Since everything is so overwhelming right now, I think we need a little break! In that spirit, I’m going to cut to the chase today: I love John Cusack. The biggest reason for that love is a little movie called Say Anything… so, here’s the Bitchin’ Bio.
Release Date: April 14, 1989
Synopsis: Endearing high school senior Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) is infatuated with the class valedictorian—beautiful, kind, well-to-do Diane Court (Ione Skye). After their graduation, he works up the nerve to ask her out to a party. While Lloyd has been interested in Diane for a while, it is clear from their first date that Diane is falling fast. Her divorced father, Jim (John Mahoney), with whom she has an incredibly close relationship, does not approve of Lloyd. As Lloyd and Diane’s relationship grows over the summer, Jim comes under investigation by the IRS. Diane is caught in the middle: Should she continue to be the perfect daughter to the father who may have been lying to her for her entire life, or should she follow her heart and go all in with Lloyd?
Degrees of Kevin Bacon: 2. Say Anything was written and directed by Cameron Crowe (his directorial debut!). Cameron Crowe also wrote, directed, and produced Singles (1992), which features Kyra Sedgwick. Sedgwick and Bacon have been married since 1988.
Come For: While the boombox scene has been parodied over and over, it doesn’t go the way those parodies would make you think it does.
Had I Seen It? I can’t count the number of viewings, but it has to be in the double digits. There have been times when I’ve been exhausted, and I’ve thought I was just putting it on as background noise to fall asleep, but then I’ve accidentally stayed up until the wee hours of the morning finishing it.
Do I Like It? Say Anything is one of my favorite movies. It is endlessly quotable. It strikes a balance of humor and emotion that not all “high school movies” do. You want to root for the love between Lloyd and Diane and believe that maybe it really will last. The film doesn’t just deal with high school, but also the real-life problems of the adult world beyond. I love it, and despite what some reviewers may say today, I love Lloyd Dobler, whose heart is always in the right place.
Until next week, Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you have a safe and fun couple of days off. Though there is a lot going on in the world and at school, it is important to remember Lloyd’s immortal words once in a while: “You must chill!”
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