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The Sure Thing

Play trailer Poster for The Sure Thing PG-13 1985 1h 34m Romance Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
84% Tomatometer 99 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Gib (John Cusack), a college freshman, keeps striking out with women. When he learns that a beautiful Californian (Nicollette Sheridan) wants to have a tryst with him, he decides to carpool all the way to the West Coast to meet her. Unfortunately, one of the other passengers on the trip is Alison (Daphne Zuniga), an attractive but domineering girl who has rejected Gib once before. The journey is a nightmare until a funny thing happens -- Gib and Alison start to fall in love.
The Sure Thing

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Though its final outcome is predictable, The Sure Thing is a charming, smartly written, and mature teen comedy featuring a breakout role for John Cusack.

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Critics Reviews

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Jack Mathews USA Today Jan 8
3/4
Cusack and Zuniga do remarkable jobs of turning two routine characters into believable, well-rounded teens. Go to Full Review
Rob Salem Toronto Star Jan 8
It's often very wordy, especially Cusack's speeches, but even when there's too much of it, the dialogue is sharp and funny. Go to Full Review
Paul Byrnes Sydney Morning Herald Jan 8
Sure Thing is less confidently handled, but it has some wonderful moments of good natures humor and more restraint than Hollywood usually allows itself. Go to Full Review
Lou Cedrone Baltimore Sun Jan 21
"The Sure Thing" is a delight throughout. Go to Full Review
Charlie Patton Florida Times-Union Jan 21
It's funny, romantic and extremely well-acted. Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Jan 14
3/4
In a decade largely defined by raunchy teen sex comedies, here's a film that stood out from the pack thanks to its sweetness and sincerity. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Mark C. @mrpiggy1992 1d John Cusack I love you man See more Julian B @Spursy153 Jan 12 A great 80s Classic See more Joey H. @Joeyhubb1989 Dec 18 Released on March 1st, 1985, directed by future academy and golden globe nominee Rob Reiner in his second directorial project; produced by Andrew Scheinman, Henry Winkler and Roger Birnbaum; this film tells the wonderful love story of two New England attending college students who are complete polar opposites, but both find themselves making a long journey from New England to California for Christmas break. The first student is Walter “Gib” Gibson, played by John Cusack in his first major starring lead role. Gib is spontaneous, lives for the moment, loves to eat junk food and drink beer, and is laidback and easy going while also struggling when it comes to the art of seduction and attracting the ladies. The other student is Alison Bradbury, played by Daphne Zuniga. She is uptight, an overachiever, lives every day by her schedule book and is not one to cut loose and have a good time. Gib is attracted to her, but she thinks he’s immature and uncultured. The only thing that the two of them have in common are that they attend English class together, which Gib is at risk of failing for the semester, and both have someone waiting for them in California at UCLA over Christmas break. Alison is going to visit her boyfriend Jason while Gib is being set up with a beautiful blonde babe by his best friend Lance, who claims she is a “Sure Thing”. Their long journey to California involves riding along with and then being later abandoned by a show tune loving couple named Gary Cooper and Mary Ann Webster; hitching rides with kindly strangers, staying in small time motels, losing their money, fighting off starvation and fighting against the elements. As they attempt to make their way to their respective others, Gib and Alison soon find themselves developing genuine feelings for one another. But what will happen for the both of them once they finally reach UCLA? Does their story have a happily ever after? Well that would be telling wouldn’t it? The rest of the cast in this excellent film are rounded out by Viveca Lindfors as their English teacher Professor Taub; Nicollette Sheridan as The Sure Thing; Anthony Edwards as Lance; Boyd Gaines as Jason; Tim Robbins as Gary Cooper, and Lisa Jane Persky as Mary Ann Webster. The film was considered a modest success at the box office, raking in over $18,000,000 and has come to be considered as a modern update, if not full on remake of the film It Happened One Night. This is and has always been one of my most favorite films. I give this gem of a movie a solid 10 out of 10 and strongly recommend it to anyone and everyone. See more Stephen H @SteveSonLadTaCheers Dec 8 One of my favourite 80s movies. I must’ve watched it over 30 times. John Cusack is just superb. Witty and charming and very relatable. The supporting cast also excel. Daphne Zuniga is a great foil to Cusack’s Gib. Anthony Edwards is also amusing as Gib’s best mate. I love the story, the setting and the performances. To me, it’s a great rom-com/road trip movie. See more Augustine J 03/16/2024 This is a really fun movie. John Cusack's deadpan sarcastic delivery is great. It's insane that he was only sixteen when filming this. It's not quite as zany as Better Off Dead, it's a more grounded film and it's great. Ya'll should check this one out. You'll like it, it's a sure thing. See more Alec B @Alec97 01/10/2024 Should be remembered over a lot of other 80s romantic comedies, both for the cast and the sharp screenplay. See more Read all reviews
The Sure Thing

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Movie Info

Synopsis Gib (John Cusack), a college freshman, keeps striking out with women. When he learns that a beautiful Californian (Nicollette Sheridan) wants to have a tryst with him, he decides to carpool all the way to the West Coast to meet her. Unfortunately, one of the other passengers on the trip is Alison (Daphne Zuniga), an attractive but domineering girl who has rejected Gib once before. The journey is a nightmare until a funny thing happens -- Gib and Alison start to fall in love.
Director
Rob Reiner
Producer
Roger Birnbaum
Screenwriter
Steve Bloom, Jonathan Roberts
Production Co
Embassy Pictures, Monument Pictures
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Romance, Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (DVD)
Aug 5, 2003
Runtime
1h 34m