Say Anything.. is a 1989 American teenromanticcomedy-drama film written and directed by Cameron Crowe in his directorial debut. The film follows the romance between Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack), an average student, and Diane Court (Ione Skye), the class valedictorian, immediately after their graduation from high school. In 2002, Entertainment Weekly ranked Say Anything .. as the greatest modern movie romance, and it was ranked number 11 on Entertainment Weekly's list of the 50 best high-school movies.^[3]

Say Anything Transcribed by Judith Allen CREDITS ROLL COREY I don't feel anything. DC Come on, it's graduation. COREY Did you see what Mr Carroll wrote in my yearbook? Well, he ridiculed me all year long, and then he writes, 'You're a real live-wire, Love Mr Carroll.' Y'know, it's all so phoney. Say Anything. Lloyd: So when you hear the smoking sign go 'ding', you know everything's going to be okay. Lloyd: Wait for beep. Lloyd: I don't want to sell anything, buy anything,.

Plot[edit]

Noble underachiever Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) falls for valedictorian Diane Court (Ione Skye) at their high-school graduation ceremony. Lloyd lives with his sister Constance (Cusack's real-life sister Joan Cusack), a single mother, and has no plans for his future. Diane comes from a sheltered academic upbringing and lives with her doting divorced father Jim (John Mahoney), who owns the retirement home where she works. She is due to take up a fellowship in England at the end of the summer.

Diane accompanies Lloyd to a party, surprising their classmates. During a dinner at the Court household, where Lloyd fails to impress Diane's family, Jim is informed that he is under investigation by the Internal Revenue Service. Diane takes Lloyd to meet the residents of the retirement home and he teaches her to drive the manual-transmissionFord Tempo her father gave her as a graduation present. Their relationship grows intimate and they have sex, to her father's concern. Lloyd's musician friend Corey (Lili Taylor), who has never gotten over her cheating ex-boyfriend, Joe (Loren Dean), warns him to take care of Diane.

Jim urges Diane to break up with Lloyd, feeling he is not an appropriate match, and suggests she give Lloyd a pen as a parting gift. Diane tells Lloyd she wants to stop seeing him and concentrate on her studies, and tells him to take her pen. Devastated, Lloyd seeks advice from Corey, who tells him to 'be a man'. Jim's credit cards are declined when he tries to buy Diane a luggage set.

At dawn, Lloyd plays 'In Your Eyes' by Peter Gabriel, the song that was playing the first time they slept together, on a boombox under her open bedroom window. The next day, Diane meets with the IRS investigator (Philip Baker Hall), who explains that they have evidence suggesting Jim has been embezzling funds from his retirement-home residents. He advises her to accept the fellowship as matters with her father will worsen. After Diane discovers cash concealed at home, Jim tells her he stole the money to give her financial independence, justifying it by saying he provided better care to the victims of his embezzlement than their families did. Distraught, she reconciles with Lloyd at the gym where he trains.

Some time later, Jim is incarcerated. Lloyd visits him in a federal penitentiary and tells him that he will go with Diane to England; Jim reacts with anger. Lloyd gives him a letter from Diane saying she cannot forgive him, but she arrives to say goodbye and they embrace. She gives him a pen, asking him to write to her in England. Lloyd escorts Diane, who is afraid of flying, on her flight.

Cast[edit]

• John Cusack as Lloyd Dobler, an eternal optimist
• Ione Skye as Diane Court, a high-achieving student
• John Mahoney as Jim Court, Diane's divorced father
• Lili Taylor as Corey Flood, Lloyd's friend
• Polly Platt as Mrs. Flood, Corey's mother
• Bebe Neuwirth as Mrs. Evans, a guidance counselor at Diane's and Lloyd's school
• Amy Brooks as D.C., Lloyd's friend
• Loren Dean as Joe
• Pamela Adlon as Rebecca
• Chynna Phillips as Mimi
• Jeremy Piven as Mark
• Eric Stoltz as Vahlere
• Jason Gould as Mike Cameron
• Philip Baker Hall as IRS Boss
• Joanna Frank as Mrs. Kerwin
• Lois Chiles as Diane's mother (uncredited)
• Joan Cusack as Constance Dobler, Lloyd's sister (uncredited)
• Dan Castellaneta as Diane's teacher (uncredited)

Soundtrack[edit]

Allmusic said the soundtrack, like the film, is 'much smarter than the standard teen fare of the era.'^[4] The soundtrack consists of these songs:

Critical reception[edit]

Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert called Say Anything .. 'one of the best films of the year—a film that is really about something, that cares deeply about the issues it contains—and yet it also works wonderfully as a funny, warmhearted romantic comedy.'^[5] He later included it in his 2002 Great Movie list, writing, 'Say Anything exists entirely in a real world, is not a fantasy or a pious parable, has characters who we sort of recognize, and is directed with care for the human feelings involved.'^[6]

The film also had detractors. Variety called it a 'half-baked love story, full of good intentions but uneven in the telling.' But, the review also called the film an '[a]ppealing tale of an undirected army brat proving himself worthy of the most exceptional girl in high school elicits a few laughs, plenty of smiles and some genuine feeling.'^[7] In a mixed review, Caryn James of The New York Times wrote:

[The film] resembles a first-rate production of a children's story. Its sense of parents and the summer after high school is myopic, presented totally from the teen-agers' point of view. Yet its melodrama—Will Dad go to prison? Will Diane go to England?—distorts that perspective, so the film doesn't have much to offer an actual adult, not even a sense of what it's truly like to be just out of high school these days. The film is all charming performances and grace notes, but there are plenty of worse things to be.^[8]

It holds a '98% Fresh' rating at Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus reading: 'One of the definitive Generation X movies, Say Anything is equally funny and heartfelt—and it established John Cusack as an icon for left-of-center types everywhere.'^[9]

Cultural influence[edit]

The film features one of the most culturally recognizable scenes in American movie history, in which John Cusack holds a boombox above his head outside Diane's bedroom window to let her know that he has not given up on her. Crowe and producer James L. Brooks believed the scene could become a hallmark of the movie, though Crowe found it difficult to film because Cusack felt it was 'too passive'. The scene was first scored with Fishbone's 'Question of Life', but after viewing the scene, Crowe opted to replace it with Peter Gabriel's 'In Your Eyes' to better fit the mood that he wished to convey. Gabriel initially turned down Crowe because he confused the film with another film in production at the time, a John Belushi biography called Wired.^[10]

TV series[edit]

A television series based on the movie was planned by NBC and 20th Century Fox, but producers Aaron Kaplan and Justin Adler did not know that Crowe had not approved of the project. When they found out his views, the show was dropped.^[11]

References[edit]

1. ^Box Office Information for Say Anything.Archived 2013-12-11 at the Wayback Machine, TheWrap.com; retrieved April 4, 2013.
2. ^Box Office Information for Say Anything., BoxOfficeMojo.com; retrieved April 4, 2013.
3. ^'50 Best High School Movies'. Filmsite.org. 2006-09-15. Retrieved 2012-05-17.
4. ^Say Anything .. (soundtrack) at AllMusic
5. ^Ebert, Roger (April 14, 1989). 'Say Anything'. RogerEbert.com. Ebert Digital LLC. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
6. ^Ebert, Roger (February 17, 2002). 'Great Movie: Say Anything'. RogerEbert.com. Ebert Digital LLC. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
7. ^Variety Staff (December 31, 1988). 'Say Anything ..'Variety. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
8. ^James, Caryn (April 14, 1989). 'Mismatched Teen-Agers Fall in Love, Of Course'. The New York Times. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
9. ^'Say Anything.. (1989)'. Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
10. ^http://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/58268
11. ^Elavsky, Cindy (October 23, 2014). 'Celebrity Extra'. King Features. Retrieved October 23, 2014.

External links[edit]

• Say Anything .. on IMDb
• Say Anything .. at AllMovie
• Say Anything.. at Rotten Tomatoes
• Say Anything.. at Metacritic
• 'Say Anything..' says so much', latimes.com, October 25, 2009.

It’s the last time I’ll fight the wrongs. I’ll sing about the girls who left me. The last great punk rock song before I unspike my hair and carry on. And I will wail about anarchy, drums will blare in rhythmic harmony. Anti-establishment just gets me nowhere fast. And it’s the last great time I’ll try.

Please give me a reason not to cry.-Say Anything, The Last Great Punk Rock SongIn my dreams we fly away from all the pain and school bell rings to a city that never sleeps. And I can see you smile all day.

And I can show you just how beautiful complications can be.-Say Anything, ManhattanNo more, no less. In pools of water after all the rain has left, I see your gaze. No more, no less. I’m longing for a Neverland where I can make you oh so happy.-Say Anything, ManhattanI’m dreaming of Manhattan, dreaming of where we are so in love. I can make you, oh, so happy.-Say Anything, Manhattan. Do you still miss me when everything is quiet in your room?-Say Anything, She Got AwayIf you could give me one more chance, I swear I’d give anything to be with you.

If you could only turn my way again, don’t fall in love with someone new.-Say Anything, She Got AwayOne lonely Sunday, will you drop by my home? Wipe off the tears I shed since I have been alone? Lay your head on my shoulder, that’s all I need to go on. Just one last moment of looking in your eyes.-Say Anything, She Got AwayMy teacher says that I’m brilliant. My mother says I’m a star.

My girlfriend just avoids me but I still pay for the dinner and the movie. My room is filled with abandon.

My homework is yet left undone. I look at pictures of myself as a small child all filled with hope and so alive but oh, these high school days. Take that away, take me away, take me away. Stress and hard duress replace the hope I had everyday.-Say Anything, High School LowsSo listen, young boys, to the words that I speak. Heed then and hold them to stay. Never let go of the cowboy insideor you’ll die in your high school days.-Say Anything, High School LowsAnd if I could swim, I’d swim out to you in the ocean, swim out to where you were floating in the dark. And if I was blessed, I’d walk on the water you’re breathing to lend you some air for that heaving, sunken chest.-Say Anything, A Walk Through HellI’d walk through hell for you, let it burn right through my shoes.

These soles are useless without you. Divided flatworm. Through hell for you, let the torturing ensue.

My soul is useless without you. And if they send a whirlwind, I’d hug it like a harmless little tree. Or an earthquake, I’d calm it, and I’d bring you back to me. And I’d hold you in my weak arms like a first born.-Say Anything, A Walk Through Hell. It is my birthday. It is a new year. I should be happy that I am still here.

Light up a new joint. Put on an old shirt.

Try to remember but forget how my brain works.-Say Anything, Try To Remember, ForgetIf I could crawl my way out of this grave, just think of all the time I’d save. The stereo’s playing the same old songs and we still hum along.

And in no time we’ll be spread across the earth, donning business suits to show the faceless master what we’re worth, from our Huggies to Armani and it all seems so rehearsed.-Say Anything, Try To Remember, ForgetAnd if I died, it would be fine if I died by your side. If you could spare one of your nine lives, we could ditch this coast, get in my car and drive.-Say Anything, Baseball but Better(All this time) and I can’t get enough of you. (All this time), and every promise is true. (All this time), It’s my favorite pastime – chasing after, chasing after you.-Say Anything, Baseball but BetterAnd if I froze here in the sand, my hand cold in your hand, I’d melt in your honor.

I’d be happily slaughtered. I’m crazy for you, crazy for you-Say Anything, Baseball but BetterMind your watch, my baby. Morning’s come to claim me. Mind this heart now, angel. Night’s not over yet-Say Anything, Baseball but BetterThe path into this heart is littered with corpses and strewn with body parts of those who came before and of stronger souls than you.

So just give up. So take me where they cannot see us and lay me down on coffin rich dirt.-Say Anything, I Am A TransylvanianTonight, I am a Transylvanian. A taste of you won’t hurt ’cause I am numb to every feeling and stubborn ears will hear no sound. My last few rounds have left me reeling. My teeth are on the ground.

I’ve taken pound for pound.-Say Anything, I Am A TransylvanianYou’re what keeps me believing this world’s not long dead. Strength in my bones and the words in my head.

They pour out to paper, it’s all for you ’cause that’s what you do, that’s what you do-Say Anything, I Want To Know Your Plans. No more fighting. It is only a waste of our time ’cause soon we’ll be leaving. Will this strength still be mine?-Say Anything, I Want To Know Your PlansI’ll look out for you till I die, till I’m gone, yeah. I’ll remember you till I die, till I’m gone-Say Anything, I Want To Know Your PlansHere comes the sadness that I miss so much – that lonely aching comes from every touch. I’ve grown accustomed to the grays and blacks, because they’re always coming back.-Say Anything, Showdown At P-TownDo you think I’m scared to play your games?

Battle is my middle name!-Say Anything, Showdown At P-Town.