Boom box notwithstanding, The Sure Thing was a memorable and acclaimed teen love story that stood out from the pack of similarly themed pictures released throughout the decade. Here Cusack plays college student Walter Gibson, who shares a cross-country road trip with a somewhat uptight fellow student played by Daphne Zuniga. He's on his way to California during winter break to meet a beautiful girl his friend assures him is a "sure thing." His traveling companion is heading west to see her boyfriend. The two take an instant dislike to each other, but anyone who has seen this type of story--dating back to at least It Happened One Night (1934)--knows who will eventually end up together.
This was Cusack's first starring role, after supporting work in his first three movies, Class (1983), Sixteen Candles (1984), and Grandview, U.S.A. (1984). He almost didn't get the part. Director Rob Reiner initially bypassed him as being too young. Although from a theatrical family and an actor since he was a child, Cusack was still a minor when production began on this picture and had to be legally "emancipated" from his parents in order to shoot on location. Anthony Edwards was originally considered for the lead; he ended up playing the best friend who sets Cusack up with the hot blonde, played in her movie debut by Nicollette Sheridan, most recently known for her role in the Desperate Housewives TV series. Cusack's underage status was apparently not a barrier in shooting the scene where his character teaches Zuniga's to shotgun a beer, a bit added to the script after Cusack told Reiner he knew how to do it.
Box office and reviews were quite good. Critic Roger Ebert called the film a "small miracle" for the way it sensitively handled its material at a time when gross-out teen pictures like Porky's (1982) were more typical. The New York Times' Janet Maslin noted that the film proved "traditional romantic comedy can be adapted to suit the teenage trade, and Mr. Reiner's contribution to This Is Spinal Tap [1984] was more than a matter of humor."
That review was certainly good news for Reiner, who made his feature directing debut with the Spinal Tap rock comedy. The earlier picture is often considered primarily the work of star and writer Christopher Guest, the first of many satirical mock-umentaries for which he's known. After the success of The Sure Thing, Reiner was recognized as a noted director in his own right and was able to create a string of well-reviewed movies that remain some of the most popular works of the time, such as Stand by Me (1986), The Princess Bride (1987), and When Harry Met Sally... (1989).
The jam-packed soundtrack features several popular songs of the day, including The Cars' "You Might Think," Wang Chung's "Dance Hall Days," and "Party All Night" by Quiet Riot.
The screenplay can be traced back to an experience writer Steven L. Bloom had while a student at Brown University in Rhode Island. His best friend at the time was attending Emory University in Atlanta and arranged for Bloom to meet a "sure thing" over spring break. Bloom found transportation on a college ride board and traveled south with several other students. This was the first film for Bloom and his co-writer Jonathan Roberts, who later co-wrote the screenplay for The Lion King (1994).
The Sure Thing was an early film role for Cusack's good friend Tim Robbins. It also features veteran Swedish actress Viveca Lindfors as a professor. The executive producer was Henry Winkler--yes, that Henry Winkler. It is his only theatrical feature in that role, although he has produced frequently for television.
Director: Rob Reiner
Producers: Henry Winkler, Roger Birnbaum
Screenplay: Steven L. Bloom, Jonathan Roberts
Cinematography: Robert Elswit
Editing: Robert Leighton
Production Design: Lilly Kilvert
Original Music: Tom Scott
Cast: John Cusack (Walter "Gib" Gibson), Daphne Zuniga (Alison Bradbury), Anthony Edwards (Lance), Boyd Gaines (Jason), Tim Robbins (Gary Cooper), Lisa Jane Persky (Mary Ann Webster)
By Rob Nixon
