Search - The Sure Thing (Decades Collection with CD) on DVD

A Classic Romantic Comedy Road Trip Flick(my favorite genre)

11/19/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm looking for my own copy of this movie because it is one of my all-time favorites...comfort food for my soul. I can be totally down in the dumps and all I need is to see this movie. It never fails to lift my spirits and make me laugh, no matter how many times I've seen it. I can recite every word of the script by now. I'm tired of renting it, though--now I want to own it! Cusack is brilliant. It was the first time I ever saw him, and I've been a devoted fan ever since. Rob Reiner and everyone in the cast did such a great job--I love all the scenes with Tim Robbins. I was in college when this came out and just to demonstrate its timeless appeal--I can show it to current college-aged people and they love it too! About the only thing that dates the movie besides a few 80s expressions like "excellent" is Anthony Edwards' exhilaration about using a cordless phone by the pool! The humor, heart and romance of this movie continue to be au courant, due to great writing, acting and direction.My favorite (and oft-quoted line): "Spontaneity has its time and its place!""

"A sure thing comes once in a lifetime...

Emily Todd | USA | 04/17/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"but the real thing lasts forever."

Rob Reiner's classic 1985 teen comedy, "The Sure Thing", features one of John Cusack's first starring roles as Gib Gibson, an early performance by the very young and beautiful Daphne Zuniga as Alison Bradbury, and a bizarre appearance by Tim Robbins in one of his first films as well. Though this is a movie of firsts for its soon-to-be-famous cast, the story is not particulary original nor inventive. In fact, it is downright predictable. Within the first five minutes, you will know exactly how things are going to end up. Yet the beauty of this film is the sweet, funny, romantic, and old-fashioned ride that it takes in order to bring you to that oh-so-predictable ending.

This is a film that has exquisitely stood the test of time. As a matter of fact, if you hold it up to the majority of romantic comedies churned out by Hollywood during the 90's and onwards, one will find that this is a truly charming film. Modern romantic comedy hits such as "She's All That", "Down to You", "10 Things I Hate About You", "Head Over Heels", and "Never Been Kissed" provide excellent juxtaposition to the near genre-perfection of this film.

Alison: What are you doing?
Gib: I'm going to bed.
Alison: Not with me you're not.
Gib: I'm not going to bed with you, I'm going to bed in a bed you happen to be in also."

Great movie, great DVD - lots-o-features!

Robert Anderson | Pacific Northwest | 03/29/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
This movie is a cult-classic in my (wife's) family, so we've all seen it a dozen times or more. Sure, people will dismiss this movie as a teen, lightweight, romantic comedy. Maybe it is, but it's also hillarious and well acted and packed with lines that you'll find yourself quoting throughout life ("we speak each others unspoken language, - fluently"). Personally, I think this is John Cusak's best acting role ever. Even the smaller parts (such as Tim Robbins' are hillarious).Additionally, this DVD has great features. For example you can watch in either widescreen or normal mode. You also have the option of turning on the director's (Rob Reiner) commentary so you can listen to him speak over the movie giving his comments on the actors, scenes, etc. There's also a trivia feature that will play the movie while popping up little triva-blurbs on each screen. There are also "featurettes" that discuss the casting, wardrobe, etc.Some DVD's are simply the VHS movie put on a different media, but this one is packed with great features - plus it's a great movie!
"

One of my favorite romantic comedies from the eighties

Robert Moore | Chicago, IL USA | 10/29/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"THE SURE THING was a great film when it came out, and unlike many romantic comedies of the eighties, this one has held up marvelously. The story is incredibly simple and one of the oldest in Hollywood: a road picture. Traditionally, road pictures use traveling as a metaphor for growth and development, whether growth for good or for ill. Luckily in this picture, it is for good. Both John Cusack and Daphne Zuniga's characters grow and develop during the course of the film, breaking through their own superficial beliefs about what they want in love and their perceptions about the other. It is important to realize that this really isn't a teenage sex comedy. A lot of teen films slap on some stuff about true love, but in fact attempt to titillate through the heart of the film. There are titillation scenes in THE SURE THING featuring Nicolette Sheridan, but these are almost parodies of themselves. In fact, the fantasies are more projections of Cusack's illusions about love.This was the movie that introduced both John Cusack and Daphne Zuniga as leading performers. John has gone on to bigger and better things, while Daphne's career has been a bit of a disappointment to me. I adored her in this movie, and would have liked to see her in more comedies. But the two of them made a magnificent couple in this film, and they did a perfect job of embodying their characters. She is perfect as the overorganized, completely A.R. stuffed skirt, while he is the epitome of the mildly nerdy guy who isn't exactly a ladykiller. In fact, part of the key to Cusack's success is that he is sort of an Everyman: he isn't at all unattractive, but he isn't Tom Cruise. He doesn't make women swoon. But he possesses vulnerability, some charm, and intelligence.This movie still charms and delights pretty much as it did when it first came out. The music has dated a bit, and some of the hairstyles of the women are a bit painful to behold (though not Daphne's), but in most ways it continues to feel refreshingly current. Look for Tim Robbins and Anthony Edwards in small but key roles."