When I was growing up, I outwardly acted like Tom Cruise in TOP GUN (which is odd because I wasn’t the best at anything). Inwardly I felt more like Lloyd Dobler (which is odd because I was never able to tap into his self deprecation).

One might think given the rom-com iconic status of Dobler’s film SAY ANYTHING that it might have been the better course. Well if Sebastian Gutierrez is to be believed, then my emulation of young Cusack might not have been the best choice.

The freshman scribe is the next up in my series of having people look at 80’s staples through fresh eyes, and he breaks down Cameron Crowe’s late eighties opus after the jump.

MH: This is one of my all-time faves, and a film I figured would have aged beautifully. What’d you think?

SG: I thought it was alright: Not incredibly funny and the performances didn’t set my world on fire. The story was passable. It’s not terrible by any means (it’s actually quite good), I just expected more.

MH: “Passable”…they should quote you on that for the dvd box. Surely there were elements of it that you flat out enjoyed.

SG: There are some really hysterical parts, like when Lloyd “gets a picture taken” with Diane, or any of the shenaigans at the graduation party. The moment in the car, post coitus, while not funny in the film, made me laugh hysterically, because I suddenly realized what a panel in Scott Pilgrim #2 was making fun of. Also, Jeremy Piven’s cameo was awesome!

I also really liked how it brought some real world things into the mix, such as the dad getting investigated for tax evasion.

And of course, I really liked John Cusack’s performance. It hit on all the right notes, perfectly balancing the awkward, romantic, and sentimental aspects of the character. The result is a kid who is relatable and real, and not some “woe is me” sad sack.

MH: Funny you mention that. There are theories out there that Lloyd Dobler is the sort of guy every woman wants, and that he sets the bar unreasonably high for the rest of us.

SG: See, I don’t really think so.

Lloyd Dobler sets the bar high because he was a hopelessly romantic, fiercely loyal, borderline obsessed, suitor, but that’s nothing new. He actually doesn’t raise the bar when you consider that he’s a slacker, has virtually no career ambition, and eats way too much canned ham.

MH: No career ambition? What about “kickboxing – sport of the future”? That aside, I think Lloyd is just more focused on what he doesn’t want to do than he is on what he does want to do. Thoughts?

SG: I think Lloyd is received so well despite all that because he sort of embodies the new generation of world leaders. The kind who are willing to forge ahead and make something of themselves on their own terms, rather than what their superiors think.

MH: So he helps the movie work?

SG: Not entirely. What made the movie work was how it took two people who we wouldn’t normally associate with everlasting love (an underachiever and shutoff bookworm) and showed us how even they could be happy in each others arms.
I don’t think women reacted so strongly to Dobler as they did the idea of finding the perfect person for each other.

MH: Ah! Good, a timeless theme. But there’s no way the whole thing is timeless – does it play with a feeling of datedness?

SG: Well, it’s set in the time it was made, so that automatically makes it feel dated. I actually like that though, because any movie that plays Depeche Mode’s “Stripped” is alright by me. That said, I know the jukebox inside the house was a wonderfully sweet and original moment when people first saw it in 89, but it does not hold up well today. More than anything, the way the story progresses seems tired.

From the second the movie started, I could perfectly map out the trajectory of each character, and the relationship between the two love birds would end up.

MH: Is that a knock on Crowe’s writing? (That’s heresy around here sir).

SG: Crowe’s writing varied wildly.

There were moments of brilliance – stuff that foreshadowed the genius of Almost Famous – and then there was stuff that made me want to shove razor blades in my ears. The very first conversation of the entire movie is a chore to listen to, and even though it’s smoother from there, it did not start the movie off on a good note. No sir.

MH: I see what you’re saying there, but when considering stale dialogue and tired storylines, we have to remember context. Considering the fact that you have watched twenty years worth of teen-focused rom-coms that have tried to emulate this flick…?

SG: That is absolutely the case. If Say Anything hadn’t become so popular, that boombox stunt probably wouldn’t have become as iconic, and thus, not as recognizable and done to death today.

MH: You say that as though you are a man who has tried that very tactic.

SG: I’ve toyed with the idea of blasting “Come What May” outside some girl’s window, but, for starters, I live in a city, and the complaints from the neighbors would just be a pain to deal with.

Sadly, by the time I was old enough to actually be taking things like that seriously, the jukebox in front of the window was being parodied on South Park, and, last I checked, cliche will not win the fair ladies heart.

You try pulling that on someone in 2011, and all you’ll get is a snide “You got that from a movie, didn’t you?” Do it in the alternate 2011 that I sometimes wished we all lived in, where Say Anything made barely a blip when it came out, and you’ll be the toast of the evening.

A friend of mine did do his own version of this involving his car, a sign reading “Prom?” and Van Morrison’s “Have I Told You Lately”. Needless, he’s a lot smoother than me.

MH: Fuck that’s a great idea. back to the dialogue for a second – you’re about the age of the characters in this film. Are they speaking the way you speak, or the way a grown adult writer thinks you speak?

SG: It’s close. It was a very honest representation of how teens spoke in 89, which isn’t all that different from how they speak now.

Conversations with your significant other are always serious, because the same things are still important. Since most of SAY ANYTHING is Lloyd and Diane, it’s pretty accurate. When it comes to the conversations between friends, like when Lloyd is chatting with Jeremy Piven and his bros, it’s also not that far off. There’s a lot more foul language these days though. Damn that rap music.

MH: Whippersnappers! How about the ending? It’s always been one of my favorites.

SG: The ending was really good. I was rolling my eyes at the idea that he would be going to London with her, but the scene on the plane was fantastic, and it ended at just the right moment.

MH: Why were you rolling your eyes? We’ve already established that he was a charming slacker, it’s not like he was giving up any big opportunity to run away with her.

SG: If it was me, I might have stayed behind, tried to make something of myself, while she did the same thing. I mean, I would be wracked with jealousy and fear that she would go off with some other dude, but, if it’s meant to be as these two feel it is, cheating won’t even enter into their minds.

MH: Well that’s why he’s Lloyd Dobler, bar-setter extraordinaire…and you’re not. You sorta sound disappointed by the whole film.

SG: I wouldn’t say I was disappointed. It was a good movie, and a very good example of a romantic comedy done right. But, yes, it didn’t live up to the hype that everyone created for it. Off the top of my head, I can name five romantic comedies that have come out since Say Anything that are ten times better. One of them even stars John Cusack. But, that’s all just the times I grew up in. Who knows. In a few years, maybe I’ll have a greater respect for the film.

MH: On a scale of 1 to 5?

SG: I’d say a 3.5

***Editor’s note, every film in this series…films considered “Modern Classics” by some…have landed themselves a 3.5 score from the bloggers I’ve tasked with watching them for the first time***