Review of Say Anything... (1989) by Stuart K — 30 Dec 2012

The directorial debut of Cameron Crowe, who before this had been a journalist for Rolling Stone magazine and got into Hollywood when he wrote Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982). This is a sweet romantic comedy-drama about the growing pains of what comes after we finish High School, and about having to move on and grow up.

It's themes that Crowe has examined in all of his films, and he got his directing career off to a good start here. Set in Seattle, Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) is a High School student and aspiring kickboxer who has just graduated, and is unsure about where he's going to go after this.

Lloyd meets valedictorian Diane Court (Ione Skye), who has just won a major fellowship to study in England. Lloyd falls in love with Diane, and tries to start a relationship with her. At first, Diane is indifferent, but she's taken in by his persistence.

However, Diane's father Jim (John Mahoney), does not approve of her dating a slacker like Lloyd, but Jim has big troubles of his own with the IRS. It's a sweet 80's movie with a good soundtrack, Cusack had a likeable charm about him and he still does to this day.

The film itself is not perfect, but it doesn't need to be, it's got something about it, and it's enjoyable while it lasts too, and it's a good timepiece of the end of the 1980's, and also about saying goodbye to your childhood, and learning to adapt to adulthood, and the challenges that throws.