Line #8 Film/SayAnything


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sayanythingustheatrical.jpg]]
2
3	->''"I am looking for a dare to be great situation."''
4	-->-- '''Lloyd Dobler'''
5
6	''Say Anything...'' is a 1989 HighSchool RomanticComedy film starring Creator/JohnCusack and Creator/IoneSkye. It was the directorial debut of Creator/CameronCrowe, who also wrote the screenplay.
7
8	Lloyd Dobler (Cusack) is an unambitious C student who pursues valedictorian Diane Court (Skye) after graduation. They fall in love, but unfortunately, Mr. Court (Creator/JohnMahoney) doesn't approve of having this slacker in his perfect daughter's life.
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10	AFI named this as one of the Top 100 romantic movies of the last hundred years, and Creator/RogerEbert considered it the ''greatest'' romantic movie made since 1980. [[SignatureScene There's a well-known scene from this film]] where Lloyd [[BalconyWooingScene holds a boombox]] playing Music/PeterGabriel's "[[Music/{{So}} In Your Eyes]]" over his head. Contrary to what you may have heard, this does not win her back, but that scene has become almost iconic. Also, there's some stuff about the IRS investigating Mr. Court for embezzlement.
11
12	Creator/LiliTaylor is Corey, Lloyd's best friend. Creator/JoanCusack, John Cusack's sister, plays...Lloyd's sister Constance. Creator/BebeNeuwirth appears briefly as Lloyd's teacher, who shows up at the graduation party to give him some advice. Creator/JeremyPiven pops up briefly as another member of Lloyd's graduating class. Creator/LorenDean is Corey's awful ex-boyfriend Joe. Creator/LoisChiles is in one scene as Diane's mom.
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14	Not to be confused with the [[Music/SayAnything emo band]] of the same name.
15
16	----
17	!!This film provides examples of:
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19	* AbortedArc: Corey being hung up over the undeserving Joe is a notable plot point early on, but it never really gets resolved.
20	* AutoErotica: Lloyd and Diane consummate their relationship in the back seat of Lloyd's car. Lloyd is more nervous than Diane is.
21	* BalconyWooingScene: TropeCodifier of its own variant which has gone on to become a StockShoutOut; see the lead paragraph for details.
22	* BecauseImGoodAtIt: This how Lloyd explains to Jim Court why he belongs with Diane.
23	-->'''Lloyd:''' What I really want to do with my life - what I want to do for a living - is I want to be with your daughter. I'm ''good'' at it.
24	* BoyfriendBlockingDad: Jim is hyper-focused on Diane's future and her onwards and upwards academic career, and he doesn't want her dating a kickboxer with limited ambition.
25	* BrainyBrunette: Diane. She is the Uber-brain who has been so successful in high school that she has earned a scholarship to study in England. However she is afraid that she has missed out on a social life.
26	* BrickJoke: Diane's fear of flying comes back in the end of the film.
27	* BrokenPedestal: Diane learns some unpleasant truths about her father.
28	* CallBack: The pen.
29	** Also, the boombox scene. The song Lloyd plays is the same one that was on the radio when they became lovers.
30	** There's a CallBack to the TitleDrop near the end. The first time the title is dropped is when Mr. Court says that Diane can say anything to him, and she proceeds to tell him that she and Lloyd had sex. She refers to this at the climax, when she's found out that her father is guilty.
31	-->'''Diane''': I know I can say anything to you. ''You're a liar and a thief''.
32	* TheCameo: Chynna Phillips (daughter of [[Music/TheMamasAndThePapas John and Michelle Phillips]], later member of Wilson Phillips) plays Mimi, Joe's girlfriend.
33	* CannotTellAJoke: Diane tries to insert one in her valedictorian speech, and it falls completely flat.
34	* CelebrityParadox: Kickboxing star Don "The Dragon" Wilson is an idol of Lloyd, yet he plays Lloyd's sparring partner at the karate gym. (Although, he could possibly be playing himself since kickboxing was not a very noteworthy sport at the time.)
35	* CensorshipBySpelling: When Lloyd and his sister Constance get into an argument in front of his young nephew Jason (Constance wants Lloyd to act like Jason's uncle and not just someone to have fun with, while Lloyd wishes Constance was as fun as she used to be):
36	-->'''Lloyd''': I mean, I'm sorry that T-I-M left you. But I am ''not'' T-I-M!
37	* ClassPrincess: PeerlessLoveInterest and valedictorian Diane is viewed as aloof by her classmates due to her academic focus, but once Lloyd dares to approach her and invite her to a party, she gets along well with classmates from various cliques and social classes despite being out of her depth.
38	* CorruptCorporateExecutive: [[spoiler:Mr. Court]].
39	--> "I'M INCARCERATED, LLOYD!"
40	* CreatorCameo: Polly Platt, one of the producers, plays Corey's mother, who tells her, "[[PunctuatedForEmphasis Don't. Talk. to Joe.]]"
41	* CreditCardDestruction: The first sign of Mr. Court's impending arrest for fraud is when he tries to buy Diane a gift and the store clerk apologetically informs him that she has to destroy his card.
42	* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: Lloyd's detailed explanation of what he ''doesn't'' want in a career.
43	-->'''Lloyd''': I don't want to buy anything, sell anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to buy anything sold or processed, or sell anything bought or processed, or process anything bought or sold... or processed."
44	* DidYouJustHaveSex: Corey picks up on this immediately when meeting Lloyd, after he had sex with Diane.
45	-->'''Corey''': Look at his face, he did the deed!
46	* DrivenToSuicide: [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]], as this is part of Corey's BackStory with Joe:
47	-->'''Corey''': I wrote 63 songs this year; they're all about Joe, and I'm going to play ''every single one of them'' tonight.\
48	'''Rebecca''': I just saw Joe. He's here.\
49	'''Corey''': ({{Beat}}) [[{{Hypocrite}} Well, you don't have to get dramatic about it]].\
50	'''D.C.''': You ''did'' try to kill yourself over the guy.\
51	'''Rebecca''': What was it like, Corey? I've always wanted to know.\
52	'''D.C.''': She explained it all on ''Wake Up Seattle'' - where were you?
53	* EstablishingCharacterMoment: see above.
54	* FriendlyRivalry: [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]] at the party:
55	-->'''Sheila''': I know we were ultra-competitive this year, but I just want to say if it wasn't for "Diane Court woe", I probably wouldn't have gotten into Cornell, 'cause you made me study twice as hard. So thanks.\
56	'''Diane''': You did the same for me.\
57	'''Sheila''': I ''did''?
58	* GrayRainOfDepression: It's pouring rain outside when Lloyd, in a phone booth (1989!) makes a despairing call to his sister telling her that Diane broke up with him.
59	* IntelligenceEqualsIsolation: Diane is valedictorian of her high school but knows almost no one, she actually ends up meeting people for the first time and becoming friends at the WildTeenParty after graduation. It's explained she was actually a prodigy taking college courses, so she literally was isolated from most of her classmates.
60	* IntimidatingRevenueService:
61	** A brief and innocuous meeting from tax agents one night gradually increases and increases until eventually Mr. Court is reduced to sitting in the bathtub on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
62	** Downplayed with Diane's meeting with the IRS agent (played by Creator/PhilipBakerHall), who is blunt but still sympathetic of her situation.
63	* IvyLeagueForEveryone: Diane wins the Reed Fellowship early on, so she'll be studying in England in the fall. Sheila, who was competing with Diane academically all through high school, gets into Cornell, and at the party, she credits Diane for motivating her to study enough so she'd get in. Averted, of course, with Lloyd, who won't even make an appointment for junior college.
64	* LuckyCharmsTitle: The title is specifically ''Say Anything...'', with the trailing ellipsis.
65	* ManicPixieDreamGirl: RareMaleExample in Lloyd Dobler.
66	* MeaningfulName: The film's called ''Say Anything'' because Diane's dad insists that she tell him everything. It adds to the DramaticIrony when you realize at the film's end [[spoiler: how he wasn't completely honest with his daughter.]]
67	* MilitaryBrat: Lloyd. It seems his father is stationed in Germany.
68	* MissingMom[=/=]DisappearedDad: Lloyd's parents are spending time in Germany, and are only mentioned in passing. Lloyd doesn't even refer to his father as "dad". The one time he mentions him, Lloyd calls his father "The Colonel".
69	** Lloyd's sister's ex, identified only as "T, I, M", is a DisappearedDad to Lloyd's nephew. (To such an extent that he's also TheGhost.)
70	** Also, Diane's mom, after the divorce. She appears in one scene.
71	* MoodWhiplash: One scene starts out with Jim pretty happy, and getting flirted with by the sales clerk... until she runs his credit card and tells him that all his accounts are frozen and that she has to destroy the card. We cut to Jim having a [[ShowerOfAngst breakdown in his bathroom]].
72	* MotorMouth: Lloyd, when nervous. Which, given the nature of the film, is basically all the time (Corey calls it [[BuffySpeak "that nervous talking thing"]]).
73	* NiceGuy: Lloyd. He spends all night driving some drunk kid home while said drunk kid tries to remember where his house is.
74	* NobodyThinksItWillWork: TropeNamer, said at the end, when Diane and Lloyd have finally cast caution aside and are flying off to England together.
75	-->'''Diane''': Nobody thought we'd do this. Nobody thinks it will work, do they?\
76	'''Lloyd''': No. You just described every great success story.
77	* NoIndoorVoice: Jason, Lloyd's nephew, is like this (to be fair, he's only five years old).
78	-->'''Constance''': I just washed this shirt, didn't I?\
79	'''Jason''': YEAH!\
80	'''Constance''': Please, not in my ear, not in my ear!
81	* ObsessionSong: Corey's songs about Joe. The content of the songs is not quite evidence that they're obsessive, but the fact that she wrote more than five dozen of them is hard to get around.
82	--> '''Corey:''' I wrote 63 songs this year; they're all about Joe, and I'm going to play ''every single one of them'' tonight.
83	* OneOfTheBoys: Somewhat inverted. Lloyd has a couple of male acquaintances but his primary friendships/ relationships are with women.
84	* OppositesAttract: Golden girl Diane and slacker Lloyd? Ha!
85	-->'''Sheila:''' Did you really come here with Lloyd Dobler? (''Diane nods'') How did that ''happen''?
86	* PeerlessLoveInterest: Diane Court. Since she's beautiful and the valedictorian, everyone assumes that she's completely unapproachable. When Lloyd Dobler asks her out and she accepts, everyone is astonished--not least of all Diane (who at first seems to regret the idea) and Lloyd too for that matter.
87	-->'''Mike Cameron:''' I don't know you very well, you know, but I wanted to ask you... how'd you get Diane Court to go out with you?\
88	'''Lloyd Dobler:''' I called her up.\
89	'''Mike Cameron:''' But how come it worked? I mean, like, what are you?\
90	'''Lloyd Dobler:''' I'm Lloyd Dobler.\
91	'''Mike Cameron:''' This is great! This gives me hope! Thanks!
92	* RealisticDictionIsUnrealistic: Lloyd can be a MotorMouth and a lot of the words he uses and poetry in putting them together belies the idea he is an uneducated slacker. Cusack's delivery helps sell the idea he is more rambling rather than being carefully put together.
93	* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: The IRS agent is very sympathetic toward Diane, understanding how difficult it is to find out that one's father is a criminal, but he is still going to do his job.
94	* RedemptionInTheRain
95	* TheRuntAtTheEnd: Lloyd is hanging out at the gas station with all the other losers who hang out at the gas station. There's a pan down four young men as they give Lloyd variations on the same bit of advice, namely to get another girl and forget about Diane. The line ends with the fifth young man, who is actually a boy of no more than twelve. His advice?
96	-->"Bitches, man!"
97	* SatelliteLoveInterest: Discussed. What Lloyd ''really'' wants to do for a living is be one for Diane, because 1) he's good at it and 2) she pretty clearly needs it. (And 3) she could probably serve as an effective breadwinner, push come to shove.) Mr. Court sees this as evidence that Lloyd isn't good enough for her.
98	* SerenadeYourLover: The dominant example of the trope in public consciousness.
99	* SexChangesEverything: Discussed. After [[VirginVision Corey and D.C. figure out Lloyd has slept with Diane]], Lloyd tries to act like nothing will change between him and Diane, but Corey isn't having any of it:
100	-->'''Corey''': Lloyd, listen to me - ''everything'' has changed. You've had sex! No matter what you might think, nothing will ever be the same between you two. You might be 60, you might be walking down the street, and you'll talk to her about something, whatever - but what you'll really be thinking is, "We had sex."
101	* ShowerOfAngst: Jim sits in the bathtub, fully clothed with no water running, as he tries not to have a breakdown about his impending legal problems.
102	* StalkingIsLove: Lloyd's pursuit of Diane, and specifically the boombox scene, can be seen as this. On the other hand, Lloyd ''does'' finally accept the end of the relationship after it fails.
103	* StealingFromTheTill: [[spoiler:Diane's dad is a thief who steals from the people he's supposed to take care of.]]
104	* SuspiciousSpending: The IRS agent gives a very useful primer on how to spot it -- lots of expensive-but-not-too-expensive purchases you can pay for in cash, such as fancy furniture, art, stereo equipment. The next scene highlights the fact that Diane's house has all of these things, in abundance.
105	** [[{{Foreshadowing}} It's also foreshadowed]] in the dinner scene, when Lloyd admires the jukebox, and Mr. Court remembers how he bought it from someone for nine thousand dollars.
106	* ThoseTwoGuys: Corey, D.C. and Rebecca, Lloyd's three female friends.
107	* TitleDrop: "You know you can ''say anything'' to me." Mr. Court to Diane, the morning after she was out all night with Lloyd, right before she confesses to losing her virginity. The irony here is that Mr. Court is keeping secrets from his daughter.
108	* UptownGirl: Fancy, rich, stylishly dressed Diane Court.
109	* VirginVision: Lloyd's friends can tell instantly after Lloyd and Diane do the deed. Lloyd will only say "I admit nothing." (then again, the ''huge'' shit-eating grin on his face is a dead giveaway).
110	* WhamLine: IRS Agent Stewart starts putting it together that Diane's dad is stealing from the people in his care. Diane talks to him privately at length about all of her father's good qualities. Stewart says he believes her, but then replies as gently as possible not to let her father's decisions affect her life...
111	-->"...[[AwfulTruth Because he's guilty]]."
112	* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: Corey does this to Lloyd after Diane breaks up with him:
113	-->'''D.C.''': Lloyd, why do you have to be like this?\
114	'''Lloyd''': Because I'm a guy. I have pride.\
115	'''Corey''': No, you're not a guy.\
116	'''Lloyd''': I am.\
117	'''Corey''': No, the world is full of guys. Be a ''man''. Don't be a ''guy''.
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Context Film / SayAnything