers some unforgettable lines. My personal favorites: "She gave me a pen. I gave her my heart, and she gave me a pen." Also: "I'm looking for a dare-to-be-great situation." And, who can forget the image of a raincoat-clad Lloyd standing outside Diane's window, boom box raised over head blaring Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" in an attempt to win her heart? Classic. Totally classic.

So, if you're looking for a sweet and funny love story that's as good today as it was way back in 1989, check out Say Anything. Then you can join the John Cusack admiration society along with the rest of us and graduate on to "The Sure Thing."