Details
Movie Description
When free-spirited but juvenile Walter "Gib" Gibson (John Cusack) meets studious, uptight Alison Bradbury (Daphne Zuniga) at an unnamed Ivy League college, sparks fly; unfortunately, they are mostly of the disastrous variety as all of Gib's attempts at courtship fall painfully apart. Inevitably, the duo is tossed together when they both answer the same ad for a ride to California. While Alison is traveling to reunite with her tidy law school boyfriend, Gib is on the road to meet a beautiful girl his best friend promises him is "a sure thing." Before too long, Gib and Alison's bickering inflames the driver, who promptly deposits the two with their suitcases on the side of a lonely highway thousands of miles from their destination. As the misadventures pile up, the initially contentious pair begin to take a liking to one another--but do these two dare fall in love?
Rob Reiner's initial attempt at romantic comedy pays subtle homage, with gentle lyricism, to the classic screwballs of early Hollywood. The film is buoyed by the stellar performances of the two leads, Cusack (in one of his first significant roles) and Zuniga, who are reminiscent of the great studio pairings of the past.
Synopsis
Gib, a beer-guzzling slob, and Alison, an uptight Ivy-Leaguer, are an unlikely duo stuck together on a cross-country trip during Christmas break. At first they grate on each other's nerves but, as time passes, they find their divergent natures complement each other. Now they need to realize what they've already found before it's too late.
Film Notes
DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary - 1. Rob Reiner - Director
Featurette - 1. Mult-Part Making of... Featurette
Trailers - 1. Original Theatrical Trailer
Isolated Audio Track - 1. Trivia Track
THE SURE THING features early screen appearances by John Cusack, Tim Robbins, Anthony Edwards, and Daphne Zuniga.
Cusack and Robbins would star together in TAPEHEADS in 1988. Cusack would later appear in many of Robbins's directorial efforts.
Industry Reviews
"...Cusack demonstrates his character's fundamental decency....[His] underlying steadiness anchors the film..." -- Rating: B+
Campbell
"...The surest thing here is the inspiration guiding [the film makers]....Beguiling..."
Maslin
"...Cusack and Zuniga are real finds, as talented as they are intelligent....Lots of film have sweetness and humor, but THE SURE THING also has smarts..."
Los Angeles Times - Kevin Thomas (03/01/1985)
"...A refreshing, charming and quietly wonderful love story..."
Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert (08/21/1992)
"Rob Reiner directed THE SURE THING as the follow-up project to his untoppable THIS IS SPINAL TAP, and it's still one of his best..."
USA Today - Mike Clark (08/08/2003)
"[T]his is a near-not perfect comedy that demonstrates Reiner's sure hand in any genre."
Uncut - Andrew Sumner (09/01/2005)
Quotations
"Don't even bother, Gib. I hear she only goes for the intelligent type."--Bobby (Robert Anthony Marcucci) to Walter "Gib" Gibson (John Cusack)
"I'm intelligent and stuff...."--Gib
"Live a little. Go to bed when you want to and not when you think you should. Eat foods that are bad for you. Talk to people whose clothes aren't color coordinated. Make love in a hammock. Life is the ultimate experience. You have to experience life in order to write about it."--Professor Taub (Viveca Linfors) to Alison Bradbury (Daphne Zuniga)
"What was that part after 'hammock?'"--Alison
"Hi, I'm Gary Cooper...but not the one who's dead."--Gary Cooper (Tim Robbins)
"Would you like to have a sexual experience that will change your political orientation?"--Gib to a girl at a party
"Kid, I've never had a sure thing in my life."--Trucker (Larry Hankin)
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