"You have a credit card?"
"Yea, but my father specifically told me only to use it in case of an emergency."
"Well maybe one will come up."
The important question this movie attempts to answer is: Can a 19-year-old from Evanston, IL (John Cusack) and a 22-year-old from Berkeley (Daphne Zuniga) successfully convince us they are freshman college students at an Ivy League college falling in love? Seems to work, though I'm skeptical of Zunigas from Berkeley. Cusack is playing his "optimistic, charmingly loquacious" Cusack character—this one is not as appealing as Lloyd Dobbler of Say Anything, but he's still nerdy, half-honest, and charming. The Sure Thing is yet another Eighties young romance movie, this time it's a Rob Reiner college-romance-roadtrip vehicle. It's a cross-country journey of discovery which is actually a very sweet, almost innocent movie.
A clearer example of the Hollywood view of this country could scarcely be found: the weather is cold and the people on the East Coast are intellectually sophisticated; on the West Coast it's warm weather and socially sophisticated party animals; everybody in the middle is a backwards overweight depressed rapist hick wearing a cowboy hat. Beyond this small flaw, the movie is worth watching even if not recommended, a short sequence with Tim Robbins before he was Tim Robbins being memorable.
it is hard to believe that Cusack is closing in on 40. I liked Grifters myself. Strange movie and very dark.
ReplyDeleteDavid, I hope you enjoy. If you like this one, you'll definitely like Say Anything.
ReplyDeleteRobbins and Cusack are close. See Tapeheads. Better yet, don't.
ReplyDeleteThe stare down in The Player is a joke. As I recall, most of the east coast college scenes were filmed at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA.
First saw The Sure Thing with some friends (she from Stockton) at a drive-in in Oakland, CA. Tonight I'm with their sons. The older is driving me around. He has his permit. We're going to see Half Nelson in a bit. I leave for Washington next Sunday. My wife left 10 days ago and the furniture (computer, too) left on Monday.
John Cusack will always be younger than me.
Best.
Safe journey, Loner. And, hell, they are always younger, anymore.
ReplyDeleteThe Sure Thing is one of director Rob Reiner's best films. So many lousy teen sex comedies (ie. Private School) were released in the 1980s. This film is a treat.
ReplyDeleteThe Sure Thing is one of director Rob Reiner's best films. So many lousy teen sex comedies (ie. Private School) were released in the 1980s. This film is a treat.
ReplyDelete