Say anything... (1989)
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An average student and a high-achieving valedictorian navigate the complexities of romance and personal growth immediately following their high school graduation.
The story
At the end of their high school senior year, noble underachiever Lloyd Dobler is smitten with valedictorian Diane Court. He plans to ask her out, although they belong to different social groups. Lloyd's parents are stationed in Germany in the U.S. Army, so he lives with his sister Constance, a single mother, and still has no plans for his future. Diane comes from a sheltered academic upbringing, living with her doting divorced father Jim, who owns the retirement home where she works. She will take up a prestigious fellowship in England at the end of the summer. Lloyd offers to take Diane to their graduation party. She agrees, to everyone's surprise.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Following their high school graduation, Lloyd Dobler, an underachiever, and Diane Court, a valedictorian, begin a romance despite their different social standings. Their relationship deepens as they spend time together, including a trip to Diane's home where Lloyd meets her father, Jim. Amidst the growing romance, Jim faces legal trouble regarding his retirement home. After a period of separation where Diane tells Lloyd she must focus on her studies, Lloyd remains determined. He performs a famous scene with a boombox outside her window. Diane eventually discovers her father's financial crimes and reconciles with Lloyd. As the summer ends, Jim is sentenced to prison. Lloyd accompanies Diane to her new life in England, where they share a final moment of support before she flies away.
- First release year
- 1989
- Runtime (minutes)
- 100
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Cameron Crowe
- Writers
- Cameron Crowe · writer
- Cast and characters
- John Cusack · Lloyd Dobler; Ione Skye · Diane Court; John Mahoney
- Genres
- romantic comedy-drama; teen; coming-of-age
- Themes
- coming-of-age; romance; family dynamics
- Tone and mood
- heartfelt; funny; romantic
- Premise and plot tags
- high school; romance; underdog
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim and is noted for its enduring scenes and status as a definitive Generation X movie.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 98% · scale: percentage · review count: 50; Rotten Tomatoes · score: 8.2 · scale: 10; CinemaScore · score: B+ · scale: A to F
- Production trivia
- The boombox scene was originally scored with Fishbone's "Question of Life" before being replaced by Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes".; The film's producers cut the song "A Girl Like You" by The Smithereens because they believed it revealed too much of the plot.; Several actors, including Robert Downey Jr. and Christian Slater, were considered for the role of Lloyd Dobler.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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