The Sure Thing

The Sure Thing (1985)
Director: Rob Reiner
Cast: John Cusack, Daphne Zuniga, Anthony Edwards, Tim Robbins
Memorable Line(s): "Then she leaned over and whispered in his ear, 'Do you love me?' Thoughts raced through his mind. Did she really want him? What had he done to deserve this bounty? Does God exist? Who invented liquid soap and why? 'Do you love me?' Staring into her eyes he knew that she really needed to hear it but for the first time in his life, he knew these were no longer just words and if he said it, it would be a lie."

An epic journey across the country with the Holy Grail of treasures at the end -- the perfect girl. She has what every college age guys dreams of -- a nubile body and a willingness to meet his needs. The only problem is the other girl that comes along for the ride.

The Plot of The Sure Thing
Walter (Gib) Gibson (Cusack) is on college break and traveling across the country to find the "sure thing." His starting place is the east coast and his destination is the west coast and a beautiful girl ready and waiting. His traveling companion (Zuniga) is a brainy and up tight co-ed who is on her way to see her boyfriend and is contemplating the next evolutionary step in their relationship.

The wheels come off their journey on several occasions as they find themselves without money, wet, and stranded in a car with a couple who insist on singing show tunes. (And expect participation from their passengers.)

Any number of travails befall our two travelers, and, of course, at first they can't find anything they have in common. But as the journey progresses, they learn more and more about each other and learn the theory of opposites attracting. The only issue is that Gib has the "sure thing" waiting on him and both aren't certain what will happen when that moment of truth comes.

The Performances, Writing, and Direction of The Sure Thing
Cusack plays the college guy well and was at a point in his career where he was perfecting the every-day guy who has a brain and some charisma. Because he was still in the building process, it all seems new in this role where later in his career, it got a bit stale. His co-star Zuniga is winning in her own way, too. She plays up-tight and conventional quite well. Tom Robbins has a nice cameo as a show tune loving guy who gives our couple a ride.

This Rob Reiner's second feature film after "This is Spinal Tap" and he shows he knows how to handle a conventional narrative quite well. The pacing is perfect for the road picture genre and the script along with the performances seem to bring a freshness that it is undeniable. There are some truly good laughs and some romantic moments that hit home.

Summary Judgment on The Sure Thing
This is a film that takes on the road picture and does it well. Cusack and Zuniga have a great deal of chemistry and the writing is sharp. If you're looking for something light, you should give The Sure Thing a try.