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42 out of 42 people found the following comment useful :-
A surprisingly endearing film, 1 February 2001
Author: indiegirlfrommars from England

Having fallen for John Cusack's engaging performance as Rob in 'High Fidelity', I jumped at the chance to watch one of his earliest films, 'The Sure Thing'. And, despite a life-long hatred of "girly" films and all things romantic comedy, this slice of 80s college cheese surprisingly hit the spot.

The story is nothing new: boy (an effervescent Cusack as Walt Gibson) meets girl (Daphne Zuniga), and an antagonistic relationship is formed. He hates her studious, organised approach to life; she frowns upon his laddish, devil-may-care attitude. Inevitably, they are soon thrown together - namely by Gib's trip to California on the promise of a blond, beautiful "sure thing" from best friend Lance (Anthony Edwards) coinciding with her journey to visit her boyfriend - and opposites begin to attract.

Yet to complain that the plot is predictable would be to miss the point. You know the ending within the first five minutes: it is the journey there which is important. Director Rob Reiner handles the script with a necessarily light touch, and allows the humour to be more character-driven than situational. To the writers' credit, even the film's most obvious scenes are always relieved through it's witty and eminently quotable dialogue.

What elevates 'The Sure Thing' above the ranks of its genre contemporaries is Reiner's deft hand with a character; in particular his ability to transcend stereotypes yet create instantly recognisable, believable people, a feat he later put to effective use in 'Stand By Me'. This is underpinned by Cusack's energetic performance, showcasing what has become his staple character: the spikily droll male whose shining qualities just avoid being undermined by his easily discernible flaws.

'The Sure Thing' is also notable for its treatment of - and fondness for - the minor characters, few of whom suffer from the "obvious spare part" phenomenon of so many high school based films. Particularly commendable are Tim Robbins' disappointingly brief turn as one half of the cutesy couple from hell, and a remarkably young-looking Anthony Edwards in the long-term buddy role (notable especially for what must be one of the worst 80s fashion statements since Vanilla Ice decided on baggy trousers - see the pool scene featuring Lance's phone call from California).

Despite its premise, this film always endeavours to be about love rather than sex. A refreshing angle on a well-worn tale, 'The Sure Thing' provides a welcome escape from the 'American Pie' view of teenage romance. With consistently endearing performances from both Cusack and Zuniga, this is one romantic comedy I would happily give a second viewing.

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29 out of 31 people found the following comment useful :-
nice surprise, 23 March 2004
Author: (jumpshot_9ball) from Daly City, CA

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

I thought this would be an 80's version of "American Pie", but it's actually a very sweet, almost innocent movie. You got a typical hormone driven college freshman guy who drastically decides to travel cross country and meet a girl he's only seen in a picture. Then you have a pretty, albeit dull and driven girl who lives and dies with her planner. Basically the plot is simple and predictable. Somehow they hate each other's guts and end up going on the same road trip, where they endure a lot of hardships that bring them together. What I enjoyed about the movie was that there was actually very little sex involved, which was very refreshing. The chemistry between John Cusack's (Gib) and Daphne Zuniga's (Allison) characters was very strong but not nauseous. I found myself almost cheering when Gib and Allison started sharing feelings and groaning when Gib still wanted to sleep with that "sure thing" girl. Although I'm kind of a hopeless romantic, I still want to see a decent film, and I thought this one definitely was. The acting was terrific, the atmosphere set by Rob Reiner kept my attention, and I would definitely see it again. Fav scene: after Gib dreams about Allison in the shower, he has his arm around her the next morning. It was definitely an "Awww" moment.

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24 out of 25 people found the following comment useful :-
Stands up to time pretty well, actually..., 21 February 1999

Author: The Turtle from Croatia

Just for the heck of it, I pulled out my copy of The Sure Thing and watched it again. It's held up well since I first saw it on video in 1986. Yeah, the music is a little old, and Jason, Alison's boyfriend, still grates on me because I looked like him, but in all other respects it has held up well. What carries it is that it's the classic John Cusack Movie, where Cusack is just being... John Cusack. Totally real, totally unpretentious. You can see it in everything else he's done, even things of totally different style, like "Eight Men Out" and "The Grifters." He just rules the screen and the production ends up recalling pictures like "His Girl Friday" and "It Happened One Night." This has stood up to nearly fifteen years of viewing pretty well. Compare and contrast other stuff of that era, like "St. Elmo's Fire," and "Fast Times At Ridgemont High." Or any Tom Hanks movie of the period.

I've now come back five years after originally posting this review (it's now May, 2007) and I say, this film STILL stands as a classic Cusack, even after I have (in the interim) loved "Pushing Tin," "Being John Malkovich" and of course the amazing "High Fidelity." And to this day, I have been known to say, in bars, "BARKEEP! Bring this man...a TROUGH... of spritzer!"

And just remember...

"Credit cards work on a completely different kind of lock!"

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24 out of 26 people found the following comment useful :-
I have a credit card. You have a credit card? Yea, but my father specifically told me only to use it in case of an emergency. Well maybe one will come up., 9 June 2000

Author: Dan Grant (dan.grant@bell.ca) from Toronto, Ontario

Love stories are hard to do right. Especially films in the 80's. They were more concerned with typical Porky's like shower scenes than they were with true love. And although Gib ( Cusack ) is promised a guaranteed lay if he makes his way down to California, the movie is not at all about getting laid and bare breasts and sex, it is about falling in love and the lengths we'll go to obtain the affection of the opposite sex.

The story starts off with Gib in his first year of some Ivy League school while his best friend from highschool, Lance (Anthony Edwards) is partying it up in sunny California. Gib is already striking out with the babes on his college campus and to make matters worse, Lance is seemingly getting action everyday. Then Gib walks into his English class and notices Allison, played by Daphne Zuniga. She is not your typical bimbo in the movies. She is smart, pretty, articulate and she flat out refuses his advances towards her. She does agree to see him strictly on a study basis and he ends up making himself look even more silly and barbaric. Eventually Gib and Allison end up in the same car pool to California. She is going to see her boyfriend and he is going to bang the Sure Thing. Later, a trucker remarks to Gib, " 3000 miles just to get laid, hey you pay the speeding tickets and I'll get you there." Of course along the way, Allison and Gib find they have a mutual admiration for each other and it is only up to the viewer to guess the outcome. Shouldn't be too difficult.

So far this may sound like pretty lame stuff and perhaps it could have been except for a few things. One is the writing, two is the acting and three has to be Rob Reiner. First of all, Allison and Gib are given plenty to do and they have much funny dialogue to go with it. Allison is goated into showing how she is not as repressed as Gib thinks she is by flashing her assets to a passing car. Gib teaches Allison how to "shotgun" a beer using "any household utensil, I use a pen." Gib rescues Allison from a would-be rapist in one of the funniest moments in the film ( I think I'll take your wife ). There are also some great performances by some of the supporting characters. Tim Robbins and Cusack must have met on the set of this movie and thus their strong friendship over the years can be accredited to the filming of this gem. Here, Robbins plays Gary Cooper, but the not the Gary Cooper that's dead, and he is one of the most annoying drivers that you could be stuck with for a cross country trip. Viveca Linfors plays the English professor and she has a way of making you want to learn how to write properly, learn Shakespeare and express yourself. As she says in the film, " Life is the ultimate experience, but you have to experience it in order to write about it." And of course Anthony Edwards is quite funny as Lance.

The Sure Thing is not raunchy the way Porky's or American Pie is. It is not crude the Fasttimes or Last Road Trip is. But it is honest in it's humour and fair with it's balance of love and lust. This is 15 years old but it is one of the best teen-comedies to come out of the 80's. 90's comedies and ones that are made in the new millenium are quite good, but there is an innocence that cannot be imitated from films like this. I think a film like Here On Earth may have had The Sure Thing ( or maybe an episode of Bold and Beautiful ) in mind when they made that film. It tried to be sweet and funny but failed miserably. The Sure Thing not only doesn't fail, it surpasses your expectations.

10 out of 10

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24 out of 27 people found the following comment useful :-
My favorite 80's movie, one of the best ever!, 12 April 2004
Author: nuwave88 from New Hampshire

This movie has GOT to be the most underrated movie of the 80's if not of all time. When you consider the relatively young age of the actors, Daphne Zuniga was 22 and John Cusack was only 17, and it was only Rob Reiner's second film, it makes this film that much more of a milestone. Maybe the storyline is predictable, so what. The acting by Cusack and Zuniga is perfect. They make this movie seem real and honest.

What makes this movie so enjoyable and memorable is the feelings it provokes. Remember the rush of emotions when you first meet someone who makes your heart beat out of your chest and feel lightheaded? Acting like you really don't like someone when deep down inside you would give anything to be with them? Going to a party and flirting with other people hoping that they would see you and get jealous? That's what this movie does for me. It makes me realize just how much I miss the innocence, passion and emotion of those days. The acting is wonderful and you really get drawn in to their plight as they make their way across the country to be with the one they "think" is their own "sure thing". The great thing about this movie is that every time it looks like they are finally going to get together, something pulls them apart. While there are many funny lines and memorable scenes in this film, by far my favorite is at the end when Gib's essay is read aloud. Allison's facial expressions let you know just how painful it is for her to hear it. The final scene is wonderful. I tear-up whenever I see it, and I'm a guy.

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17 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :-
An underrated delight, 12 July 2002

Author: DoctorMartin (careymartin@jetbroadband.com) from USA

Check Rob Reiner's bio in virtually any film resource and they don't even mention this movie. Why this is so is beyond me. This is one of the overlooked gems of the 80s. I would rank it as one of Reiner's three genuine classics, along with THE PRINCESS BRIDE and THIS IS SPINAL TAP. Neither Cusack nor Zuniga could have been any better, and yet Reiner shows his directorial skill by including a cast of supporting characters that's as quirky and memorable as the leads. If you're looking for a teen romance road comedy (that isn't a gross-out soft-core flick in disguise), check this one out!

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18 out of 21 people found the following comment useful :-
The Sure Thing is as close to a sure thing as you can get, 23 August 2003

Author: Joseph Riesenbeck (eazyguy62) from United States

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.

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11 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-
watch this movie JUST FOR PLEASUUUUURE!!!, 23 April 2000
Author: TeaBunny from NYC, USA

There are a few 80's teen movies I enjoy, and some I enjoy very much. But this is my favorite one of all time. This movie introduced a new kind of guy to me; the really cool Everyman with an Alterna-geek bent, and I have loved John Cusack since. No matter how many times I see this movie, it's still fresh and hilarious, and John is in peak form as the Average College Guy, sprinting across the USA to get with the lovely blond fantasy girl. The plot is predictable, but this version of "boy-wants-dumb-chick-ends-up-with-smart-chick" is really witty and terrific. Daphne Zuniga is the perfect Straight (wo)Man to Gib's charming goofiness. Eventually she sees the fun in things, and he sees that not everything is a joke. Someone here said every character has quotable lines, and they are right. Consider outer space, grab a trough of spritzer and watch this movie.

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12 out of 13 people found the following comment useful :-
Is a sure bet, 18 November 2000
Author: gazzo-2 from United States

I like this one. Having always been a fan of Daphne Z, I have to say its strange that her career hasn't taken off better than this promised. She has poise, presance, looks, ability. Cusack himself is still around, be it in 'Thin Red Line' or '8 Men Out' or whatever.

I like how sweet natured this is, and how these kids aren't all cock-sure sex-fiends, unlike in all those other Porky's type flix of the era.

The soundtrack is pretty good too-the Cars, Huey Lewis, Wang Chung, Rod Stewart too. Who would thought that Rob Reiner'd turn out to be such a good director? This was his first traditional movie Move, if you will-after the Psuedo-documentary 'Spinal Tap' from the previous year-and it's a good one.

Very 80s, but a Good 80s flick. You will like this if you get a chance to see it.

*** outta ****

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13 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :-
A late discovery..., 31 August 2004
Author: owlglass from Dunedin, New Zealand

...not just for Gib and Alison, but definitely for this reviewer, who saw this movie for the first time in August 2004!

The plot is simple enough, but Reiner's direction makes the movie a true gem; as do the efforts of Cusack and Zuniga--plus the supporting cast, which include a pre-'Goose' Anthony Andrews and a truly funny Tim Robbins (he's less funny nowadays, of course, but in '85 he exhibited definite comedic talent).

I've decided that this one's right up there with my favorites. One of those movies, with endless quotable lines, that charms you out of your wits without even trying.

Till Noever, Author: KEAEN, Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing, www.owlglass.com

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