The Sure Thing (1985)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Rob Reiner

Writers:

Steve Bloom (writer)
Jonathan Roberts (writer)

Release Date:

1 March 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

He's onto a sure thing . . . but ends up on the funniest journey to romance you've ever seen.

Plot:

A college student plans a cross-country trip to get laid, but ends up traveling with a young woman. They hate each other, so naturally...

Plot Keywords:

College | Cross Country | Road Trip | California | Road

Cast

John Cusack	...	Walter (Gib) Gibson
Daphne Zuniga	...	Alison Bradbury
Anthony Edwards	...	Lance
Boyd Gaines	...	Jason
Tim Robbins	...	Gary Cooper
Lisa Jane Persky	...	Mary Ann Webster
Viveca Lindfors	...	Professor Taub
Nicollette Sheridan	...	The Sure Thing
Marcia Christie	...	Julie
Robert Anthony Marcucci	...	Bobby
Sarah Buxton	...	Sharon
Lorrie Lightle	...	Lucy
Joshua Cadman	...	Jimbo
Krystal Richards	...	Girl in Photo
John Putch	...	Mastin
Steve Pink	...	Football Player
Tracy Reiner	...	Alison's Friend
Martin J. Layton	...	Frat Guy
Amy Resnick	...	Marsha
Robert Bauer	...	Moke
Frantz Turner	...	Cop
Garry Goodrow	...	Pick-Up Driver
Robert Snively	...	Bus Station Clerk
Carmen Filpi	...	Bus Station Bum
Richard Hamilton	...	Bartender
George Memmoli	...	Man in Bar
Rosalind Moreland	...	Barmaid
Sunshine Parker	...	Cowboy Guy
Fran Ryan	...	Lady in Car
Teresa Baxter	...	Rose Lady
Larry Hankin	...	Trucker
Jimmy Baron	...	Guy at Frat Party
Julie Ow	...	Girl in Sarong
Noelle Williams	...	Katherine
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Christopher Rydell	...	Charlie
Tamara Carrera	...	Fantasy Girl (uncredited)
David Connella	...	Student (uncredited)
Helen Kelly	...	Bar Girl (uncredited)
John Richard Petersen	...	Frat Guy on Stairs (uncredited)

Directed by
Rob Reiner

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Steve Bloom		writer
Jonathan Roberts		writer

Produced by
Roger Birnbaum	....	producer
Andrew Scheinman	....	co-producer
Jeffrey Stott	....	associate producer
Henry Winkler	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Tom Scott

Cinematography by
Robert Elswit

Film Editing by
Robert Leighton

Casting by
Janet Hirshenson
Jane Jenkins

Production Design by
Lilly Kilvert

Set Decoration by
Lisa Fischer

Costume Design by
Durinda Wood

Makeup Department
Patricia Messina	....	makeup artist
Michele Payne	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Steve Nicolaides	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Brian James Ellis	....	second assistant director
Sam Epstein	....	second assistant director
Thomas Lofaro	....	first assistant director

Art Department
David Brisbin	....	lead man
Mickie Cecchini	....	assistant painter
Buddy Cone	....	art department assistant
Amanda J. Flick	....	scenic artist
David L. Glazer	....	property master
Mark 'Digger' Green	....	assistant props (as Mark Green)
Dennis Hoerter	....	carpenter
Richard Hoover	....	assistant art director
Thierry Verrier	....	set dresser
Frank Viviano	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
Douglas B. Arnold	....	boom operator (as Doug Arnold)
Beth Bergeron	....	post-production sound
John Brasher	....	post-production sound
David E. Campbell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Roberta Doheny	....	post-production sound
Robert Eber	....	sound mixer (as Bob Eber)
Alia Kahn	....	post-production sound
Lars Nelson	....	post-production sound
Tony Ray	....	post-production sound
John T. Reitz	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gregg Rudloff	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Gregg C. Rudloff)

Special Effects by
John Frazier	....	special effects
Jeffrey A. Wischnack	....	special effects assistant (as Jeff Wischnack)

Camera and Electrical Department
Paul Amorelli	....	electrician
Greg Bridges	....	grip
François Duhamel	....	unit photographer
Kevin Kelley	....	best boy electric
Martin J. Layton	....	assistant camera (as Marty Layton)
Michael Meek	....	grip
Ron Meurrier	....	lamp operator: Stockton
Jack Palinkas	....	key grip
Lee Phillips	....	gaffer
Chris Rao	....	assistant camera
George Ressler	....	best boy grip (as George Resler)
Thomas Vanghele	....	assistant camera
Devik Wiener	....	electrician
Roland Young	....	electrician

Casting Department
Eve Brandstein	....	casting executive

Costume and Wardrobe Department
May Hart	....	wardrobe assistant
Constance Sech	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Christine Cholvin	....	assistant film editor (as Chris Cholvin)
Terry Haggar	....	color timer
Jack Hooper	....	negative cutter
Cathy Rosenstein	....	post-production coordinator
Adam Weiss	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Kenneth Karman	....	music editor
Alexandra Leviloff	....	assistant music editor
Gary Lubow	....	music recording engineer
Elliot Lurie	....	music coordinator
Becky Mancuso-Winding	....	music supervisor (as Becky Shargo)

Transportation Department
Ken Day	....	driver
Bo Falck	....	transportation co-captain
Pat Gordon	....	driver
Thomas A. Gordon	....	driver (as Tom Gordon)
Greg Landis	....	driver
Ronald Linxwiler	....	driver (as Ron Linxwiler)
Tim Roslan	....	transportation captain
Dusty Saunders	....	driver
David Shaffer	....	driver (as Dave Shaffer)
Larry Sims	....	driver

Other crew
Robert Breech	....	location manager: Los Angeles
William Burke	....	location manager: Stockton
Leslie Cornyn	....	assistant production accountant
Leigh French	....	looping coordinator
Elizabeth Galloway	....	production coordinator
Walter Hart	....	production assistant
Edward Hersom	....	craft service: Stockton
Lisa Lynn Kearsley	....	production secretary: Los Angeles
Cathy Lerner	....	secretary: Mr. Birnbaum
Leslie 'Tinker' Linville	....	production assistant (as Leslie Linville)
Mitch Marcus	....	production assistant
Anne Rapp	....	script supervisor (as Anne Rapp-Dowd)
Cathy Rosenstein	....	assistant: Rob Reiner
Eric Silvern	....	craft service: Los Angeles
Joan Thompson	....	studio teacher
Mary Vigna	....	production secretary: Stockton
Joyce Wagner	....	unit publicist
Zelig Walters	....	caterer
Ron Welch	....	caterer
Ruth Whittle	....	production accountant

Production Companies

• Embassy Pictures Corporation
• Monument Pictures

Distributors

• Embassy Pictures Corporation (1985) (USA) (theatrical)
• Fox Network (1991) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• MGM Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:M | Finland:S | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA

Company:

Embassy Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

A poster for director Rob Reiner's previous film, This Is Spinal Tap (1984), hangs on the closet in Gib's dorm room.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Gib takes a bite out of pink Sno-Ball snack cake while riding in the car. The film is supposed to be set during the Christmas Break. In the mid 1980's, pink Sno-Balls were only available during Valentine's Day.

Quotes:

Alison: You'll never believe what I wanted to be when I was six.
Gib: A classics professor?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Psych: Earth, Wind and... Wait for It (#3.12)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

PARTY ALL NIGHT

The Sure Thing is as close to a sure thing as you can get

John Cusack has easily been one of the most under appreciated actors in American Cinema. Yet, ask any person to make a list of the best actors in the past twenty or so years, and his name is seldom if ever mentioned. I have yet to see him give what one what could call a really bad performance in any film he has starred in, no matter how dull or lame the material was. That being said, The Sure Thing is neither of those things, but one of the most delightful romantic comedy road pictures ever conceived.

Like most American males in High School, Walter "Gib" Gibson (John Cusack) rates his success in High School by how many girls he's had sex with and how many times. Alas, after a productive sophomore and junior year, his senior year in High School has been quite barren. In his freshman year of college, things are downright bleak. He is unable to connect with the life style of the East Coast College Girls. It seems as if everybody except Gib, including Gib's chunky roommate, is having sex with someone. To the rescue comes Gib's best friend Lantz (Anthony Edwards), who sends him a picture of a girl in a skimpy bikini (Nicolette Sheridan) and tells him she's a sure thing, if Gib can find his way out to the West Coast by Christmas. Not one to be deterred, Gib catches a shared ride with another couple (Tim Robbins and Lisa Jane Persky, both hilarious in supporting roles), and one other girl, Alison Bradbury (Daphne Zuniga), the only girl in college Gib has managed to totally alienate. Alison, as it happens is also on her way out west to be with her fiance, Jason (Boyd Gaines). To say Gib and Alison are not the best of friends is an understatement. They are complete opposites in every possible way, Gib being outgoing, daring, willing to take a chance, while Allison is totally conservative, plans everything she does in life, so much so that she keeps track of it in her Daily Schedule. How and if these two opposites are ever to come together is done in such a funny, at times hilarious, charming and touching way, you can't help but also fall in love this film.

Only his second time to direct a feature film, Rob Reiner keeps thing on track throughout. In between the many comical episodes that happens on this trip west, Reiner is smart enough to give us subtle touches that makes everything believable. As Gib begins to fall for Alison, we see him picking up some of her characteristics, and as Alison becomes attracted to Gib, she does likewise. Yet, most of the credit has to go with the cast, especially Cusack and Zuniga. They make us care about their characters so much, that we don't root for one over the other, we root for the both of them. If you are looking for a fun, charming, endearing, delightful, funny, uproarious romantic comedy, then The Sure Thing is as close to a sure thing as you can get.