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Say Anything...

Say Anything...

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: say everything
Review: I love this movie. I saw it for the first time when it was new in 1989, and I've had it on video for years. So, when I heard there was a special DVD of the movie, I leapt at it. And guess what? I love the DVD. The movie is as sweetly complex as it ever was, and the three main characters are just terrific. The special commentary by Cameron Crowe, John Cusack and Ione Skye is enlightening. It's fun to hear them 13 years after making the movie. They are still sincerely excited about what they created. The deleted, extended and alternate scenes are worthwhile seeing. All in all, this "Say Anything," says everything to me.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Chivalry !
Review: In the last place you'd expect to find it; a 'teenage sex comedy flick'. The genre of the Beavis & Butthead crowd ususally released during summer vacations. It would be as if you were expecting 'a war flick' and walked into "Schindler's List", "Das Boot" or "Lawrence of Arabia"

Amazing.

Great writing and directing by Cameron Crowe. There's about 140 reviews at Amazon, which cover every aspect of it quite well, here's my 2 cents worth: This is the story of a knight, in modern kickboxing armor, in case you missed the metaphor, who thinks well of women, and has the capacity to fall in love and the bravery to pay the price which love entails.
In fact love, rather than career, sexual conquest, or popularity is his highest value.

It's the story of a man, not "a guy". As one of the characters says: "Be a man, the world is full of guys"

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Classic
Review: The hardest thing about writing a review for this movie is figuring out where to start. Say Anything...is one of my favorite movies, and one of the best overall films ever made. Here we see John Cusack starring in another story that is entertaining on so many levels. At times, Say Anything is funny, sad, serious, realistic, and bittersweet. Cameron Crowe did an excellent job making the main characters believeable and interesting, making it very easy to get caught up in their emotions. This movie brings tears to my eyes every time I see it as it is extremely easy to relate to Cusack's character, especially if you have ever gone through anything similar to the events that transpire between Lloyd and Diane. Everyone always talks about the famous scene involving the Boom Box, but to me the most memorable part of this movie can be narrowed down to one line: "She Gave me a pen. I Gave her my heart and she gave me a pen". I recommend this movie to absolutely everyone, if you can't relate to it right now, you will someday.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: WOW!
Review: The first time I saw this movie I'll admit, I cried. I mean I bawled. The cover of the DVD is from one of the most famous scenes of not only the whole movie, but of romantic comedies. This movie will make you laugh, cry, and feel like romantic comedies can be good. I mean let's be honest, the ideas in them have been redone so many times. But this movie successfully makes it's own way of doing things, and on top of that, makes a beautiful movie out of it. The movie has two stories. One about Lloyd(Cusack) and Diane(Skye). About how they met and fell in love. This is really the main plot. But the secondary plot is almost just as good. This is about Diane and her father(Mahoney). About how sooner or later all kids grow up and make their own decisions, and how parents really will do whatever they feel they have to to make a good life for their children.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Two Movies In One
Review: Right off the bat, if you've seen this movie and love it - get the DVD. It's one of the best DVDs I've seen, with deleted scenes, extensive audio commentary, trailers, etc. etc. etc. The four-star rating is for the movie itself; the DVD gets a solid five stars.

"Say Anything" is really two movies in one. The 'main' story is of sensitive, would-be-underachiever Lloyd Dobler's (Cusack) pursuit of beautiful overachiever Diane Court (Skye) after graduating from High School together. The story of how their relationship develops is quite realistic and the acting from Skye and Cusack is very subtle and effective. The other storyline in this film is between Diane and her father, played incredibly by John Mahoney (from TV's "Frasier"). Having chose to live with her father after her parent's divorce, Diane is incredibly close with him and is her only real friend before she meets Lloyd. However, her father's questionable business practices are called into question and her faith and trust in him are put on the line. This part of the movie, in my opinion, is more interesting than the love story between Lloyd and Diane if only for how realistic and fresh it seems compared to the typical "overbearing" fathers of movies that involve teenagers. John Mahoney really puts in a remarkable performance as the father. If you're a fan of his work, or even only casually familar with him, this is a movie worth checking out.

When I mentioned "Say Anything" to someone recently, they were kind of uncertain as to why it had achieved the 'classic' status that it has. Apart from being a very good movie, it really closed out the era of 80s teen comedies/dramas nicely. Kids that were in high school in the 80s watching and laughing at everything from "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" to "The Breakfast Club" to "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", were growing up and entering a new decade. Released in 1989, "Say Anything" reflected high school kids graduating and taking that next step towards the future, as well as dealing with serious everyday problems. Its accuracy and tenderness in displaying this is what makes it so enduring.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I wanna touch the light, the heat I see in your eyes......
Review: Ever wanted a person you knew would never give you a chance? Ever had fate surprise you with that person's love? The second part doesn't happen very often in tales of unrequited love, but it happened for Lloyd Dobler (played honestly by John Cusack).
"Say Anything" is a universal story of love surviving the odds. Lloyd struggles for smart, popular Diane Court's attention, and he gets lucky when he finally steps away from simply watching her and makes her laugh. He is always himself, even when their relationship eventually hits rocky spots. This is an admirable, human idea that is not often portrayed in romantic films. Cusack helps us root for the main character by making him one of us. While the other characters in the film question whether Lloyd is good enough for Diane (played by Ione Skye), the audience might wonder if Diane is good enough for Lloyd.
Another important theme from this movie that is worthy of mentioning is family trust. In nearly every teenage drama, the teenager does things to irritate/upset/worry the parents. The conflict between Diane and her father (Frasier's John Mahoney) is unique. Mr. Court expresses displeasure at being "betrayed" by his daughter while at the same time he has been dishonest with her. Both parents and children make mistakes. Thank you Cameron Crowe for not making teenagers the scapegoats.
The most remarkable thing about this film is its simplicity. There is the right amount of drama and romance so that it's not too schmaltzy and not too heavy. It's just a clever little movie about love.
Pivotal scene (aside from the stereo in the front yard): when Lloyd and Diane are trying to get back together. Diane admits, "I need you." Lloyd asks, "Do you say that because you need somebody or you need me?" He quickly adds, "Forget it. I don't care."

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Feel Good Movie
Review: This is just a great movie.... about first love, being a teenager graduating highschool and 'what next?' ... plus Ione Skye & John Cusack have the best chemistry,... You remember what it was like being in highschool watching these characters, first love... It makes you laugh, smile, cry... has it all!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Not just another teen movie
Review: Some people may find the whole father/father-daughter storyline to be heavy-handed; bear in mind that A)this is one of the only so-called "teen movies" ("Pretty in Pink" being the other one) to have a parent as a primary, fully-written character, and B) John Mahoney's performance ROCKS. That said, this film is as good as it gets in the genre-- John Cusack is at his quirky-intense-nice guy best; neat cameos by Eric Stoltz, Jeremy Piven, and Bebe Neuwirth give little boosts along the way; and the list of memorable lines ("YOU MUST CHILL!"; "That'll NEVER be me, that'll NEVER be me, that'll NEVER be, NEVER be...don't you THINK it!" and the rest of "Joe Lies"; "You've heard of kickboxing, the sport of the future?";"I gave her my heart,she gave me a pen") and scenes (the asking-out phone call,the party,the guys at the mini-mart, the phone booth,etc.) goes on and on. The writing rings true consistently, and the audience genuinely cares about who these characters are and what happens to them. I earlier mentioned John Mahoney as a stand-out performance; add to that Lili Taylor, who is funny and achingly truthful at the same time. Obviously, "In Your Eyes" on the boombox at dusk is the showpiece; check out the extras for other takes and Cameron Crowe's story on the tortured journey the scene took before it became a classic scene of modern romance. All in all, a must-see for anyone who wants to know how a REAL "teen movie" should play.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of the best "teen romance" movies ever.
Review: SAY ANYTHING

Long before he wowed audiences with "Vanilla Sky" or stole the hearts of moviegoers with "Jerry Maguire", Cameron Crowe left his mark on Gen X'ers with this early effort. On the heels of countless John Hughes films, Crowe's romantic comedy was a coming of age for X'ers weaned on "Pretty In Pink" and looking for one last teen fairy tale before graduating to the reality of grown up life. Crowe nabbed John Cusack to play Lloyd Dobbler, the loveable lead in his grown up teen romance. Poised on the verge of adulthood, and unsure what life holds, Lloyd takes his shot at greatness by asking out the girl of his dreams, Dianne Court. (Ione Skye)

This odd pair seem mismatched for reasons that go beyond the usual high school cliques. That these two characters are from vastly different worlds is brilliantly demonstrated by their respective families. Lloyd lives with his single mom older sister (Joan Cusack) and drifts aimlessly through life as the eternal optimist, looking for a "dare to be great" situation. Diane's life is much more structured and planned out in great deal by her doting single father. (John Mahoney in pre-Frasier days.) With everything she ever wanted, Dianne realizes that she has missed out on the kind of friendships that drive Lloyd's life.

Their unlikely romance gets off to the expected shaky start, but Cusack's machine gun delivery of Crowe's razor sharp dialog win her over. It seems impossible for Dianne to resist his charm and completely believable that she would fall for him. She struggles to keep her life in order and keep him at a distance, but eventually lets him in. This movie features one of the most memorable song placements of the era, with Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" playing at their most intimate moment and again later in a heart tugging scene outside Diane's window. (Admit it, how many guys have repeated this scene in the vain hope it might just win her back?)

As her new romance grows, Dianne has to watch as her father's world comes crumbling around them both. Torn between the two important relationships in her life and facing the culmination of her dreams, Dianne struggles with choices. Crowe writes one of the best and most realistic break up scenes ever captured on film. Who can forget the post break up line "I gave her my heart and she gave me a pen." From here the movie could easily have fallen into the trap that so many other teen love stories do, but Crowe uses the strong side characters to give the film an uncommon depth and genuine emotion.

With brilliant performances from Cusack, Skye and Mahoney, Crowe's dialog flows easily and gives "Say Anything" a beautiful realism from start to finish.

Included on this DVD are a number of bonus features including a running commentary by Crowe, Skye & Cusack. There are five alternate scenes that don't show much. The deleted scenes offer a lot more though, including a lengthy monologue by Mahoney about the quality of care for the elderly. A pair of theatrical trailers and full slate of TV spots combine nicely with a featurette complete a nice collection of bonus material.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: AWESOME!
Review: "I gave her my heart and she gave me a pen!"


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