Bearing in mind all the obvious issues with this film, it is a great surprise to me that it is one of my favourites. Firstly, it is a romantic comedy. I don't "do" romantic comedy. I am one of those males who the thought of softening to a rom-com reduces to a pre-teen "err, I wouldn't kiss a girl" state. I enjoyed 'Last of the Mohicans' but that was an adventure with a romantic element. This is definitely a rom-com, dead square and centre. Secondly, the whole film is so dated {to an era which was not the greatest of my life). Within five minutes of the start, with the music, clothes and 'Miami Vice' font, I would expect anyone born before 1975 to be able to date this film to within 1 year either side. Thirdly, despite the journey, not enough is made of location to describe this as a road movie. Lastly, the plot is entirely predictable within the rom-com formula. As soon as the male and female leads fall out you know what is going to happen by the end of the film... (whoops, is that a spoiler!?!).

Despite these problems, 'The Sure Thing' hits the mark. This era produced some now badly dated and still immensely enjoyable American films like 'Ferris Bueller', 'Weird Science', 'The Breakfast Club' and 'Flight of the Navigator'. Like those films, the script, acting and direction are first-rate: you can laugh at and laugh with the Cusack character and understand why he gets up the nose of the Zuniga character. There are many genuinely funny moments and an underlying humour through it all. The minor parts - the party animal, the geek, the irritating couple - are all stereotypes but sympathetically drawn. Campus life is fun but innocent fun. Yes, there is drinking and fooling round, but no drunkenness, fighting, drugs or pregnancy. This is the ultimate appeal of the film, and it is a nostalgic one. It is innocent and simple like you wish your teenage years had been. The way the central characters draw together and meet halfway, not one adapting to the other, sustains the film throughout. For all its obviousness, this is an enjoyable film to watch.

Walter "Gib" Gibson is a freshman at a worthy east coast college. An aspiring writer, he nevertheless is doing poorly in English because his spelling is suspect and his neatness is non-existent. Since there is a beautiful young lady in his class, Gib gets a great idea. Wby not ask Alison (Daphne Zuniga) to be his English tutor and try to get close to her? Although he has to dive into a pool to get her attention, he succeeds in arranging a tutoring session. Yet, after a nice first meeting, Gib puts the moves on Alison and she walks away angry. Christmas break is approaching and Gib suddenly hears from a close friend (Anthony Edwards). If Gib can travel to the west coast, his pal will set him up with a woman who will be a "sure thing", that is, she'll definitely sleep with him. But, upon arranging a ride from a note on a bulletin board, Gib learns that Alison will also be traveling in the same car, to see her devoted boyfriend in Los Angeles. Will it be the ride from hell? Or, will Alison warm up to Gib? This is a sure thing as far as comedy movies are concerned. It is funny, original and clever. Although it was one of Cusack's first major roles, it remains one of his best, nicely showing off his abundant charm, good looks, and acid wit. Zuniga, likewise, proves herself to one beautiful funny girl. The rest of the cast, including Edwards, Tim Robbins, and Nicolette Sheridan are terrific, too. As for the costumes, settings, and usual production values, they are quite nice, also. If you think this is a film for teenagers only, think again. This film was made for young and old alike, as everyone can appreciate and remember their first awkward steps into the world of love. If you need a surefire winner on your next trip to the video store, this one is a great choice. It will have you laughing up the proverbial storm, even as it delights you with its sweet tale of romance, too.

For the first half hour or so this movie comes across as little more than a typically sophomoric and lame comedy about a guy who's looking for action with a girl - and it wasn't even outrageous enough to be truly funny. Gib (John Cusack) has just graduated from high school and gone on to an unnamed Ivy League school. He's frustrated by his lack of success with girls, and by his inability to get the attention of his classmate Alison (Daphne Zuniga.) Then out of the blue he gets invited by an old high school buddy to come to California for Christmas where his buddy will set him up with a "sure thing." To that point there was nothing particularly special about this movie, nothing noteworthy, nothing even especially humorous. But then, the road trip begins, and somehow it all begins to fit together.

True - you see the end coming almost from the beginning. Gib and Alison have to end up together. That's the whole point of a movie like this. The question is going to be how they end up together. And that actually became a very enjoyable and at times funny story. It turns out that Alison is also going to California for the holidays to visit her boyfriend, and against their wills they end up having to travel together and through a series of misadventures they fall for each other. In fact, I think one of the truly "sweetest" scenes I've ever come across in a movie is the scene in which Alison and Gib wake up with him holding her in his arms after they innocently shared a bed on the trip. She knows that this is innocent, that nothing happened, and simply enjoys the feeling of being held; he wakes up and immediately starts to assure her that nothing happened, that he hadn't tried anything. In a way that was the central scene of the movie, as their feelings for each other are defined at that moment.

In addition to an enjoyable story, I thought this was also notable for a look at some fairly well known performers early in their career. Here, I think especially of Anthony Edwards and Nicolette Sheridan. In all honesty, both were unrecognizable as, respectively, Gib's high school buddy Lance and the "sure thing" Lance has set Gib up with in California. Edwards was quite good in the role, while Sheridan didn't have a lot to do except look hot - and she pulled that off quite well!

Overall, this is predictable, it's formulaic, it's altogether unoriginal - and in spite of all that, this movie really does grow on you, in the same way that Gib and Alison grow on each other. The development of their feelings for each other really is fun to watch, and you really do feel a sense of satisfaction as their kiss at the end of the movie signifies that they've arrived at the destination fate intended for them.

This is a fun movie to spend some time with. 6/10

Having fallen for John Cusack's engaging performance as Rob in 'High Fidelity', I jumped at the chance to watch one of his earliest films, 'The Sure Thing'. And, despite a life-long hatred of "girly" films and all things romantic comedy, this slice of 80s college cheese surprisingly hit the spot.

The story is nothing new: boy (an effervescent Cusack as Walt Gibson) meets girl (Daphne Zuniga), and an antagonistic relationship is formed. He hates her studious, organised approach to life; she frowns upon his laddish, devil-may-care attitude. Inevitably, they are soon thrown together - namely by Gib's trip to California on the promise of a blond, beautiful "sure thing" from best friend Lance (Anthony Edwards) coinciding with her journey to visit her boyfriend - and opposites begin to attract.

Yet to complain that the plot is predictable would be to miss the point. You know the ending within the first five minutes: it is the journey there which is important. Director Rob Reiner handles the script with a necessarily light touch, and allows the humour to be more character-driven than situational. To the writers' credit, even the film's most obvious scenes are always relieved through it's witty and eminently quotable dialogue.

What elevates 'The Sure Thing' above the ranks of its genre contemporaries is Reiner's deft hand with a character; in particular his ability to transcend stereotypes yet create instantly recognisable, believable people, a feat he later put to effective use in 'Stand By Me'. This is underpinned by Cusack's energetic performance, showcasing what has become his staple character: the spikily droll male whose shining qualities just avoid being undermined by his easily discernible flaws.

'The Sure Thing' is also notable for its treatment of - and fondness for - the minor characters, few of whom suffer from the "obvious spare part" phenomenon of so many high school based films. Particularly commendable are Tim Robbins' disappointingly brief turn as one half of the cutesy couple from hell, and a remarkably young-looking Anthony Edwards in the long-term buddy role (notable especially for what must be one of the worst 80s fashion statements since Vanilla Ice decided on baggy trousers - see the pool scene featuring Lance's phone call from California).

Despite its premise, this film always endeavours to be about love rather than sex. A refreshing angle on a well-worn tale, 'The Sure Thing' provides a welcome escape from the 'American Pie' view of teenage romance. With consistently endearing performances from both Cusack and Zuniga, this is one romantic comedy I would happily give a second viewing.

Very funny and smart romantic comedy from Rob Reiner. It's a kind of mixture of the old-fashioned romantic comedies from the '30s & '40s and the newer sex comedies that were all the rage in the '80s. The script is excellent and there are some great performances. John Cusack is extremely likable and charming in this. Daphne Zuniga is pretty good, too. But it's Cusack who really carries the movie. There's also some nice supporting work from Anthony Edwards and Viveca Lindfors. Tim Robbins is fun in an early role. Nicollette Sheridan plays the "sure thing" of the title. She's required to do little more than look pretty, which she accomplishes with ease. The first half is better than the second but it's all good. The plot may sound like it's going to be a childish Porky's-type movie but it's nothing of the sort. Definitely worth your time.

Love stories are hard to do right. Especially films in the 80's. They were more concerned with typical Porky's like shower scenes than they were with true love. And although Gib ( Cusack ) is promised a guaranteed lay if he makes his way down to California, the movie is not at all about getting laid and bare breasts and sex, it is about falling in love and the lengths we'll go to obtain the affection of the opposite sex.

The story starts off with Gib in his first year of some Ivy League school while his best friend from highschool, Lance (Anthony Edwards) is partying it up in sunny California. Gib is already striking out with the babes on his college campus and to make matters worse, Lance is seemingly getting action everyday. Then Gib walks into his English class and notices Allison, played by Daphne Zuniga. She is not your typical bimbo in the movies. She is smart, pretty, articulate and she flat out refuses his advances towards her. She does agree to see him strictly on a study basis and he ends up making himself look even more silly and barbaric. Eventually Gib and Allison end up in the same car pool to California. She is going to see her boyfriend and he is going to bang the Sure Thing. Later, a trucker remarks to Gib, " 3000 miles just to get laid, hey you pay the speeding tickets and I'll get you there." Of course along the way, Allison and Gib find they have a mutual admiration for each other and it is only up to the viewer to guess the outcome. Shouldn't be too difficult.

So far this may sound like pretty lame stuff and perhaps it could have been except for a few things. One is the writing, two is the acting and three has to be Rob Reiner. First of all, Allison and Gib are given plenty to do and they have much funny dialogue to go with it. Allison is goated into showing how she is not as repressed as Gib thinks she is by flashing her assets to a passing car. Gib teaches Allison how to "shotgun" a beer using "any household utensil, I use a pen." Gib rescues Allison from a would-be rapist in one of the funniest moments in the film ( I think I'll take your wife ). There are also some great performances by some of the supporting characters. Tim Robbins and Cusack must have met on the set of this movie and thus their strong friendship over the years can be accredited to the filming of this gem. Here, Robbins plays Gary Cooper, but the not the Gary Cooper that's dead, and he is one of the most annoying drivers that you could be stuck with for a cross country trip. Viveca Linfors plays the English professor and she has a way of making you want to learn how to write properly, learn Shakespeare and express yourself. As she says in the film, " Life is the ultimate experience, but you have to experience it in order to write about it." And of course Anthony Edwards is quite funny as Lance.

The Sure Thing is not raunchy the way Porky's or American Pie is. It is not crude the Fasttimes or Last Road Trip is. But it is honest in it's humour and fair with it's balance of love and lust. This is 15 years old but it is one of the best teen-comedies to come out of the 80's. 90's comedies and ones that are made in the new millenium are quite good, but there is an innocence that cannot be imitated from films like this. I think a film like Here On Earth may have had The Sure Thing ( or maybe an episode of Bold and Beautiful ) in mind when they made that film. It tried to be sweet and funny but failed miserably. The Sure Thing not only doesn't fail, it surpasses your expectations.

10 out of 10

Just for the heck of it, I pulled out my copy of The Sure Thing and watched it again. It's held up well since I first saw it on video in 1986. Yeah, the music is a little old, and Jason, Alison's boyfriend, still grates on me because I looked like him, but in all other respects it has held up well. What carries it is that it's the classic John Cusack Movie, where Cusack is just being... John Cusack. Totally real, totally unpretentious. You can see it in everything else he's done, even things of totally different style, like "Eight Men Out" and "The Grifters." He just rules the screen and the production ends up recalling pictures like "His Girl Friday" and "It Happened One Night." This has stood up to nearly fifteen years of viewing pretty well. Compare and contrast other stuff of that era, like "St. Elmo's Fire," and "Fast Times At Ridgemont High." Or any Tom Hanks movie of the period.

I've now come back five years after originally posting this review (it's now May, 2007) and I say, this film STILL stands as a classic Cusack, even after I have (in the interim) loved "Pushing Tin," "Being John Malkovich" and of course the amazing "High Fidelity." And to this day, I have been known to say, in bars, "BARKEEP! Bring this man...a TROUGH... of spritzer!"

And just remember...

"Credit cards work on a completely different kind of lock!"

56. THE SURE THING (comedy/romance, 1984) Just graduated from High School 18-yearold Walter (John Cusack) is excited at the prospect of attending a prestigious NY College so he can check out the babes on campus. But he's disappointed to find them more frigid than the cold climate. He sets his sights on preppy Alison (Daphne Zuniga). But bourgeois Alison is just not interested. Depressed, Walter accepts an invitation from his buddy to join him in California, where he sets him up with a 'sure thing'. Hitching a ride across America, he accidentally gets stuck with Alison.

Critique: Unabashedly witty, funny 80s teen romp from actor turned director Rob Reiner. With the likable John Cusack in the lead role the films' flimsy, savvy attitude reminded me of Crowes' 'Say Anything' (1989). In fact these 2 movies would perfectly serve as a double feature with the 'Sure Thing' serving as prequel to 'Say Anything'. Cusacks' characters in both are oddly similar and their story could well be a progression of character development. Both films share similar snobbish, 'preppy' female leads. Daphne Zuniga is both cute and conceited (whatever happened to her movie career?).

Among the many hilarious and touching scenes involve: Walter courting Alison in a swimming hall; Walter's day dreams with his 'sure thing'; his friend giving him advice on pickup lines; Walter and Alison seeking refuge from the rain in a roofless old shack.

This was probably the genesis to Reiners' own smash hit years later 'When Harry Met Sally'.

QUOTES: 'Trucker': 'A sure thing? A sure thing no questions asked, no strings attached?! A sure thing?! My whole life I've never had a sure thing.'

Check Rob Reiner's bio in virtually any film resource and they don't even mention this movie. Why this is so is beyond me. This is one of the overlooked gems of the 80s. I would rank it as one of Reiner's three genuine classics, along with THE PRINCESS BRIDE and THIS IS SPINAL TAP. Neither Cusack nor Zuniga could have been any better, and yet Reiner shows his directorial skill by including a cast of supporting characters that's as quirky and memorable as the leads. If you're looking for a teen romance road comedy (that isn't a gross-out soft-core flick in disguise), check this one out!

Walter Gibson (John Cusack) and best friend Lance (Anthony Edwards) are graduating high school. He wonders if his best days are over. Gib is floundering in a northeastern college. Alison Bradbury (Daphne Zuniga) in his English class is told by the professor to loosen up. Gib lures her to tutor him but she is completely annoyed by him. Lance is in college in California and he sends him a picture of the Sure Thing (Nicollette Sheridan). Gib gets a ride share with Gary Cooper (Tim Robbins) and Mary Ann Webster (Lisa Jane Persky) but Alison is also in the car on her way to see her boyfriend. Gib and Alison keep fighting and Gary abandons them on the side of the road.

This is a traditional rom-com. It's a bit slow at times but in general, the movie works because John Cusack and Daphne Zuniga have good chemistry together. It's not very original. Zuniga is uptight and Cusack is the wild one. They are fire and ice. Of course, they are going to end up together. Rob Reiner shows some skills but also some deficiencies. The movie needs to be quicker and snappier.

Gib Gibson {John Cusack}is on to a "sure thing," the treasure at the end of every horny male college student's rainbow, a guaranteed night of passion with a babe and no strings attached. But there are troubles in his way. Firstly, this "sure thing" {in the shapely form of Nicollette Sheridan} is on the other side of the country, thus he has to hitch his way to nirvana. Secondly, circumstance sees him hitching with his prim and proper class mate, Alison {Daphne Zuniga}, a problem since they really have different ideals and approaches in life.

The 80s, a time of "interesting" fashions and lots of hairspray. Also the time of John Hughes and a raft of teen comedies/coming of age semi-serious fluff-a-like dramas. Perhaps, given its make up, the biggest surprise is that The Sure Thing isn't a John Hughes picture. Written by Steven Bloom & Jonathan Roberts, it's directed by Rob Reiner {This Is Spinal Tap/Stand by Me}, with Reiner gleefully remaking Capra's immensely superior It Happened One Night, only for the 1980s colourful tweeners.

Naturally it's all too predictable, with some stuff coming off as unimaginative copy-cat scripting, and unlike the Capra movie, The Sure Thing as telling entertainment does not, as some nostalgic 80s lovers proclaim, hold up well today on a revisit. What is evident tho is that Reiner's direction, given the time it was made, is accessible and unhindered by the sign posted nature of the beast. No overwrought angst here, Reiner chooses to focus on the two principals and steers clear of plot twisters and shockers. That has to be applauded, as does the performance of John Cusack, who here in his first full lead portrayal, serves notice of the shtick that would shape the rest of his popular career. That can't be said of Zuniga tho, whose subsequent post "Sure Thing" film career says far more about her ability than I personally wish to write.

The only "Sure Thing" here is that I'm sure to annoy the 80s nostalgists who love this film. Yet I'm one of that nostalgic number too, my thick-skin is honed from affection for the likes of Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club and Cameron Crowe's excellent Say Anything {Cusack again superb}. But no! The Sure Thing deserves to stay back in 1985 where it belongs, matted down by lashings of hairspray. One really should seek out It Happened One Night instead of suffering the unadventurous writing that, here, is hidden by the affable charm of its leading man. 4.5/10

This movie has GOT to be the most underrated movie of the 80's if not of all time. When you consider the relatively young age of the actors, Daphne Zuniga was 22 and John Cusack was only 17, and it was only Rob Reiner's second film, it makes this film that much more of a milestone. Maybe the storyline is predictable, so what. The acting by Cusack and Zuniga is perfect. They make this movie seem real and honest.

What makes this movie so enjoyable and memorable is the feelings it provokes. Remember the rush of emotions when you first meet someone who makes your heart beat out of your chest and feel lightheaded? Acting like you really don't like someone when deep down inside you would give anything to be with them? Going to a party and flirting with other people hoping that they would see you and get jealous? That's what this movie does for me. It makes me realize just how much I miss the innocence, passion and emotion of those days. The acting is wonderful and you really get drawn in to their plight as they make their way across the country to be with the one they "think" is their own "sure thing". The great thing about this movie is that every time it looks like they are finally going to get together, something pulls them apart. While there are many funny lines and memorable scenes in this film, by far my favorite is at the end when Gib's essay is read aloud. Allison's facial expressions let you know just how painful it is for her to hear it. The final scene is wonderful. I tear-up whenever I see it, and I'm a guy.

If you're expecting one of those happy teen comedies with no meaning whatsoever, you have to look elsewhere. This film wants to say something. Kind of Breakfast Club on the road. It's better than that one though; a young John Cusack showing us why he still are in the industry. And the underrated Daphne Zuniga glows as the significant other. If you're just going to see one teen comedy of the 80s; see this one.

John Cusack was casting to do this teen romantic comedy when he'd just sixteen years old, seemingly a perfect choice of the fresh director at second entry movie Rob Reiner, the screenplay were made by two friends at opposite colleges one head to the south and another went to the cold north, quite often the guy from the south sent many photos at swimming pool surround by gorgeous girls, meanwhile on the north nothing happened there, over this arise the idea for a movie based in this unusual experience containing this main layout, The Sure thing resembles "It Happened one Night" with Clark Gable-Claudette Colbert, with coequal concept of dissention and self discovering during a cluttered journey toward California, the tidy girl Allison (Daphne Zuniga) who has dating a square guy, Allison glimpses on "Gib" (Cusack) as silly guy and frolicsome free spirit, however during the long journey blooms something more between them, the movie had on the cast the beginner Tim Robbins in a smallest role and Nicolette Sheridan as dream girl just name as The Sure Thing aside at party sequence where appears some beauty girls in provocative outfits, altough the movie is rather well-behavior, featuring as special guest the formerly eye candy actress of old movies Viveca Lindfors still pretty albeit already elder, charming woman indeed, highly enjoyable!!

Thanks for reading. Resume: First watch: 1997 / How many: 2/ Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 7.5

The plot of this predictable but sort of charming film is really "The Sure Thing." As in, put two attractive young adults who seem to hate each together on the road for a few days and watch them fall for each other -- it can't miss, it's a sure thing! But apparently this film wasn't a sure thing, as it is an overlooked title in the canons of both director Rob Reiner and actor John Cusack. Much of the dialogue, particularly that delivered by the very talented Cusack (who must have been 18 or 19 when this was filmed), is clever and sharp. But even Cusack sounds like a community theater actor at times, and his sparring partner, played by Daphne Zuniga, is even less convincing as the uptight preppy co-ed. "The Sure Thing" seems like a remake of Frank Capra's "It Happened One Night," but Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert had more chemistry. Even though you knew what would happen in that 1934 film, the fun was in seeing the pickles the young couple found themselves in, and watching them bicker their way through it. There are some of those moments here, such as the car scenes with a very young-looking Tim Robbins at the wheel, but there aren't enough to keep the film popping along. Reiner has a nice touch with light romantic movies ("The Princess Bride"), but the story here is a bit too light. If you're a Cusack fan, and want to see him just before he hit his stride as a leading man, "The Sure Thing" might rate a "7" instead of a "6."

What happened to the once so great director Rob Reiner? In the beginning of his directorial career he won critical praise with movies like This is Spinal Tap, Stand by me, The Princess Bride, When Harry met Sally, Misery and The American President. And then... the magic disappeared. What the hell happened?

A movie that absolutely belongs in his great movies list, is The Sure Thing (1985), Reiner's directorial debut. After watching this movie for probably the 20th time or so, I just had to write a comment for the IMDb. This is an absolute classic!

I guess nobody else but Rob Reiner could have turned this story - about a boy who's willing to travel 3000 miles in order to get laid - into a great, hilarious and classy (road)movie. All the performances are great. John Cusack... well, what's not to like about his character Gib? He's funny, charming and crazy in a positive way. Other (now) great stars make their appearance: Tim Robbins, Anthony Edwards and even the gorgeous Nicolette Sheridan (of Desperate Housewives fame) in the title role. As "the sure thing" she is as sexy as hell! Even old timer Viveca Lindfors as the literature teacher is brilliantly cast!

But the one who really steals the show is Daphne Zuniga. She starts out as this stiff all-work-and-no-play girl and changes into a woman who enjoys life and likes to take (small) risks.

The Sure Thing is one of those hidden treasures of the eighties. Well written and greatly acted. Rob Reiner at his best!

9/10

I only saw The Sure Thing because of the near-7 rating on IMDB, and you people owe me 100 minutes! Well, maybe only 90 minutes, because it does have some (very small) high points. For the most part, though, this is a blandly predictable entry into the romantic comedy arena. The actors play their roles well enough, but the roles lack any real depth so once the stage is set everything plods along to the anti-climatic conclusion. 2/10