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Say Anything (1989)
Director: Cameron Crowe
Writer: Cameron Crowe
Cast: John Cusack, Ione Skye, John Mahoney
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
'A noble underachiever and a beautiful valedictorian fall in love the summer before she goes off to college.'
A lot of truth in this movie, at least for me there was. It was spooky how so much of what happened with John Cusack's character in one way or another happened to me too way back in the day. Not all of it of course, and not all at the same time or even with the same girlfriend, but enough similar stuff, that this movie was like a trip down memory lane for me and that what makes for a 'special movie'...whenever the viewer can relate to the character's plight it evokes a personal connection, and for me a movie that I personal connect to is the best.
Then we get to that screen shot above and I was floored! I drove past that coffee pot building just two days ago! I've seen that building a lot during my life. So was I surprised when John Cusack drives his car past Bob's Java Jive. But weirdly I've never been inside of it. Maybe next time I will, it still looks the same btw and they still have espresso.
The scenes with John's sister Joan Cusack were a nicely realistic touch. I like how he was staying at her little apartment and was in his own way doing good for his nephew but at the same time his older more conservative sister felt her younger brother was too unconventional and that created tension in the living situation. I really appreciated the realness and honesty of the entire film. It felt much more personal than most other teen movies of the era did and it felt almost like a documentary. But a fun documentary!
Say Anything (1989)
Writer: Cameron Crowe
Cast: John Cusack, Ione Skye, John Mahoney
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
'A noble underachiever and a beautiful valedictorian fall in love the summer before she goes off to college.'
A lot of truth in this movie, at least for me there was. It was spooky how so much of what happened with John Cusack's character in one way or another happened to me too way back in the day. Not all of it of course, and not all at the same time or even with the same girlfriend, but enough similar stuff, that this movie was like a trip down memory lane for me and that what makes for a 'special movie'...whenever the viewer can relate to the character's plight it evokes a personal connection, and for me a movie that I personal connect to is the best.
Then we get to that screen shot above and I was floored! I drove past that coffee pot building just two days ago! I've seen that building a lot during my life. So was I surprised when John Cusack drives his car past Bob's Java Jive. But weirdly I've never been inside of it. Maybe next time I will, it still looks the same btw and they still have espresso.
The scenes with John's sister Joan Cusack were a nicely realistic touch. I like how he was staying at her little apartment and was in his own way doing good for his nephew but at the same time his older more conservative sister felt her younger brother was too unconventional and that created tension in the living situation. I really appreciated the realness and honesty of the entire film. It felt much more personal than most other teen movies of the era did and it felt almost like a documentary. But a fun documentary!