Say Anything...

Plot synopsis:
It is graduation day, 1988, for a Seattle high school. Lloyd Dobler tells his girl friends Corey and DC that he is going to ask out class valedictorian Diane Court. They tell him he is crazy, because she is a "brain" and he is not.As Diane is getting driven to graduation by her father, she is practicing her speech. Her father, James, is extremely supportive, telling her that it is funny and everyone is bound to love it.At graduation, Diane's speech is a bit of a bomb. Nobody laughs and the only people in the audience who appear to be interested in it are Lloyd and Diane's father. In the speech, she talks about how she is fearful of the future. Lloyd keeps telling his friends about how much he loves Diane's eyes.After graduation, we see Diane receive a new car from her father as a graduation present. Meanwhile, Lloyd gets his friends to take a photograph of him as he walks behind Diane.Later that day, Lloyd gets the courage to call Diane. He invites her to a graduation party, and much to his surprise she agrees, even though it is unclear if she even remembers who he is. After the phone call, she is shown looking into her yearbook, and expressing surprise when she sees Lloyd's picture.Shortly afterwards, Diane's father gets a letter explaining that Diane has won a fellowship that will allow her to go to university in England. She will therefore be leaving in 16 weeks. Apparently this fellowship is only given to one student in America, so this is a huge honor.Lloyd picks her up for the party wearing a khaki trench coat. She is wearing a white skirt and matching blazer with a purple flower in her hair. Lloyd meets Diane's father and is very gentlemanly and polite.Upon arrival at the party, people are intrigued by the fact that Lloyd has shown up with Diane Court. It appears as if this is the first time that Diane has ever socialized with anyone, and they seem pleased that she showed up. It seems that while her classmates admired her, very few know her level at all. Lloyd is given the task of "keymaster", which means he has to spend the entire party holding a bag of car keys; he can only give them back to the drivers if they are sober.Diane and Lloyd do not spend the party next to each other, but at various points, Lloyd does check up on Diane, which she seems somewhat pleased by. When the party ends, there is one kid who is too drunk to drive. Diane and Lloyd drive him home, but it takes them three hours to find the guy's house. Lloyd doesn't end up delivering Diane home until dawn. The two do not kiss on this first "date", and her father is not upset by the late return, because she had called him while at the party to let him know where she was.It is clear by this point, that Diane likes Lloyd more than anyone might have expected. They arrange a second date: a dinner party with Diane's father and some of his colleagues from a senior citizen home, which he manages.Lloyd's friend Corey tells him to keep his mouth shut during dinner, which he mostly seems to do. At one point, Diane and her father tell a story about when Diane tried to board a plane once, but got so scared that her father had to tell the pilot to turn the plane around before it took off. Lloyd remarks that he is amazed by the closeness of Diane and her father: that he has nothing like that in his life. When asked what his dreams are for the future, however, he disappoints the adults by not having any ambitious dreams. He tells them that he just wants to spend as much time as possible with Diane and is interested in kickboxing.Midway through the dinner, two men come to the door to inform Mr. Court that he is under investigation from the IRS. He gets agitated and tells them to visit him at his office.The film progresses with scenes showing us that Lloyd and Diane are gradually getting more and more friendly with each other. At the same time, it is clear that there is a considerable stress surrounding the IRS investigation.Diane tells Lloyd that she is just too stressed out to get into anything deep with Lloyd. They agree to be "friends with potential."This status changes while Lloyd is teaching Diane how to drive stick shift. She is barely catching on, but enjoying the process. At one point, the two get quite close and Lloyd plants a kiss on her, which she accepts. They kiss a few more times and then decide to drive to somewhere more private.Eventually, we see Diane and Lloyd parked in Lloyd's car by the sea. The two appear to have had sex underneath some blankets in the back seat. Diane remarks how Lloyd is shaking. She thinks it is because he is cold, but he explains it is because he is so happy. On the radio is Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes". She tells him to listen to the song, because it is so nice.In the morning, Diane arrives home to a dad who is quite upset with her. Unlike the previous all-nighter, she failed to call him this time around. At this point she mentions how she feels free to "say anything" to her dad, and so tells her dad everything about her and Lloyd's relationship. She explains that she first wanted to avoid doing anything serious like sex with him, but in the end, she decided to go for it. While her father isn't upset at her, he clearly isn't thrilled to be hearing this from his daughter.This added strain between Diane and her father seems too much for her to handle. Her father suggests that she break up with Lloyd, to help make her life simpler. He suggests that she could give him something for him to remember her by, such as a pen, which he gives her.Next time we see Diane and Lloyd driving around, she breaks up with him. She is clearly upset about doing this, but goes through with it, and does give him the pen before exiting his car.Lloyd is quite upset. He leaves seven messages on her machine and in what is the iconic scene, stands outside her bedroom window playing Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" from a boom box which he holds above his head. Diane hears this, but only lies in her bed.Lloyd calls her one more time. We watch as Diane and her father listen to Lloyd's message. From Diane's reaction, it is clear that she is still very much attracted to Lloyd. Her father tells her to just pick up the phone, but she replies that if she did, she would just get back together with Lloyd. Eventually, she can't resist and picks up the phone, but just as Lloyd hangs up.By now the IRS investigation is heating up. Diane goes to the investigator's offices and demands that someone tell her what is going on. The man tells her that they believe that Mr. Court has been stealing money from the residents at the senior home when they die. He then hides the money in the form of cash and collectibles in the house. Diane is shocked and does not believe it.She goes home and starts searching the house for the supposed cash. Meanwhile, we the audience are able to see that the house is filled with the kinds of collectibles that the investigator tells her about. Prominently displayed is a Wurlitzer jukebox, which we previously learned cost Mr. Court $9,000. There is a Persian rug, and Diane stops to notice the fancy ring that her dad gave her as a graduation present. Eventually she opens up an antique box that her dad kept in his office, and discovers a stash of thousands of dollars.She confronts her dad, who tries to deny it. She is angry that, while she always told her father "anything" he is unwilling to come clean. He breaks down and admits that he was taking their money. He tries to justify it by saying that it was all done for the sake of Diane.While Lloyd is engaged in a kickboxing training match at the gym, Diane comes by to ask for forgiveness. She tells him that she loves him.Meanwhile, we see two lawyers negotiate a deal. Mr. Court will be fined and serve a year of prison time, starting immediately.We next see Lloyd meeting Mr. Court in prison. Diane is in the car, while Lloyd hands over a letter. It appears as if Diane is about to go to England. Surprisingly, we also learn that Lloyd is going to go to England with her.Eventually, Diane comes out of the car and does finally hug her father goodbye. Before leaving, she tells him to write her, and leaves the pen she had previously given Lloyd in her father's hands.The film ends with Diane and Lloyd on a plane together. A previous scene in the film indicated that Diane has never flown, and is very fearful of the experience. Lloyd tries to calm her down by telling her that most accidents happen in the first minutes of a flight. As soon as the "fasten seatbelt" sign goes off and a "ding" sounds, though, he tells her that everything is OK. The two are shown holding hands anxiously awaiting the ding. At the point that we hear the ding, the screen goes black, and the credits roll.

Tags: cult, entertaining, romantic

Review:
He doesn't try to make John and Ione look and feel "hot", he lets them continue to play young adults, who would by all rights still be awkward, nervous, testing the waters of life, love, and trust.In a brilliant parallel, we learn of Diane's relationship with her father Jim (John Mahoney) which she has always been sure of, even when she needed to chose between her parents after their divorce.
John Mahoney portrays the over protective Father very well, and his understated struggle when he realises this is superbly done.Cameron Crowe has excelled himself in capturing the feelings and moments that you can so easily identify with to make them just right, and seem so natural.It's a wonderfully written film, with equal acting, to remind us all of falling in love for the first time without all the hurt, mistrust and disbelief in oneself.
Not only do John Cusack and Ione Skye have perfect chemistry; not only is John Mahoney's character one of the most complicated father figures in the history of film; not only is the screen play delightfully honest; but everything just seems to fit right in this movie.
A Seattle high-school graduate with no apparent future, tired and for most part abandoned Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) sets his sights on the lovely Diane Court (Ione Skye), the class valedictorian, whom he had a chance encounter with at the town mall.
After numerous valiant attempts and apparent successes, the two fall in love; however, while Lloyd is head over heels, Diane seems hesitant to maintain their relationship considering her recent fellowship at an acclaimed university and her father's trouble with the Internal Revenue Service.
The romance between Cusack's Lloyd and Skye's Diane, although seemingly coming from out of nowhere, is still palpable and, as far as teen romance is concerned, very believable, and writer-director Cameron Crowe's bizarre and motor-mouthed dialogue perfectly suits the character of Lloydl; however, most of the scenes are stolen by John Cusack in what likely is his best performance to date; he fumbles over his words to accentuate the attitude of his character, and there are other moments when Cusack suddenly becomes the ultimate hero, even more involving than Rocky Balboa or Luke Skywalker at times; through the climax of the film it seems impossible not to root for Cusack, particularly the iconic scene forever cemented in teen movie history in which Lloyd stands outside of Diane's house next to his car, holding a boom box over his head and blasting Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" with a look of desperate heartache and lost pride on his face.
Simply by avoiding sappy moments, by creating a script that more or less mirrors the bittersweet experience of first love, and by simply, but tastefully guiding the film's visuals and outstanding acting."Say Anything" is not completely anti-conventions, and actually uses some wildly popular rom-com conventions to its advantage, but the role reversal (Dobbler being the 'lost' one), interjection of successfully genuine drama, and simple, understated romantic moments make this a wild success.
I mean, the over-the-top gestures like the stereo outside the window do occur in reality, and they guys who do them usually are just like Lloyd Dobbler.Great characters, a great cast, really good writing, and simple but solid direction make this a real winner that is deservedly recognized as a romantic classic.8.5/10.
This movie is about truthfulness and it's liberating qualities and also about the price one pays for success or greatness.Diane Court is the valedictorian and the "most likely to succeed" in her high school.
The unambitious teenager Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) has a crush on the gorgeous bookworm Diane Court (Ione Skye) and decides to invite her to date him in the high-school graduation party and she accepts.
I liked him a lot better when he was an extra in John Hughes' movies.It's no wonder the girl's dad didn't want him around - what dad would want a 19 year old loser who's career goal is to be a kick boxer or his daughter's full time boyfriend to follow his daughter to England where she's going to be studying at a prestigious university?
Like when Loyd and Diane make love for the very first time(for each of them as well)  loyd begins shaking and though he tries to deny he is, and then says its because he is happy that you see one of the reasons the movie is so great.
A smart film that treats all of its characters as real people - adults and kids - something very rare especially in teen focused comedies - the result is a very well done and involving movie with great performances and a high romance factor.
The characters brought on upon John Cusack and Ione Skye (Lloyd & Diane) at the ritual ages of 22 & 18 gives you a sense of wonderment that gave these youngsters with such a sense of accomplishment to their acting capabilities and give us a straight forward way to render in such characters as the ones they were approached too.
Predictable requirements you are trying harbor into this film is brought up so wrong because you are shown with surplus storytelling with no cliché's in sight, the story gives you encouragement to root for the main characters of Lloyd and Diane because you just know these two are mean't for one another and you don't want them to see them give up.
Diane (Ione) may make you want to throw something at the screen at times for not grasping how truly special her relationship is with Lloyd, but it's the fact that you feel impassioned enough to actually throw something that shows you really do care about the fate of these characters.
Beyond the care this film evokes from the audience for the characters, "Say Anything" also includes one of the all time greatest scenes of any love story (or any movie, for that matter) ever created.
When he's in a good, even great, role as he is here, the pleasures he brings are endless.The so true tagline of the movie is: "To know Lloyd Dobler is to love him.
(Diana also retells a story in the film of how she screamed so loud that she and her father made a plane turn around -- in The Simpsons, it's actually shown.)In this, one of the great romantic-teen-comedies -- a masterwork, and Crowe's crowning achievement with "Almost Famous" trailing close behind -- it's great fun getting to know Lloyd Dobler.****.
It stars John Cusack, one of this generation's most interesting actors, as Lloyd Dobler, a kick boxing grad who decides to call up the cutest girl in school just because it feels like the right thing to do.
The performance that keeps you watching the screen throughout the movie is Cusack's, because his mind keeps working; you get the sense that Lloyd has a lot more to say, but is far too interested in Diane to focus on anything else.
Some wonderfully warm and funny moments.The story and direction are a bit rough around the edges, but that adds to the charm of the movie, making it feel more realistic.Great work by John Cusack and Ione Skye in the lead roles.To crown it all, Say Anything gave us one of cinema's most iconic moments: John Cusack standing with a beat-box above his head outside Ione Skye's window, while Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" is pumped out.
Lloyd Dobler is one of the great youth characters in film; punk, romantic, popular, sweet, poetic, and cool, he defies easy categorization yet remains believable through the brilliant writing and Cusack's natural presence.
Say Anything tells the story of Lloyd, a well mannered 19 year old who lives in the now, and Diane, a valedictorian with everything good coming her way, and how a relationship like that may blossom over the course of the summer before college.Some may shrug at the fact that Lloyd may have no business in being with a girl of her stature, but the film does a nice job of making the romance believable.
Knowing that the film isn't all that unpredictable, I should have guessed certain things would happen, but I felt like the last third of the movie felt too much like all the other Hollywood films.There are a lot of classic Crowe moments like when Lloyd is constantly getting advice from his close girlfriends or even his guy friends, so there's no shortage of laughs or fun moments.
'Say Anything' is a comedy-romance film about high school graduate, Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) who tries to win over the girl of his dreams, Diane Court (Ione Skye).
The school is out for Lloyd Dobler, a mediocre Seattle student.He wants to go out with Diane Court, an intelligent valedictorian girl.Diane doesn't have much of a social life, and she lives with her divorced father Jim.Going out with Lloyd Dobler changes her life, and eventually the two of them are in love.She has just won a major fellowship to study in England.He has no other plans for the future, except to spend as much time as possible with Diane.And maybe later be a professional kickboxer.Things start going wrong when her father is facing troubles with the Internal Revenue Service.That also means troubles to their relationship.Say Anything...
Brooks was producing it.John Cusack is very cool, very relaxed actor.That makes him most fitting for the part of Lloyd Dobler.And who else would be better to play the part of the sweet and smart Diane Court than Ione Skye.John Mahoney is brilliant as Jim Court, the troubled father.Lili Taylor plays Lloyd's friend Corey Flood, who's in pain over Joe.Joe is played by Loren Dean.Lloyd's other friends, D.C. and Rebecca are played by Amy Brooks (daughter of James) and Pamela Adlon.The part of Mike Cameron, a drunken partygoer is played by Jason Gould.Glen Walker Harris Jr. is Jason Dobler.Cusack's pal Jeremy Piven, who's appeared alongside with John in films like Grosse Point Blank, plays his high school buddy Mark.John's sister, Joan Cusack plays his movie sister Constance Dobler.The soundtrack includes stuff from Peter Gabriel, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Depeche Mode and Crowe's wife Nancy Wilson.This is not your average boy meets girl- story.This goes much deeper being a romantic movie with brains..
Lloyd Dobler (youthful John Cusack): great people skills, popular, everyone in HS knows him and likes him, fun to be with, nice guy, lives in the moment; doesn't have any real plans about what to with his life after graduation, has no interest in college or in conventional jobs.Diane Court (Ione Skye): highly intelligent, dedicated student, valedictorian, won prestigious fellowship for study abroad, doesn't realize she's beautiful, her father (John Mahoney) is her confidant; had little time for social life in HS; no school friends, everyone in H.S. knows of her but no one in school knows her; they think she is an elitist brainiac and unapproachable by the common student.But she has attracted his attention, so he ignores advice that contacting her is bound to fail, makes her laugh, and they become a couple.Conflicts: What happens when she goes to England in a few weeks?
cusacks character in this movie however,is the reason i love him as an actor,he almost seems to be playing himself.that is that its the kind of role we have come to love him in.lloyd dobler is not too dissimilar from the characters he played in grosse pointe blank and high fidelity.smart,intelligent,sometimes shrewd,but untimately lovable people.its this that makes this film so watchable.because it is more serious in tone than say john hughes' teen movies,its slightly harder to watch were it not for cusack.also brilliant is john mahoney,erstwhile martin crane in frasier.the film also has a great sense of time and place,one of its biggest appeals for me was its 80's setting and the music that comes with it.
Given my usual aversion to any film described as a "teen romance", it may be that I was just in a good mood, but to my surprise I rather enjoyed it.A large part of its appeal undoubtedly lies in the fact that John Cusack and Ione Skye do make a genuinely likable couple, helped out by an understated script that allows them to be just that.
Those teenagers they fall in love the summer after they finish high school and just before the girl leaves for college.I really enjoyed this movie because of the plot but also because it had a lot of moments of controversial feelings, something that made it even more interesting.
I believe that is unnecessary to say that the interpretation of John Cusack was simply magnificent and also Ione Skye's interpretation was equally good.After you will watch "Say Anything..." only then you will understand why until today it is considered as one of the best romantic movies of all time.
Instead, I found out this was a drama with some subtle humorous scenes about the budding romance of Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) and Diane Court (Ione Skye), the former an underachieving high school graduate and the latter the class valedictorian.
The first half of 1989's "Say Anything" is as good as any youth flick out there, including great ones like "Fast Times at Ridgemont High (Widescreen Special Edition)" and "Dazed & Confused (Widescreen Flashback Edition)." The film was shot in the Seattle area and the story involves a group of youths after high school graduation.Ione Skye plays Diane, a misfit "preppy" girl who suddenly comes alive upon graduation after striking up a relationship with Lloyd Dobler, played by John Cusack.
Diane has a scholarship to a prestigious college in England and her Dad, played by John Mahoney, doesn't want some aimless drifter getting in the way of her success.The second half isn't as entertaining as the first half because it leaves the high school graduation antics behind to focus on Diane and Lloyd's increasingly intimate relationship, as well as unexpected revelations about Diane's father.
Those who like stories about romantic relationships will no doubt appreciate the second half more than I did.A handful of things I appreciated about the film: (1.) The situations and relationships all smack of real life and you can tell that the writer, director and actors all put some quality time into creating this "reality." (2.) For instance, two of Lloyd's best friends are girls, Corey and D.C., who try to advise him on his new relationship.
And the relation between the father and the daughter even makes this film more meaning than usual romantic movie.But a little bit drawbacks maybe, the kick-boxer profession just isn't fit with no-muscular Cusack.
When i watched say anything i did not have any expectations but after watching it came out as a very nice and simple movie and i would recommend it to anyone who likes a light hearted movie.This film deals with the relationship of Lloyd (cusack ) who is basically an average guy with Diane court who is beauty + brains and out of the league of Lloyd.
I had thought this was going to be just another in a long link of Pretty in Pinkish movies with predictable characters and a bad case of puppy love, but what I got was a surprisingly refreshing, unconventional story with a complicated and well-developed emotional depth flawlessly captured by the actors and Cameron Crowe.And talk about role reversals!
I had thought this was going to be just another in a long link of Pretty in Pinkish movies with predictable characters and a bad case of puppy love, but what I got was a surprisingly refreshing, unconventional story with a complicated and well-developed emotional depth flawlessly captured by the actors and Cameron Crowe.And talk about role reversals!
It's one of the classic '80s films that should never be forgotten.I believe the best thing about this movie is the lead character, Lloyd Dobbler.
That just shows the power of relationships in film."Say Anything..." is about those two characters, played by John Cusack and Ione Skye, an unlikely couple that forms out of a desire to make the most of what little time they both have at home before entering "the real world." Their chemistry is simply fantastic in being both natural and believable.
In any case, it's a pretty good film, with John Cusack as a flip, quick-thinking, fast talking teen just out of high school who romances Ione Skye, the attractive, smart girl on her way to college.
It's wonderful to see a teenager like this one in a movie give a message that it's okay not to know what you want to do, as long as you go with your heart.Ione Skye is the sweet, smart, loving, warm, amorous, and don't forget, beautiful, Diane Court, who steals Lloyd's heart.
The film opens at Lloyd's high school graduation where, on a whim, he asks the class brain, Diane (Ione Skye) to be his date for a graduation party and they are both equally shocked when she accepts his invitation and before the evening is over,he is head over heels in love with her.
To say more would ruin the film, but know that John Cusack gives the performance of a lifetime as Lloyd, an utterly charming rogue who no girl should have trouble falling in love with.
I already owned "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (okay, he didn't direct it, but he wrote it) and "Jerry Maguire", so next I rented "Say Anything ..."."Say Anything ..." begins with Lloyd Dobler, a kind, well-liked underachiever who falls in love with Diane Court, a straight-A student who has just been accepted into a college in England.
And John Mahoney is perfect as Diane's loving, protective father.The film has some great scenes.
"Say Anything" tells the story of Lloyd Dobler, played by John Cusack, who, Mr. Crowe takes no time to show, wants to ask Diane Court, played by Ione Skye, out on a date, with Lloyd's intentions of a long term relationship.
is the story of a young guy, Lloyd Dobler, who falls in love with Diane Court.