Surprisingly incoherent and boring

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

There are several small things that go into creating chemistry between actors/characters on screen, and in Cameron Crowe's debut, it seemed he had already mastered them. "Say Anything" has a small story and a handful of perfectly cast roles that are held together by wonderful writing in a movie that could've earned its keep for another hour.In "Say Anything" we see a couple of different, but very important, things that aren't at all standard fare. John Cusack as Lloyd Dobler, the lead, is unspeakably good. There is a nuance he brings with the character, a tick, a flinch that brings it to life. He's playing an ordinary guy, maybe a little too ordinary in some aspects, with some caveats we get reminded of a couple times throughout the picture. He wasn't one of the popular guys in school, wasn't a straight-A student, wasn't an athlete - it's the lack of titles and the usual stigmas with them that helps define this unique performance and character.Cusack is aided by a seemingly on-the-surface quiet performance on the other end by Ione Skye's Diane Court. While Cusack's character is relatable in that something about him applies to most males and the story is really, for the most part, told through his lenses, we see a likeness in Skye's Diane, we've known someone like her before. Her character is more of the distant type, close family ties and kept her head down and focused on her grades while her peers, including Lloyd, were out socializing. When we're introduced to her in the early stages, she's almost only something to be admired, and perhaps she'd stay that way if Crowe didn't write her so many important scenes and give her so many crucial moments that craft her character.There are a handful of moments in great movies that act as crucial moments for character without someone telling the audience how they should feel or how they should think. See Luke Skywalker looking up into the sky in "New Hope" or the look on Kay's face at the ending of "The Godfather." These moments say all about the characters that we need to know with no exposition, and there's a select few in "Say Anything." While the boombox scene is memorable, the moment that stands apart above all, and quite closely resembles the record store scene in "Before Sunrise", involves Lloyd teaching Diane how to drive her new car. In this scene, the audience catches its breath for a moment before seeing a crescendo of emotion between the characters with no words except for driving instructions. The subtle smiles on the character's faces and the culmination of the goodwill of their time spent is nothing short of infectious, and crucial."Say Anything" offers a lot more than its peers. While it does follow, closely, to the "boy meets girl" pattern that's tried and true, it makes enough safe, smart, and heartfelt moves and creates a few moments of great cinema along the way that it has more than stood the test of time. John Cusack portrays an earnest character that is important to show on screen because of his vulnerability and his believability, and Ione Skye acts perfectly as not only the apple of his eye, but delivers her own important messages as well through her actions and her beliefs, she's strong in a way that makes her character delightfully lovable and real in the same steps.Cameron Crowe created a wonderful time capsule of human growth, in an important time of two different but lovable characters' lives. Assisted with a catchy and timeless soundtrack, Crowe created a crown jewel of the romance genre that has a whole lot to say, and it wouldn't without his knack for good conversations, important character choices, meaningful scenes, and a whole lot of chemistry between two wonderfully written characters.

"Say Anything" is a coming of age film of the late 1980s with a couple of twists. It's billed as a comedy, drama and romance, but the amount of comedy hardly qualifies it for that It's a coming of age drama and romance. Both of the lead characters come from broken homes. John Cusack is Lloyd Dobler who doesn't have any particular plans for a future. Ione Skye is Diane Court who has just won a cherished fellowship to study in England. The story takes place over the summer after high school graduation. It takes place in California somewhere along the coast.Besides the twist of different educational outlooks of the two leads, Diane's father will soon go to prison for fraud. The IRS case is solid against him. This movie is different from the usual high school films of the mid to late 20th century that focused on rebellious teens or the raucous and crass behavior of cliques. The language is clean, and there isn't any vandalism, violence or mayhem. We know early on that it will be a romance between two young people who are near opposites. The plot is okay but seems disjointed at times. The story is somewhat slow going. The acting of the principals is good, not so much so for some of the younger supporting cast. Cusack had a dozen movies behind him by the time of this film and was 23 years old. Still, he looked high school age. Skye, on the other hand, was new to filmdom with only three films ahead of this one. And, she was right on the age – 18. She even shows a little of a teen face that had some skin problems that are common around that age. It's a credit to the studio that it didn't try to cover this up with makeup. The ending is a little far-fetched. The only bit of comedy that stood out was a line uttered by a girl in a discussion with Lloyd and another girl. She was referring to Diane when she said, "She's a brain with a body of game show hostess."Watching this film just now in my senior years, for the first time it struck me that movies about teenagers are no longer very interesting or entertaining to me. Perhaps a younger audience would enjoy it more.

Say Anything (1989): Dir: Cameron Crowe / Cast: John Cusack, Ione Skye, John Mahoney, Lili Taylor, Joan Cusack: In the dusk of a decade comes one of the best teen romances ever filmed. Cameron Crowe's observant teen portrayals involves honesty and communication. It stars John Cusack as a high school graduate who makes cash teaching kick boxing, and lives with his sister, herself a mother. Ignoring any career prospects, he sets his sights on a brainy valedictorian, played by Ione Skye who is set to fly to England with a scholarship. She is asked out via phone by Cusack, whom she vaguely remembers, but her acceptance leads to a romance, security and freedom she never knew, even during a drunken party. Her parents are divorced and she lives with her father, played by John Mahoney, who runs a nursing home where he is investigated on charges of pocketing the cash of those in his care. The screenplay has funny moments where Cusack expresses himself as he does, but the serious undertones are convicting with solid performances by all three principal actors as well as Lili Taylor as Cusack's love sick friend who once attempted suicide. Now she writes songs about the guy who dumped her. Joan Cusack plays John's sister, which plays in effect as real siblings. Crowe is an expert observer of relationships, both young and old and the bonds that remain even after devastation. Score: 10 / 10

It's graduation at a Seattle high school. Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) vows to go out with Diane Court (Ione Skye). His friends Corey Flood (Lili Taylor) explain to Lloyd that she's a brain and they won't fit. He's living with his single mom sister Constance (Joan Cusack). She's the valedictorian on her way to England with a hard won scholarship. Her only friend is her father Jim (John Mahoney) who owns a nursing home. She regrets being detached from her schoolmates and is intrigued with Lloyd. Her father disapproves of Lloyd and the slacker distraction he represents.This is one of the most sincere of the teen rom-com genre. It's more than the iconic boombox scene. John Cusack seems perfectly fitted to play this charming nice guy. He has great friends and he's a perfect gentleman. He's like a prince charming and it's completely believable that Diane would fall heavily for Lloyd. Written and directed by Cameron Crowe, this movie takes the genre seriously which often easily falls into broad slacker comedy.