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Say Anything...
1989 100 min United States of America PG-13 12+
★7.8
Romance, Comedy, Drama
Director: Cameron Crowe
Trailers
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Description
Average student and eternal optimist Lloyd Dobler seeks to capture the heart of Diane Court, a beautiful but unattainable valedictorian classmate. He surprises just about everyone - including himself - when she returns the sentiment. However, Diane's divorced, over-protective father soon begins to disapprove of the match, and Lloyd realises that it's going to take more than just the power of love to conquer all.
Budget:
$16M
US Gross:
$20.78M
Worldwide:
$20.04M
Starring
John Cusack
Actor
Ione Skye
Actor
John Mahoney
Actor
Awards
1 win & 3 nominations total
Key opinion
Say Anything... is widely regarded as a thoughtful, sincere, and refreshing subversion of 1980s teen rom-com tropes. While a minority of viewers find the pacing slow or the narrative overly simple, most praise the film for its nuanced emotional depth, naturalistic performances, and its honest, non-cynical portrayal of first love.
| Acting | John Cusack anchors the film with a compelling, earnest, and deeply human portrayal of Lloyd Dobler | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay subverts traditional genre cliches by focusing on a nuanced, realistic exploration of devotion and parental manipulation rather than standard romantic tropes | |
| Emotion | The film maintains a grounded, sincere emotional tone that avoids the vulgar humor typical of the era's youth-oriented movies | |
| Direction | The restrained direction successfully captures the subtle transitions of young adulthood and the complexities of familial bonds | |
| Pacing | The deliberate, atmospheric pacing is appreciated by those who value contemplative storytelling, while others find the film boring and slow-moving |