What a fabulous festival of 80s wonderfulness: people driving cars without seatbelts, airplanes with “no smoking” signs that actually meant something, boxy cars from Detroit, and John Cusack early in his career.
Cameron Crowe is a great writer and director with a long list of excellent movies to his credit. Say Anything…, like several of Crowe’s other pieces, is heavily character- and dialogue-driven, and it doesn’t disappoint. The dialogue is genuine, the emotions are heartfelt and naive without being sappy, the cheesiness isn’t overdone…it just works.
I love, among other things, how the boombox scene doesn’t end the way it would have in almost anyone else’s movie, with the girl running out to the boy. Also as in many of Crowe’s movies, the soundtrack plays an important supporting role, even when you don’t hear any music (to wit, Lloyd’s band shirts, etc.).
I wish I had time in my life to watch the entire thing again with the commentary by Crowe, Cusack, and Ione Skye. I’ve gotten through the 20 minute intro and the first 10 minutes of the movie with it, and it’s fun. But a guy also needs his sleep.