watch later

Not interested / seen

Say Anything… (1989)Say Anything… (1989)

Say Anything… (1989)

A coming-of-age drama that soars above its genre’s ilk with two compelling leads

Comedy, Drama, Romance

7.8

movie

United States of America
English
Feel-Good, Heart-warming, Lighthearted
1989
Cameron Crowe
Amy Brooks, Bebe Neuwirth, Bill Stevenson
100 min

Synopsis

rotten tomatoes
imdb
wikipedia
Lloyd, an eternal optimist, seeks to capture the heart of Diane, an unattainable high school beauty and straight-A student. He surprises just about everyone-including himself-when she returns the sentiment. But Diane's over-possessive, divorced Dad disapproves and it's going to take more than just the power of love to conquer all.

Our Take

7.8
Taylor Leigh Harper

The ’80s saw an influx of coming-of-age dramas, with John Hughes’ “Brat Pack” films reigning supreme. For better or worse, their most iconic scenes are embedded in pop culture, like students dancing in detention in The Breakfast Club or Sixteen Candles’ belated birthday cake. Perhaps the most iconic ’80s movie moment comes not from Hughes, but from Cameron Crowe’s Say Anything…: Lloyd Dobler (John Cusak) in a trenchcoat, blue Malibu parked behind him, boombox raised over his head in defiant loyalty.

On their last day of high school, Lloyd Dobler resolves to ask out the class valedictorian Diane Court (Ione Skye). Their summer-long relationship is awkward, intense, tender—and familiar to anyone who has ever opened themselves up to falling in love. Say Anything… emotionally outclasses its contemporaries, as Crowe’s writing lends itself to two authentic characters fleshed out beyond caricatures. And as Lloyd crushes hard on Diane, it’s hard not to feel like you’re falling in love with each of them, too.

Comments

What did you think? Who should watch it?

Next up

You Hurt My Feelings (2023)

7.9

Wise, funny, and utterly relatable, this mediation on the merits of white lies and bitter truths is a delightful piece of work

Sanctuary (2023)

best

8.4

An ingenious blend of erotic thriller and dark comedy with a once-in-a-lifetime performance by Margaret Qualley

Polite Society (2023)

best

8.6

This riotous mishmash of influences still feels utterly original thanks to some ingenious writing and a whirlwind central performance

Godland (2022)

best

8.3

A grand, terrific beauty of a film

Maggie Moore(s) (2023)

6.5

An endearing cast can’t save this forgettable true-crime thriller

About My Father (2023)

4.4

This weak imitation of Meet the Parents can't be saved, not even by Robert De Niro

Stan Lee (2023)

7.0

A charming introduction to the famous comic book creator with words from the man himself

The Village (2023)

6.7

The past haunts the present in this tale of loss and preservation of a village

John Early: Now More Than Ever (2023)

7.9

Comedian John Early leans all the way into the self-indulgence of performance in this stand-up-musical concert hybrid

Missed Connections (2023)

5.6

A confounding chance encounter leads to a romantic comedy that barely delivers on either