MovieChat Forums > Say Anything... (1989) Discussion > Very Disappointing.

Very Disappointing.

posted 17 years ago by dogma66605
75 replies | jump to latest

I was horribly disappointed by this movie. It just seemed like nothing was happening for a reason. Nothing blended. Nothing meshed.

There's this boy. He wants to go out with this girl he doesn't know and seems to already be hopelessly in love with. He takes her out to a party. He is unrealistically only friends with these two girls who he has nothing in common with. One of them had sex with a guy and writes songs about it and then confronts him but what happened is never explained and the whole scene is unnecessary. But that doesn't matter because they never touch on it again. Then Lloyd and Diane go on about two more dates. Then fall madly in love for some reason and have sex. She tells her dad and he doesn't care. She walks into her house at 8 in the morning and he doesn't care. She's super smart and "ONLY HAS 16 weeks before she leaves" to go to England for her scholarship. Why is she so hesitant to start hanging out with a guy she just met? Does she really think from that point that seeing him will make her have to commit for more than four months? 16 months is a long time. They fall in love way too fast and I don't buy it at all. And it's supposed to be some destined undying love. But it's just a snoozefest. Scene after scene of meaningless irrelevance. How dare Roger Ebert say in his review that they must've studied teenagers when writing this film. The two main teenagers seem to know a whole lot more about love than the average kid and the other secondary teenagers are mindless stereotypes. The party scene was embarrassing. I'm sorry about that mindless rant, but that movie just seemed equally mindless. It had no aim. No direction. I'm not saying it was badly written... just badly put together.

The response to this movie confuses me so much. It's a love story with no reason behind the love and no depth behind the story. It's just an unrealistic look into the love lives of some really unrealistic kids. I love movies that capture the audience, make them live through the characters. I couldn't relate to anything in this movie and I couldn't understand while watching it HOW I was supposed to feel what any of the characters were feeling when no reason was ever given to show WHY they felt that way. Isn't this movie considered "overlooked" or something? I can see why a lot of people overlooked it.

Never has a movie was such brilliant reviews disappointed me so much. What a godawful pretentious mess.

[–] DMRyanEsq 16 years ago

I think I can understand the problem. But for me, it is a great movie. Is there a lack of depth? I think it depends how you look at it. Is there a lack of motive? Sure. But does that make it unrealistic? Not at all. Since when did real life need reasons or motive? When did real life have to have depth? Sometimes it just is what it is. Maybe if you didn't know anybody that was like that, I can see where you would think it is more unbelievable. But I actually know people that are like both Lloyd and Diane. So for me, it was very believable. There are poeple who barely know eachother and after only briefly knowing and dating each other, get married on a whim. It happens in this world. So the idea of them falling in love for no other reason than impulse is very realistic.

On a side note, I am watching the scene where she comes home and tells her dad she spent the night with him. If you think he didn't care when she walked in the house, I'm not sure we were watching the same movie. He read her the riot act. He talked about calling the police and hospitals. She told him about doing the nasty with Lloyd, and her dad looked like he was at a loss for words, but even though any parent would feel uneasy about a conversation like that, I think he found some comfort in the fact that she actually talked to him about it and told the truth, and actually justified it by describing what led up to it and how she felt about it. So I'm not sure where you would get that he didn't care.

[–] gkpete 16 years ago

Loved it. Great flick. I don't seem to have any of the contrived problems with this movie I've read here.

[–] Howlin Wolf 16 years ago

But does that make it unrealistic? Not at all. Since when did real life need reasons or motive? When did real life have to have depth? Sometimes it just is what it is.

... but what's puzzling is that when events have no possible motive, then one would have thought that there isn't a reason to tell the story.

I like the colour red. No particular reason why, I just do. There would seem little point in making a movie about my preference unless there's some kind of interesting rationale behind it.

There are tons of guy meets girl stories out there. If anyone had a mind to, they could tell the exact same story over and over again, changing only the names and faces of the people concerned. Generally though, any romance movie tries to have a different element to its story that makes it stand out. The reason this felt so bland is that, if you took away the pleasing efforts of the actors involved, there wasn't enough quirks in the tale - and that's because the people it was happening to were all too ordinary and sensible!

It's not unbelievable, but if I know people EXACTLY like that then it's just ordinary - and I want to see something different in a way that justifies the large-scale expansion of being developed for the big screen.

It's made from bits of real panther, so you know it's good...

[–] lei3 16 years ago

I don't think I could disagree more! lol I think this one of the most romantic movies ever.

I'll break it down bit by bit...

1.) I don't think Lloyd was only friends with two people. I think they were the two best friends- his two closest friends. I have two friends who i spend a lot of time with, but they aren't the only people I'm friends with or the only people I hang out with. And he was obviously quite well-known given his welcome at the grad party.

2.) Cameron Crowe is kind of known for his "true to life" situations. I think he was just poking fun at the melodramatic relationships of high schoolers. Corey feels so upset and distressed over her breakup with this dorky jerk Joe that she writes a million songs about him and tries to kill herself. Then when he wants her again, she realizes that she doesn't need him like she thought she did. Just like a lot of high school romances...

3.) Lloyd and Diane didn't just go on two more dates. I mean yeah, they fell in love quickly, but there was a whole montage of scenes that led up to the beach scene.

4.) Diane and her father did not have a conventional father-daughter relationship. Diane may have been well-known, but she had no real friends to speak of. She spent all her time studying, or working, or with her father. And due to her being sort of an oddball compared to her classmates- her father became her best friend. I think he was afraid to lose her to Lloyd, which is why he didn't reprimand her when she came in at 8am, or when she told him she had slept with Lloyd.

Her father was also a very manipulative character. He manipulated the patrons of his retirement center into giving him money (which he embezzled), he TRIED to manipulate the cops when he was questioned about the money, and he manipulated Diane into feeling guilty for spending more time with Lloyd than with him. Diane trusted her Dad and didn't question his motives.

I think this movie is very real as far as the emotions involved go. Its not some contrived EPIC romance (which is maybe why you found it boring), but I think that's where the realism lies. Its two teenagers who fall in love over a summer and defy the odds and others opinions of the situation.

All that matters is how they feel about each other, and screw everyone else.

Next thing you know, money's missing off the dresser and your daughter's knocked up! - Tommy Boy

[–] pageed752003 16 years ago

How old are you ? You must be 17 or something. It was made 20 years, you wanted understand!!

[–] ForTommy2Lookie 16 years ago

I have to agree with you, dogma. Even back in the day when this first came out, I always thought it fell short against other 80's romance films. I thought Better Off Dead was John Cusack's best work back then. Not to say this movie was terrible in anyway... It had a few really good moments, but all in all... I just wasn't pleased with it.

Maybe the best way to say it is that everything seemed to happen to "quickly." I DID like how the movie began right off the bat with Lloyd's character crazy about her with no explanation why. It really worked. We didn't NEED to know that backstory to that. But then the "falling in love" part throughout just wasn't believable to me. I dunno, I guess that's the fun of movies. We here on these message boards can debate, and that's what makes watching films so enjoyable.

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] audonamission 16 years ago

I was kind of thinking about all of this, and do you remember being in high school? When you see your friends date people and you're like, "Why do they like each other? When EXACTLY did they suddenly fall in love?" It's kind of like that. You like someone because you like someone, it doesn't have to be explained in cute quirky scenes that show how right two people are for one another. That's why I like this movie.

What Would Leatherface Do?

[–] itrhymeswithoranges 16 years ago

You saw this movie, you didn't watch it.

formerly not_so_much

[–] brackster 16 years ago

I agree with this statement completely.

[–] areohbeewhyen 16 years ago

I agree. I was pretty disappointed.
"What a godawful pretentious mess" = truth.

[–] bstegeo 16 years ago

I expected a much more enjoyable movie. Extremely boring and overrated.

[–] greensweater 16 years ago

I agree with a lot of the earlier posts, this movie was pretty bland.

I felt the same way about Jerry Maguire- sappy, boring, and it dragged on too long.

Ione Skye was too robotic to sell Diane Court as an interesting character. Now- I'm not pretending I'm some connoisseur of brilliant acting, but her lines came off as so cold and unfeeling, it felt like direct line readings from a teleprompter. I never felt any chemistry or heat between her and Lloyd. So by the time when they finally consummate the relationship, I end wishing they would get on with it so this movie could be over.

There's just something off about the whole movie. I can't believe the same man who wrote Fast Times and Almost Famous wrote Say Anything. Not a terrible movie, just a boring, flat one.

"Never follow a hippie to a second location""

[–] gkpete 16 years ago

Outside of slightly agreeing with a few of you clowns on the acting of Ione Skye, and I mean slightly, I think you're high. Easily top of the heap for romantic comedies. Very, very funny and never to heavy. Exactly what I wanted. Exactly.

[–] toyotalover27 16 years ago

This movie is about the difference between optimism and realism. Diane and Lloyd are perfect for each other, because they are so wrong for each other. I know I'm not making much sense, but that may be the point. Love isn't linear, the explainations aren't always complete. What this movie has to offer isn't plot; it's a feeling. There is a palpability to the love between Daine Court and Lloyd Dobbler. I've never experienced emotions through film like I did on my first viewing of Say Anything.

[–] T-eschberger 15 years ago

Why I love this movie is because it reminds me of my relationship with my girlfriend (of three years next month).

To those who said he just liked her for no reason. Well, you dont have to have a reason. I saw my girlfriend at lunch in sophmore year and she floored me. It was beyond the "wow she's hot" reaction. Something in me stirred. I HAD to talk to her. It took me a week to work up the nerve. We started talking and becoming friends. I was extremely happy but to afraid to ask her out. Then one day at lunch I was sitting at my usual table and she comes and sits next to me and puts her head on my shoulder. No warning, no nothing. She just sat next me and put her head on my shoulder and said hi. My heart skipped a beat. I felt wonderful. Little things like that is what makes love so special. I felt so content and happy just to have her head on my shoulder, knowing that she may feel the same way I do. I asked her out at the end of lunch and the rest is history. I love her to this day and she can still make me feel that way.

[–] BlueMoon89 15 years ago

^^^^ That is so SWEET!!!

Screw the 'very disappointing' post- this is why Say Anything is so loved...because we long for a love like Lloyd and Dianne had!!

myblog:http://teen-drama-freak.blogspot.com/takealook!

[–] LabnJab 15 years ago

This is my all time fave movie. I dont know why anyone would think its very disapointing. Ya its old but a good movie. I just love the way they love each other and not let anything get in the way of that.

In real life I have a love like Lloyd and Diane and I wouldn't trade it for the world

Hes MY Pterodactyl Im HIS Pokemon We will always be together forever. 1-20-06 til forever

[–] brunchie 15 years ago

Aw, that was cute! Love and attraction is unexplainable like that.

Es todo bueno!

[–] richie_patrese 15 years ago

Like most of his scripts, the part of Lloyd is likely to have been drawn from Cameron Crowe's own experience (I can't guarantee this, but I have my suspicions). For anyone saying "Lloyd is a loser and wouldn't get the It Girl", just remember that she is an outsider too - even more so. Look at her reaction to being taken to the end of term party and that of those who finally "get to know her" there.

This film isn't perfect but it's miles outside the realm of usual teen romance films. For once neither character is miss or mr popularity.

[–] RachelFerne 15 years ago

You have no comprehension of human emotion. And maybe no soul. That is all, I have spoken.

I turned to look but it was gone...