29 - "Say Anything" (1989)

     My list isn't just full of dramas, thrillers and comedies. Here's a true romance movie for all of  you out there. When it comes to the genre of Romantic Comedies (RomCom's), I generally despise them for the most part. So many of them have brain dead characters in predictable story lines. But when a movie gets it right, it can really work. Director Cameron Crowe gets it right, and the result is a movie that I consider one of the best ever. John Cusack, arguably the best actor since 1980, stars as Lloyd Dobler, an underachiever who wants to do nothing more with his summer than date Diane Court. Court (Ione Skye) is the beautiful valedictorian of the school who has won a prestigious scholarship to a school in England. Her father James (John Mahoney) is very proud of his daughter and wants nothing but the best for her. For reasons unknown at first, Diane decides to go out with Lloyd one night and she ends up having a great time. She starts seeing more of him and their relationship progresses pretty rapidly but it's not done in bad taste. And that's why Say Anything succeeds, when other movies that are similar fail. Lloyd and Diane seem very real, like basic people you would have known in high school. They respect and care for each others wishes and desires. They have long simple talks. When they do end up making love, the scene is handled very tastefully and doesn't descend into Porky's territory. It is simply one of the most romantic relationships put on film and for that, it succeeds. This movie also happens to have what I would consider one of the best scenes in any motion picture. In the middle of the film, Diane splits with Lloyd because her father doesn't approve of him. He parks outside of her house, grabs a boombox, hoists it over his head, and plays "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel so loud that she can hear it. There is not a word spoken in this scene (other than the music), but the acting that John Cusack gives just in his facial expressions, is Oscar worthy. We know right then that Lloyd truly loves Diane. And we love the both of them.