Say Anything [M]

Underachiever, Lloyd Dobler has just graduated and now has the summer to spend as he wishes before he has to decide what to do with his life. With his mind on the now, Lloyd’s only plan for the summer is to spend as much as possible of it with straight-A student, Diane Court. Never in his dreams did he imagine that she would return his feelings and soon, the two enter into a romance: one that is threatened by the disapproval of Diane’s father. 

In his directorial debut, Cameron Crowe brought us a wonderfully simple and rather refreshing bit of 80s teen romance. Say Anything is a lovely and quaint little film that harbours some of the 80’s most iconic and romantic gestures, the most recognisable being the scene where Lloyd stands outside Diane’s window with a heartbroken expression on his face and a boom box held high above his head, playing Peter Grabiel’s “In Your Eyes”. That scene is enough to make a girl sigh. 

Underachiever, Lloyd Dobler has just graduated and now has the summer to spend as he wishes before he has to decide what to do with his life. With his mind on the now, Lloyd’s only plan for the summer is to spend as much of it as possible with straight-A student, Diane Court. Never in his dreams did he imagine that she would return his feelings and soon, the two enter into a romance: one that is threatened by the disapproval of Diane’s father. 

What sets Say Anything apart from other 80’s teen romance movies is that it is the hero who is the one who invests his time and emotions into the relationship, not the heroine. Pretty In Pink, Sixteen Candles and all those sorts of films focus on the girl doing everything she can to get the guy, but in Say Anything it’s the other way round, which makes this movie instantly refreshing and original. 

John Cusack stars as Lloyd and he played the part perfectly. His performance was heartfelt and sometimes spurted forth great moments of fairytale chivalry, but in general, it was really natural; something that the audience can really believe and relate to. Loved him. 

Starring Ione Skye, John Mahoney, Lili Taylor, Amy Brookes, Pamela Segall, Jeremy Piven, and Joan Cusack, Say Anything was a refreshingly original 80s teen movie that was filled with drama, complications, chivalry, and romance. It’s very subtle, but it’s really lovely and I enjoyed it.