Say Anything... (1989)

A noble underachiever and a beautiful valedictorian fall in love the summer before she goes off to college.

Director:

Cameron Crowe

Writer:

Cameron Crowe

Stars:

John Cusack, Ione Skye, John Mahoney

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Cusack	...	Lloyd Dobler
Ione Skye	...	Diane Court
John Mahoney	...	James Court
Lili Taylor	...	Corey Flood
Amy Brooks	...	D.C.
Pamela Adlon	...	Rebecca (as Pamela Segall)
Jason Gould	...	Mike Cameron
Loren Dean	...	Joe
Glenn Walker Harris Jr.	...	Jason Dobler
Charles Walker	...	Principal
Russel Lunday	...	Parent
Polly Platt	...	Mrs. Flood
Gloria Cromwell	...	Ruth
Jeremy Piven	...	Mark
Patrick O'Neill	...	Denny

Storyline

High school senior Lloyd Dobler wants nothing more than to go out with beautiful and intelligent Diane Court. Lloyd attempts to win her heart over the objections of her over-protective father before Diane leaves for a scholarship in England.

---

Plot Keywords:

teenager | father daughter relationship | teen movie | two word title | love | 

---

Taglines:

She's got every thing going for her. He's going for her with every thing he's got.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

---

Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 April 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

...Say Anything...

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$20,781,385

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gracie Films, Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Lloyd holds up the radio, it's actually playing a song by Fishbone. "In Your Eyes" was added in post-production.

---

Goofs

When James Court is shown flirting with the woman at the mall in the checkout line, his credit card was shown being declined. The implication is that his troubles with the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) were responsible for this. However, until the IRS either freezes ones assets or seizes them, then credit card companies will not decline purchases unless the consumer was delinquent or overdrawn on their account. As shown later in the film, when his attorney is discussing a plea deal with the IRS, they have taken no such action and, in fact, are attempting to obtain assets through forfeiture pursuant to his guilty plea.

---

Quotes

Lloyd Dobler: I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that.

---

Connections

Referenced in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: Episode #7.69 (2008)

---

Soundtracks

Rikki Don't Lose That Number
Written by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen
Produced by Gary Katz
Performed by Steely Dan
Courtesy of MCA Records

User Reviews

Hard to Place this Movie in any Genre Besides "Good Movie"

I've never cared for "teen movies" and this *isn't* one, so don't worry. On the surface, this movie would appear to be about high school, or growing up, or the 'loser' guy dares to get the 'winner' girl. 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. Lloyd Dobler is the well-liked underachiever with good character. Lloyd's low-pressure friends accept Diane at a party and she, at last, gets to let her hair down. This launches a romance that Diane's father disdains.

Always quick to shower her with praise, encouragements, and gifts Diane's father has visions of her earth-shattering success. On her part, Diane is getting a little self-conscious over her father's incessant chatter about what HE wants her to be.

Lloyd's attentions to Diane grow inconvenient to her father perhaps less for his romantic interest, but worse: he's diverting her from her greatness. Simultaneously, Lloyd has no outward indicators of achievement. He lacks direction and can't really say what his next moves are. Diane's father's agitation grows when investigators from the IRS launch a criminal investigation of him.

The acting in this film is so believable you feel like you are in the movie yourself. John Mahoney (the father)makes this role look so easy and his face conveys every emotion so clearly. John Cusack nails this role as the anxious-to-please, smitten teen with a sincere heart. His dialog sounds very natural. Ione Skye is lucky. Not many female rolls for teenage girls are as juicy as this one: no nudity, no ax murderers, and no entering into talent competitions. Additional endorsement: I danced with a naval officer from a nuclear sub to the main theme of this film and he immediately asked me if I had seen this film. We proceeded to have a conversation about how great this film is!