TheMunkeyBoy I was 12 when this movie was made. Somehow I got through all of high school and my young adult life not seeing this movie. I knew references and scenes from it but, never seen it. So I decided to watch it. I was afraid I'd not like it and not "get it" why others have loved it. I did like it. It's not timeless - it's dated. And that was fine with me. It was part of the charm. It was nostalgic and I'd never seen it. It may be a little slow paced for some but, I just thought it was a simple story that held my attention.

Daisy Victoria Edwards Awh, this film is cute, you know. I wouldn't say it's amazing but for what it is, it's entertaining, I cared about the characters and I got frustrated when the plot didn't go the way I wanted it to. I wanna give this a rewatch now I know the plot so I can appreciate the other things which I don't think I did enough of i.e. music, side characters, acting etc. I was just in the mood to watch an old-school romance and that's what I got. The boombox scene (which is all I knew about this movie) wasn't as WHOAH as I expected but maybe that's what's so great about it, is that it wasn't a big overblown plot point but it still has a place in lots of audiences hearts. I think this could be a regular go-to film for me. John Cusack is a little cutie and his hopeless romantic character is a believable and real performance. As is Diane Court who's family struggles bring an unexpected struggle to the couple. The ending is so heart-warming and leaves you wanting a little bit more but that's what you want from a film. You're put in the characters shoes. You're happy and got what you want with the couple but you have no idea what's round the corner, just hope and love.

Thomas Drufke Cameron Crowe is one of those directors that is incredibly gifted at writing great characters that feel like they are having real relationships. Whether it be parents to children, unlikely friendships, or just great romance, Crowe always finds a way to get the best out of actors and that always starts with his scripts. Say Anything tells the story of Lloyd, a well mannered 19 year old who lives in the now, and Diane, a valedictorian with everything good coming her way, and how a relationship like that may blossom over the course of the summer before college.Some may shrug at the fact that Lloyd may have no business in being with a girl of her stature, but the film does a nice job of making the romance believable. Having not known each other in high school, Lloyd decides to take his chances and just call and ask her on a date. Of course, she's very hesitant at first but by simply saying "he made me laugh" was enough for me. It's true, a laugh can go a long way in getting to know something in whatever aspect possible. Now 26 years later you can definitely feel the influence that this film had on coming of age films even to this day. The Spectacular Now takes a similar premise and also was very successful. It's hard to nail a high school film, but Say Anything did a pretty good job. I also appreciated the way they portrayed Diane's relationship with her father. It was clearly a close bond they had, and for 3/4 of the movie I felt like it wasn't clichéd at all. There wasn't the typical Disney moments of "it's my dream dad, not yours". Now, towards the end of the film I think that same relationship was sacrificed for certain plot points. Knowing that the film isn't all that unpredictable, I should have guessed certain things would happen, but I felt like the last third of the movie felt too much like all the other Hollywood films.There are a lot of classic Crowe moments like when Lloyd is constantly getting advice from his close girlfriends or even his guy friends, so there's no shortage of laughs or fun moments. The film also contains a fantastic score and soundtrack, which are also Crowe trademarks. The famous boombox scene is shorter than I thought and doesn't hold as much of a bearing on the film's outcome as I had heard. But Say Anything is still a well done coming of age film with real characters with real moments.+Soundtrack/score +Real romance +Everyone is well written +Felt like I was living it with them -3rd acts left turn 7.7/10

SnoopyStyle It's graduation at a Seattle high school. Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) vows to go out with Diane Court (Ione Skye). His friends Corey Flood (Lili Taylor) explain to Lloyd that she's a brain and they won't fit. He's living with his single mom sister Constance (Joan Cusack). She's the valedictorian on her way to England with a hard won scholarship. Her only friend is her father Jim (John Mahoney) who owns a nursing home. She regrets being detached from her schoolmates and is intrigued with Lloyd. Her father disapproves of Lloyd and the slacker distraction he represents.This is one of the most sincere of the teen rom-com genre. It's more than the iconic boombox scene. John Cusack seems perfectly fitted to play this charming nice guy. He has great friends and he's a perfect gentleman. He's like a prince charming and it's completely believable that Diane would fall heavily for Lloyd. Written and directed by Cameron Crowe, this movie takes the genre seriously which often easily falls into broad slacker comedy.