The Sure Thing (1985)

Walter Gibson is a university freshman going through a dry spell. His old buddy arranges a "sure thing" for him in California. Gibson and his classmate Allison then take a long road trip out to Cali, and both foil each other's plans.

Director:

Rob Reiner

Writers:

Steve Bloom (as Steven L. Bloom), Jonathan Roberts

Stars:

John Cusack, Daphne Zuniga, Anthony Edwards

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Cusack	...	Walter 'Gib' Gibson
Daphne Zuniga	...	Alison Bradbury
Anthony Edwards	...	Lance
Boyd Gaines	...	Jason
Tim Robbins	...	Gary Cooper
Lisa Jane Persky	...	Mary Ann Webster
Viveca Lindfors	...	Professor Taub
Nicollette Sheridan	...	The Sure Thing
Marcia Christie	...	Julie
Robert Anthony Marcucci	...	Bobby
Sarah Buxton	...	Sharon
Lorrie Lightle	...	Lucy
Joshua Cadman	...	Jimbo
Krystal Richards	...	Girl in Photo
John Putch	...	Mastin

Storyline

College freshman Walter (Gib) Gibson decides to go cross country to visit his friend in California during winter break. Awaiting there is a bikini-clad babe whom his friend assures him is a "sure thing". Meanwhile, Allison, a cute (but somewhat retentive) girl at Gib's college has also decided to head out to Cal. to see her boyfriend during break. Gib and Allison are thrust together on a road trip from hell, and somewhere along the way, they find each others company to be tolerable. Now, what will become of Gib's "sure thing?"

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Plot Keywords:

road trip | hitchhiking | one night stand | white bra | cross country | 

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Taglines:

A Romantic Comedy From Rob Reiner

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

PG-13

Did You Know?

Trivia

Because John Cusack was only 17 and hence a minor during production, he had to seek legal emancipation from his parents in order to shoot on location.

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Goofs

During the swimming pool scene, as the camera pans following Alison swim, the upper right hand window reveals the top of a palm tree. Very odd for the New England setting.

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Quotes

Professor Taub: [commenting on students' papers] Miss Bradbury. You, on the other hand, you express your ideas very clearly. Except that, your paper is dry, Alison. There's not enough of *you* coming through. Loosen up, Alison. Have some fun! Yes, sleep when you feel like it, not when you think you should. Eat food that is bad for you - at least once in a while. Have conversations with people whose clothes are not color coordinated.
[class laughs]
Professor Taub: Make love in a hammock!
[class hoots, hollers, and high-fives]
Professor Taub: Life ...
[...]

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Alternate Versions

This film has an alternate version. The first scene of the alternate version starts with the scene right before Lance's dialogue "Private Gibson" to Gibson (John Cusack) where Gibson is sitting alone. This version doesn't have scenes with Gibson's dialogue to two women. This version delete the scene where Gibson's roommate is making love to his girlfriend. This version also doesn't have the scene where John Cusack kisses the girl in Lance's room close to the end of the film.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Radio Days/Critical Condition/Outrageous Fortune/Restless Natives (1987)

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Soundtracks

Heartache Tonight
Written by Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Bob Seger and JD Souther (as J. D. Souther)
Performed by The Eagles
Courtesy of Elektra/Asylum Records
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products
Published by Cass County Music, Gear Publishing Co., Ice Age Music and Red Cloud Music

User Reviews

Stands up to time pretty well, actually...

Just for the heck of it, I pulled out my copy of The Sure Thing and watched it again. It's held up well since I first saw it on video in 1986. Yeah, the music is a little old, and Jason, Alison's boyfriend, still grates on me because I looked like him, but in all other respects it has held up well. What carries it is that it's the classic John Cusack Movie, where Cusack is just being... John Cusack. Totally real, totally unpretentious. You can see it in everything else he's done, even things of totally different style, like "Eight Men Out" and "The Grifters." He just rules the screen and the production ends up recalling pictures like "His Girl Friday" and "It Happened One Night." This has stood up to nearly fifteen years of viewing pretty well. Compare and contrast other stuff of that era, like "St. Elmo's Fire," and "Fast Times At Ridgemont High." Or any Tom Hanks movie of the period.

I've now come back five years after originally posting this review (it's now May, 2007) and I say, this film STILL stands as a classic Cusack, even after I have (in the interim) loved "Pushing Tin," "Being John Malkovich" and of course the amazing "High Fidelity." And to this day, I have been known to say, in bars, "BARKEEP! Bring this man...a TROUGH... of spritzer!"

And just remember...

"Credit cards work on a completely different kind of lock!"

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 March 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Sure Thing

Filming Locations:

Big Bear Lake, Big Bear Valley, San Bernardino National Forest, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$4,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,124,782, 3 March 1985

Gross USA:

$18,135,531

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$18,135,531

Company Credits

Production Co:

Embassy Pictures, Monument Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1