Be a Man – Don't be a Guy

By chicago_chris in Arts & Entertainment on Jul 21, 2004 6:05PM

John Cusack is undoubtedly one of Chicagoist's favorite hometown boys. (Well, maybe this would be a more appropriate distinction for the non-existent Evanstonist, but we'll count it anyway.) And his quintessential performances – the ones that really feature his trademark endearing, heart-broken, obsessive compulsive sensitive guys – come in High Fidelity's Rob Gordon and Rob's predecessor, Say Anything's Lloyd Dobler. In fact, that whole film is nicely summed up by its tagline, "To know Lloyd Dobler is to love him. Diane Court is about to know Lloyd Dobler."

One of the best movies ever made about teenagers and young love, Say Anything... counts among its many virtues a note-perfect ending and the most memorable use of a Peter Gabriel song in film history. Also worthy of note is the great performance by another Chicagoan, Steppenwolf's John Mahoney. And, of course, there is the sparkling dialogue from writer/director Cameron Crowe, making his feature debut here. Classic lines abound in this movie, including the one that single-handedly sums up Chicagoist's existence,

I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that.

If you've never seen Say Anything... or have only seen it on tape or DVD, head over to Doc Films this Saturday to catch this classic on the big screen.