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| Sure Thing, The |
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 (10/10)
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Runtime: 100 |
| Public Rating: 8.70 (23 votes) |
Director: Rob Reiner |
MPAA Rating:  |
| Genre: Romantic Comedy |
Year: 1985 |
| Writer(s): Steven Bloom, Jonathan Roberts |
| Reviewed by: Nate Anderson |
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“If I fail English, that’s it. Kiss college goodbye. Gee, Dad will be pissed. I figure I’ll have a six-month grace period and then I gotta get a job. That’s right, they’ll start me at the drive-thru window and I gradually work my way from shakes to burgers, and then one day, my lucky break comes. The French-fry guy dies and they offer me the job. But the day I’m supposed to start, some men in a black Lincoln Continental tell me I can make a quick 300 just for driving a van back from Mexico. When I get out of jail, I’m 36 years old. Living in a flophouse. No job, no upward mobility, very few teeth. And then one day the find me, face down in the gutter, clutching a bottle of paint thinner, and why? Because you wouldn’t help me in English!”
There are a certain number of movies that get better every time you see them. For me, The Sure Thing is that movie. Even if it isn’t perfect it seems that way to you. It’s an wonderful, funny film, and also the most accurate depiction of college life I have ever seen.
The film begins at a high school graduation party. Gib (John Cusack) is hitting on girls, spouting an interesting line about launching a man and a woman into outer space, as a cosmic Adam and Eve. He then finishes this story with the line, “Would you like to have a sexual encounter so powerful it could possibly change your political views?” Of course, the girls don’t fall for this.
Gib sits up on the hill overlooking the party. His friend, Lance (Anthony Edwards), joins him, and tries to comfort him, telling him that he’s too intellectual for high school girls.
Flash forward to the following winter. The term is about to go into winter break. Gib tries to get a date with English classmate Allison (Daphne Zuniga), and does so by convincing her to help him with his English, with the extensive (and hilarious) speech dictated completely above. They meet in the Library, and Gib gets bored and says they should go exploring. They wind up on the roof. Gib points out star constellations. Allison let’s out her extensive knowledge of ancient mythology, and there’s actually some chemistry between the two. So, naturally, Gib has to go and ruin it with his “outer space speech.” Allison immediately catches on, hits him, and walks away.
Gib gets a letter from Lance with a picture of “The Sure Thing,” a girl out in California that wants to sleep with Gib, sight unseen. Gib immediately runs out to find a ride to LA
He finds one in the form of Tim Robbins, who along with his girlfriend, agrees to give him a ride. As he gets into the car, he is horrified to find the other passenger is Allison. They bicker all through the car ride, in between Gib’s consumption of Snowballs and downing beers in a truly original fashion (you punch a hole in the side, place your mouth around it and pop the top and apparently the entire contents go right down your throat.)
In the midst of their bickering, they manage to get themselves kicked out of the car, when Allison is dared to, and follows through with flashing passerbys. They are pulled over, and Tim is given a ticket. Gib makes it worse by also mentioning that Tim was driving with a load that wasn't properly tied down. Tim, in a rage, throws them out of the car and drives off. Gib and Allison are on their own.
They, of course, go through many, many adventures. Allison helps Gib mature a little, and in return, Gib helps Allison loosen up a little.
Rob Reiner directed The Sure Thing. It was only his second film at the time, and is well done. The film is very funny, with wonderful performances by John Cusack and Daphne Zuniga. It really has a timeless feel to it, unlike other 80’s films. A very fun film.
(Note: I know you’re asking what happens after Gib and Allison are stranded on the road, but I’m not telling you so you’ll go see the movie, silly. Besides, I don’t want to ruin any more jokes.)
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