I Gave Her My Heart, and She Gave Me a Pen...
This post isn't about me, I'm not suffering through some horrible breakup where I put myself on the line, and was cruelly rejected. No, this post is purely and simply about the movie with the title quote, and how I'm realizing how overrated it is.
Yes, I'm referring to Say Anything, the movie that gave millions of dorky guys hope that we could score the hot valedictorian (of which there aren't enough of in real life), and give millions more women hope that someday, a guy will be willing to stand outside in the rain, blaring Peter Gabriel from a boombox to declare his devotion.
Yes the movie is written and directed by Cameron Crowe, who is extremely talented, and yes its an iconic '80s classic, but there are two key scenes that drive me crazy, and I didn't realize it until today.
The first is the love scene: The first time Lloyd and Diane get nekkid, they do it in the back of Lloyd's car at the beach, with In Your Eyes on the radio.
Diane Court: Are you shaking?
Lloyd Dobler: No.
Diane Court: You're shaking.
Lloyd Dobler: I don't think so.
Diane Court: You're cold.
Lloyd Dobler: I don't think I am.
Diane Court: Then why are you shaking?
Lloyd Dobler: I don't know. I think I'm happy.
Okay, so yes its romantic, yes its sweet. But it is so awkwardly shot and spoken that there is no passion between them, no likelihood that she's really given into herself for him. Obviously the dialogue doesn't show this, but let's face it, you've all seen the movie, you know the scene. Where's the love people?
Scene 2: Just after this, Diane goes home to confront her father, and ends up telling him about having sex with Lloyd.
Diane Court: ...then I bagged him anyway... but it always feels good to tell you the truth, b/c if I can't tell you, then it didn't really happen.
I'm sorry, WHAT??? Ladies, you gotta help me out here. I know some of you must be very close to your fathers, but have you ever rushed home from sex to let your father know that you did it, that you're in love, and that if you couldn't tell him about it, it just isn't real? Is that believable in the slightest?
Anyway, so yes, then the movie picks back up again, the funny comes back, aside from her father's imprisonment, they eventually get back together, Gabriel sings his stuff, they fly to England, all is well in the world.
It's strange, I was sure this was one of my top 25 movies of all-time, when people ask for quintessential '80s flicks, this is one of the first ones on my list. But watching it this morning, I'm bored. Diane is neurotic, her dad is a pill, and Lloyd (while being sweet, and the dream of every woman aged 22-35) is actually kind of a whiny layabout who most ladies probably wouldn't put up with his lack of direction if they really had it in their significant other.
So why do we idolize this movie so much? Alright, fire away, call me a heretic, tell me I'm a loveless bastard... let me know how wrong I am...
posted by J @ 2:40 PM
12 Comments:
I'm female, and am not so big on that movie myself. I do like John Cusack in it :), but it's not one that I'd pick to watch again though.
You're right both scenes are kind of badly written.
You are not alone, that movie sucked, then and now. Yes, I'm female... and I used to get bashed about it all the time. MOST wimmin-folk love it and him.
I don't think I've see the movie since it first came out. I liked it...and I even liked the first scene you mention. The dad subplot was lousy, but it was Lloyd's friends and his relationship with Diane that resonated with me.
Awkwardly, I saw the movie with my mom and grandma. Grandma didn't get it. But Mom liked it--it reminded both of us of my relationship with my recent ex, who was also my "first." The movie captured that bittersweet feeling of first love perfectly. The specifics didn't matter.
I probably won't watch it again because I don't want to see the faults. And I'm sentimental.
You heartless unfeeling pig. I won't try to defend this shimmering multifaceted pale blue amethyst of a film to a boor like you, except to edify you on, like, its most obvious point:
"Diane Court: ...then I bagged him anyway... but it always feels good to tell you the truth, b/c if I can't tell you, then it didn't really happen.
To which you mused "I'm sorry, WHAT???"
Let me ask you, if you could sum up the theme of Say Anything in one sentence, might it be: "Dad and daughter are WAY too close." That it's a breaking away film? Would that help you then with this dark and complicated line of dialogue?
I bet you didn't like Gump either. I don't know why Hollywood tries.
The girl who wrote 65 songs about her ex was pretty funny. "Say Anything" reminds me of "River's Edge" for some reason.
best line froma john cusack movie is from better off dead when he threw himself off the bridge landed in a trash truck which passes under a high wire two black men are working on and one says to the other"look some one threw away a perfectly good white boy"
i would never ever ever ever rush home to tell my father about ANYTHING HAVE ANYTHING to do with sex AND/OR romance. the thought makes me want to vomit or hide.
i hate it when a movie once idolized becomes so... not... as you get older. too bad we can't hold on to that blind belief in moviestylelove.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?! That movie is fantastic. Isn't the whole point of romantic movies is that they're so unrealistic? None of that shit EVER happens in real life. Ever. It might have taken me ages to realize that to be true, but I get it now. That said, it's still nice to see movies that can capture a bit of reality while still being idealistic.
I've never understood why everyone thought Lloyd was the dork. He was the one with a million friends and crazy things to do. He was best friends with two chicks, whereas most of the 'cool' guys in my schools only hooked up with girls, never talked to them unless they were friends with his girlfriend. Diane Court didn't know anyone. She was insanely, weirdly close to her father, helped out at the old folks' home, and was super-smart. What about that screams 'cool'?
I took it as someone going for something they wanted. In this case, Lloyd going for Diane. And Diane was the one that ended up winning out, in my opinion.
My favorite line from that movie? Besides Jeremy Piven getting yelled at, "YOU MUST CHILL! YOU MUST CHILL! I have hidden your keys!" When Diane comes to the kickboxing place and Lloyd asks her,
"Let me ask you something. Are you here because you need me or you need someone? You know what? I don't care."
No man would ever say that. EVER. But I still loved it.
It's amazing what almost20 years does to your perspective, isn't it? When I first saw this movie (at age 19) it left me feeling warm and fuzzy. I saw it again a while back and I thought to myself "Why didI think this movie was so special?" I guess I've grown a bit cynical over the years.
People like this movie because it gave hope to creepy ten stalkers everywhere.
Diane Court winds up as one of the women that Cusack laments in High Fidelity...
...you need to come to the Happy Hour next week. Consider this an invite.
wait, did i see this movie? ;)
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