Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
78 of 83 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ding!, July 3, 2000
This is the movie I use to see if someone is worthwhile. "Do you love '...say anything'?" I'd say. If the answer is 'yes', then I have a friend for life. If the answer is 'no', then be gone with ye.This movie has many outstanding moments. Of course, there's the 'In Your Eyes' scene outside Diane's window. But I also love the moment where John Mahoney (who is great as always) breaks down in the bathtub. Or when Lloyd has his picture taken with Diane after graduation. "I gave her my heart and she gave me a pen". I could go on and on. In most romantic comedies, it is essential for me to fall in love with the girl as deeply as the boy does. Usually that's the kicker for me. This is the exception. I didn't fall in love with Diane Court. I don't blame this on Ione Skye - she did a great job with what she had. It's just that what she had is nothing spectacular. There's something cold and distant and unaware about Diane that I just can't wrap my head around. She is the kind of person I probably wouldn't think twice about. Come to think of it, she's the kind of person who probably wouldn't understand '...say anything'? Hmm. And you know what? None of that matters. Because I fell in love with Lloyd Dobler. One of my three all-time favourite screen characters (along with Hannibal Lecter and Max Fisher), Lloyd is a unique individual. He's confidant yet vulnerable, extroverted yet shy, pure yet complex. John Cusack does a great job here. He plays Lloyd with pitbull intensity (witness the kickboxing) and yet puppy dog emotion. His relationships with his friends and his sister and his nephew are all super sincere and beautiful. And just like his friends, I can totally see someone like Diane Court falling for someone like Lloyd Dobler. It's in the details, it is. He checks up on her at the party; he points out the broken glass; he teaches her to drive a stick; he eases her fears on the airplane. And that's why this movie is so great. Because even though I may not have fallen in love with Diane, I can still understand Lloyd's passion for her.
|
|
|
26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It still holds up, 20 years later..., August 26, 2000
It's been almost 20 years since I first saw this film -- despite widespread critical acclaim -- in an extremely uncrowded theater east of San Diego.
Perhaps because it lacked star voltage, perhaps because it lacked (at least back then) any recognizable household names, perhaps because it was strapped with a low budget yet enthusiastic TV ad campaign (compared to glowing newspaper ads published in L.A. and New York, which I clipped and still own, tinted brown with age) -- almost everyone I know who has seen this jewel -- never got to see it on the big screen. They caught it on video or on television.
The great news is everyone I know who has seen this film, fell in love with it.
Other reviewers have already done a terrific job discussing the machinations of the plot, the great acting, the fabulous, five-star ending ...that absolutely shatters you with joy and a sense of exhilaration that doesn't feel cheap or contrived. It feels earned, real, honest and true.
Some films are worth renting or seeing once and then perhaps catching up with few years later on television. But the story in "Say Anything..." hasn't aged at all, even though we're watching everything unfold based on objects and the perceptions of people in 1988 and 1989.
In my mind, there were only two GREAT films worthy of the Best Picture Oscar in 1989. It wasn't the winner that year ("Driving Miss Daisy"). And it wasn't the favorite to win that year ("Born on the Fourth of July"). My first choice was "Glory." My second was "Say Anything..." Neither film was nominated in the Best Picture category and neither film was a box office hit. But thanks to cable, both have since gained many fans.
So BUY this film. There's no need to "test screen" it first. You won't be sorry.
|
|
|
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
At long last, on DVD..., April 3, 2002
This is quite simply my favorite movie about teenagers. What sets it apart from the rest of the pack is the fact that it's realistic and doesn't rely on horny teenagers a la "Porky's" to get laughs. This is a true, genuine film about kids in love.The brilliant John Cusack stars as Lloyd Dobler, who asks out the class brain, Diane Court (played by Ione Skye) the day after graduation. A unique relationship begins, complicated by Diane's overprotective father, her impending move to England and Lloyd's general lack of direction. It's hilarious and moving at the same time. There's a reason why this has become a cult classic. There are so many great moments. Lloyd's friend Cory singing all her songs about Joe; Lloyd's speech about kick boxing; Joe badly singing a Whitney Houston song at the graduation ceremony; Lloyd's meeting with the guys at the Gas'n'Sip; Lloyd's first "photo op" with Diane; and so on. Those of you who think crap like "She's All That" constitutes an honest, funny movie about high school...think again. This is the real deal. The DVD is worth the wait...there's wonderful audio commentary from Cameron Crowe, John Cusack and Ione Skye; featurettes, deleted scenes, extended scenes and much more. If you're a fan of this movie or are discovering it for the first time, check it out. If you love the work of director Cameron Crowe or anything John Cusack has ever starred in, check it out. "High Fidelity" fans will eat this up. What are you waiting for?
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
DVD ~ John Cusack
DVD ~ Molly Ringwald
DVD ~ John Cusack
DVD ~ Eric Stoltz
DVD ~ Molly Ringwald
DVD ~ Amy Brooks
