Awh, this film is cute, you know. I wouldn't say it's amazing but for what it is, it's entertaining, I cared about the characters and I got frustrated when the plot didn't go the way I wanted it to. I wanna give this a rewatch now I know the plot so I can appreciate the other things which I don't think I did enough of i.e. music, side characters, acting etc. I was just in the mood to watch an old-school romance and that's what I got. The boombox scene (which is all I knew about this movie) wasn't as WHOAH as I expected but maybe that's what's so great about it, is that it wasn't a big overblown plot point but it still has a place in lots of audiences hearts. I think this could be a regular go-to film for me. John Cusack is a little cutie and his hopeless romantic character is a believable and real performance. As is Diane Court who's family struggles bring an unexpected struggle to the couple. The ending is so heart-warming and leaves you wanting a little bit more but that's what you want from a film. You're put in the characters shoes. You're happy and got what you want with the couple but you have no idea what's round the corner, just hope and love.
This isn't the best "high school movie" i've seen but it's still really good and has layers unlike most movies in this genre so it was a nice surprise. John Cusack and Ione Skye are both great.
Finally caught up with this one. I've been a sucker for early John Cusack movies ever since I saw 'The Sure Thing'. This wasn't quite as good but had several laugh out loud moments, a great cast, some very tender lines and a nice pay off that doesn't wander on the wrong side of sentimental.
Teenage Love. They don't make movies like these anymore.
I finally watched this movie for the first time, and it actually exceeded my expectations. This will definitely be one of the movies at the top of the list for my wife and I when we are in the mood for a good romance drama. Even out side of that, this movie had a lot packed into it, from the story, to the journey of the story, and all the different characters and their dynamics.
Say Anything is a 1980s high school film starring John Cusack, who plays Lloyd, and Ione Skye, who plays Diane. Lloyd is not particularly smart and doesn’t know what he wants to do with his life, but he has charisma, is a gentleman, and is good with people. Diane is a beautiful high school valedictorian with dreams of attending Oxford, but relatively unknown because of her focus on studies. Two very different people from two very different worlds. However, Lloyd musters up the courage and asks Diane out over the phone (her dad picks up in a comedic conversation). The two fall in love in this charming, clever, fresh film. It avoids the typical cliches and leaves you happy with a satisfying touching feeling of closure. Both characters are also very likable, innocent, and full of life. Cusack and Skye were meant to play their respective roles and together. That chemistry is wonderful from start to finish.
Would I recommend it? Yes. I think it is a very much underrated gem. One of the top 5 high school films of the 1980s.
The always fresh presence of John Cusack stands out.
Very different from any romcom I've seen, & that was 1989! Wow.
They don't make teen movies like these anymore. For starters, they never take place right after the end of high school. And they all go for the constant, cheap jokes.
John Cusack stars in Cameron Crowe’s ‘80s cult classic Say Anything... A typical teen rom-com, the story follows a high school valedictorian who’s been sheltered for most of her life, but when she falls for a young man over the summer she begins to question her priorities. Co-starring Ione Skye, Lili Taylor, John Mahoney, and Eric Stoltz, the cast is rather interesting and the performances are pretty good. However, it’s Cusack’s charisma that really sells the film and makes the romance work. There are some weaknesses in the script though, as a couple of the subplots don’t seem to further the main story arc. Yet while there are a few problems here and there, overall Say Anything... is an entertaining and heartfelt teen comedy.
For what it’s worth maybe this movie has been hyped up over the years for me in a way that ultimately I was expecting the epitome of teenage romance cinema. The storyline isn’t bad, it’s handled sloppily at times and the acting at times can be kind of cringe. Truly I wonder if it that was a directorial flaw or if the characters were just never given enough material or room to develop. John Cusack’s character would be charming enough for me if the majority of the characters around him didn’t hammer in the fact that “he’s a nice guy” etc the first 30 mins of the movie. I really enjoyed seeing John Mahoney, besides seeing him sulk in a bathtub (just logistically, sulking in a dry bathtub sounds better on paper than it does filmed, at least here it does) him screaming “I’m incarcerated” was probably some of the best acting in the whole movie. The story line of John Mahoney embezzling funds and such, it worked for me until it started to feel like as if he was being incarcerated more for not believing in his daughters new relationship than it did because he committed tax fraud. All in all... the cheesiness factor set aside, I completely understand how this would make a great make out movie.
The only thing that makes this movie memorable is the iconic holding the boombox overhead and even that isn't that special in the movie.
I really enjoyed this film, knew nothing about it before watching, but am so glad I did. Great characters & a great, low-key storyline.
Shout by DeletedBlockedParent2014-02-12T00:07:00Z
Diane Court: Nobody thinks it will work, do they?
Lloyd Dobler: No. You just described every great success story.
This has been on my watchlist since forever! I regret not have seen it sooner because I loved it! This is one of the most realist romantic comedies that I ever saw! Has the certain dose of humour, drama and romance without the chance of being too corny. It's clever and very honest and not full of clichès like we used to see in this kind of films.
John Cusack and Ione Skye have a great chemistry and their love story feels very real. The supporting performances are also amazing.
Twenty five years have passed since Say Anything... went out and I can totally affirm that it is for sure one of the best romantic films ever made. Just wonderful!