Product Details

• Actors: John Cusack, Daphne Zuniga, Anthony Edwards, Boyd Gaines, Tim Robbins
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0), French (Dolby Digital 2.0)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Polygram/Usa Home Entertaiment
• Run Time: 94 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (107 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6305181381
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #329,123 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Sure Thing" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Two mismatched college students (John Cusack and Daphne Zuniga) find themselves trapped together during a cross-country road trip, trying to make it home for the holidays. She can't stand him, and he just wants to get to L.A., where a sexy "sure thing" is waiting to greet him with open arms. It's not hard to predict where this sweetly old-fashioned romantic comedy is going to end up, but along the way there are many pleasures to be had. Director Rob Reiner, in his second feature (after This Is Spinal Tap), has a nice eye for the kitschy flotsam found along the American highway, and his identification with the college kids doesn't condescend to them one bit. The movie helped make a star of John Cusack, who gives a delightfully spritzy performance--kind of a precursor to his similarly energetic, likable turn in Say Anything. Given the usual crass tenor of Hollywood college movies, The Sure Thing is something to treasure. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic Romantic Comedy Road Trip Flick(my favorite genre), November 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Sure Thing [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I'm looking for my own copy of this movie because it is one of my all-time favorites...comfort food for my soul. I can be totally down in the dumps and all I need is to see this movie. It never fails to lift my spirits and make me laugh, no matter how many times I've seen it. I can recite every word of the script by now. I'm tired of renting it, though--now I want to own it! Cusack is brilliant. It was the first time I ever saw him, and I've been a devoted fan ever since. Rob Reiner and everyone in the cast did such a great job--I love all the scenes with Tim Robbins. I was in college when this came out and just to demonstrate its timeless appeal--I can show it to current college-aged people and they love it too! About the only thing that dates the movie besides a few 80s expressions like "excellent" is Anthony Edwards' exhilaration about using a cordless phone by the pool! The humor, heart and romance of this movie continue to be au courant, due to great writing, acting and direction.

My favorite (and oft-quoted line): "Spontaneity has its time and its place!"

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great movie, great DVD - lots-o-features!, March 29, 2004

By 

Robert Anderson (Pacific Northwest) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Sure Thing (Special Edition) (DVD)

This movie is a cult-classic in my (wife's) family, so we've all seen it a dozen times or more. Sure, people will dismiss this movie as a teen, lightweight, romantic comedy. Maybe it is, but it's also hillarious and well acted and packed with lines that you'll find yourself quoting throughout life ("we speak each others unspoken language, - fluently"). Personally, I think this is John Cusak's best acting role ever. Even the smaller parts (such as Tim Robbins' are hillarious).

Additionally, this DVD has great features. For example you can watch in either widescreen or normal mode. You also have the option of turning on the director's (Rob Reiner) commentary so you can listen to him speak over the movie giving his comments on the actors, scenes, etc. There's also a trivia feature that will play the movie while popping up little triva-blurbs on each screen. There are also "featurettes" that discuss the casting, wardrobe, etc.

Some DVD's are simply the VHS movie put on a different media, but this one is packed with great features - plus it's a great movie!

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "A sure thing comes once in a lifetime..., April 17, 2005

By 

Emily Todd (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sure Thing (Special Edition) (DVD)

but the real thing lasts forever."

Rob Reiner's classic 1985 teen comedy, "The Sure Thing", features one of John Cusack's first starring roles as Gib Gibson, an early performance by the very young and beautiful Daphne Zuniga as Alison Bradbury, and a bizarre appearance by Tim Robbins in one of his first films as well. Though this is a movie of firsts for its soon-to-be-famous cast, the story is not particulary original nor inventive. In fact, it is downright predictable. Within the first five minutes, you will know exactly how things are going to end up. Yet the beauty of this film is the sweet, funny, romantic, and old-fashioned ride that it takes in order to bring you to that oh-so-predictable ending.

This is a film that has exquisitely stood the test of time. As a matter of fact, if you hold it up to the majority of romantic comedies churned out by Hollywood during the 90's and onwards, one will find that this is a truly charming film. Modern romantic comedy hits such as "She's All That", "Down to You", "10 Things I Hate About You", "Head Over Heels", and "Never Been Kissed" provide excellent juxtaposition to the near genre-perfection of this film.

Alison: What are you doing?
Gib: I'm going to bed.
Alison: Not with me you're not.
Gib: I'm not going to bed with you, I'm going to bed in a bed you happen to be in also.