A high-school senior falls in love with an honor student bound for studies in England. -- Media > DVDs & Videos

A freespirited teenager falls in love with the nicest, smartest girl in school. *Artist: CUSACK,JOHN *Genre: Comedy *Rating: PG13 *Release Date: 13-JAN-2004 -- Movies Music & Gaming > DVD Movies - Comedy

4 out of 5 stars!   Good-Natured, Thoughtful, Classic 1980s Teen Romantic Comedy. 2010-10-10

For all of the praise for John Hughes' teen flicks of the 1980s, Cameron Crowe is often forgotten. But he wrote Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1992) and wrote and directed Say Anything (1989) and Almost Famous (2000) many years later -three intelligent movies about teenagers, all with a great sense of humor. Say Anything is the sweetest, a post-high school romantic comedy. Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) is a recent high school grad who has a shine for valedictorian Diane Court (Ione Skye). But Diane's father (John Mahoney) is wary of Lloyd's lack of ambition. And Mr. Court's business is under investigation by the IRS, which threatens to disrupt his relationship with his daughter. So it's going to be a trying summer for everyone, while Diane prepares to go to college in England. Lloyd and Diane are both really nice people who are unusually honest with themselves. The strength of so many memorable teen films of the 1980s was that they represented teenagers as they really are, as young adults with full emotional lives, ambitions, and challenges. Here, Lloyd lives with his divorced sister Constance (Joan Cusack), because his parents are military stationed in Germany. Diane is a bit removed from high school culture, as she isn't very social and has been taking college courses. She lives with her father, a man bursting with pride for his daughter but perhaps wound a little tightly. This was back when parents are sane, not controlling, which is a relief. And unconventional living arrangements were not disparaged or viewed as problematic. Say Anything, like many of its contemporaries, is superior to more modern teen films in its characterizations and social outlook. Of course, that's not what makes it entertaining. That's what makes it tolerable, even for us middle-aged folk. Cameron Crowe took some inspiration from real people he knew and created good-natured, sympathetic and funny characters. John Cusack was 21 or 22 years old when he made this film, but at least he looked younger and put on a certain charming awkwardness. Ione Skye was the right age. The terrific supporting cast includes Lili Taylor and Joan Cusack. Say Anything is a pleasant trip back in time for those of us who remember the 1980s. It's a thoughtful and effective romantic comedy for anyone. The DVD (20th Century Fox 2002): Bonus features include 5 Alternate Scenes, 10 Deleted Scenes, 13 Extended Scenes, 2 theatrical trailers, 8 TV spots, 7 b&w on-set photos from the director's collection, a featurette, and an audio commentary. The featurette (7 min) was made to promote the film in 1989 and includes some director and cast interviews. The audio commentary is by writerdirector Cameron Crowe and actors John Cusack and Ione Skye. It seems to have been recorded for this release, so perhaps in 2001 or 2002. The commentary is introduced by a 21-minute discussion of how the film came to be made, its inspirations and genesis. In the scene-by-scene commentary, Crowe and the actors talk about characters, themes, and their recollections of filming. Subtitles for the film are available in English, Spanish. Dubbing available in French.
          -- mirasreviews McLean, VA USA

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