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Say Anything (1989)

Don't Lose that Number

Say Anything is one of the best romantic comedies of the 1980s. Writer-Director Cameron Crowe (Singles, Jerry McGuire) presents a well-written story of two young people from completely different walks of life who discover the world in each other. Although that premise is slightly cliché, this movie transcends the ordinary and succeeds in communicating the love and passion of its characters.

At the center of the story are two intriguing figures: Diane Court (Ione Skye), the beautiful class valedictorian who has just won a prestigious fellowship to England, and Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack), the only member of his high school class who has no clear plans for the future. Lloyd thinks he might pursue a kick-boxing career instead of going to college ("It's the sport of the future," he tells Diane's father). While Mr. Court (a wonderfully raspy John Mahoney) sees Lloyd's lack of traditional ambition as a hindrance to Diane's academic potential, it becomes apparent that Lloyd's lack of focus is due less to his confusion about the future than to his interest in the present; he wants to explore and savor the moment he lives in, rather than blindly moving on to college.

When his relationship with Diane blossoms during the summer after graduation, Lloyd realizes what he wants to do with his life. He announces his intentions at an elegant dinner with Diane, Mr. Court, and Mr. Court's business associates. Lloyd tells Mr. Court that his plans for the future are "to spend as much time as possible with your daughter, sir." Mr. Court's inability to accept Lloyd, who wants only to devote himself to Diane, shows his hypocrisy: although he agrees with Lloyd that "Diane is great," he wants to keep her on the rigorous track that he has prepared for her.

The filmmaker's portrayal of the relationship between Diane and Lloyd is warm, honest, and, above all, tender. By the end of the movie, I felt intimately involved in their lives. Cusack's doe-eyed Lloyd is romantic in a most endearing way: he has a refreshing sensitivity and a willingness to explore aspects of himself typically gendered feminine by our society. Because Lloyd is unafraid of strong emotions, a friend of his (Lili Taylor), who has been so hurt by a guy named Joe that she has written over 60 bitter songs about him, sums up Lloyd's character: "You're not a guy, Lloyd. The world is full of guys. You're a man."

On a technical level, the film is surprisingly well-made. The dinner scene works particularly well. In a clever sequence, Diane and her father stand on either side of a seated Lloyd as they relate an anecdote. As Lloyd turns uncomfortably back and forth to hear them talk, Crowe cuts between their faces and Lloyd's, making the viewer feel as trapped between them as Lloyd appears to be. The film is filled with scenes in which Crowe creates similarly subtle comedic moments.

The subplot of Diane's relationship with her father has some interesting twists which keep the movie from becoming overly sentimental. Overall, this is a rich movie that will, I think, come to be recognized as one of the major films of its decade and genre. It reaches depths (and heights) of emotion rarely touched by most Hollywood movies.

Rating (1-5): 5.0
4/31/97
© Matthew K. Gold 1997

Say Anything (1989)
Written and Directed by Cameron Crowe
Starring John Cusack (Lloyd Dobler), Ione Skye (Diane Court), John Mahoney (James Court), Lili Taylor (Corey Flood), Amy Brooks (D.C.)
Rated PG-13.