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The Sure Thing (1985)
In Rob Reiner's traditional coming-of-age
comedy romance (and road film) - his second feature film following
after This Is Spinal Tap (1984), its theme was the temptations
of an ideal "sure thing" that also involved a cross-country
journey of two mismatched individuals (similar to It
Happened One Night (1934)) who ultimately found love together:
- the film's opening included an eye-catching title
credits montage (to the tune of Rod Stewart's "Infatuation" showing
a sexy, string bikini-clad sunbather) - the character of the 'Sure
Thing'
- Walter "Gib" Gibson (17 year-old John
Cusack in his first lead role), a recent HS grad, was a quick-witted
slacker who was heading to an Ivy League, New England school in
the fall as a freshman; he spoke to his dim-witted, party-loving,
bound-for-UCLA best friend Lance (Anthony
Edwards) about his trouble connecting with HS girls ("Maybe
I'm past my prime");
Lance bragged that he was on his way to the West Coast for schooling
with college-aged females, and denounced Gib's college destination
choice as full of nerdy intellectuals
- during the fall semester in his English class with
eccentric teacher Professor Taub (Viveca Lindfors), Gib sat next
to Alison Bradbury (Daphne Zuniga), a fastidious,
chaste, studious, prim-and-proper, predictable and conservative college
classmate, with an equally-stuffy, tea-drinking law-student boyfriend
Jason (Boyd Gaines) at UCLA
- Gib delivered a sob-story tale (as Alison swam laps
in an indoor pool) - a guilt-trip trick to convince the uptight
and repressed Alison to become his writing tutor, because he feared
that he would fail in school - and then bring destitution upon
himself by his mid-30s
- Lance called Gib from sunny warm California and
recommended a dream date - "She was just released from parochial
school. She's in her experimental phase...She loves sex." He
reminded Gib of the snapshot he had sent earlier of the female
- a blonde (Nicollette Sheridan) in a string bikini -- "She's
a sure thing, Gib. A sure thing...I told her all about you, and
she's dying to meet you." That was enough to lure Gib to California
during Christmas break
- Gib didn't realize that his ride-share, cross-country
companion for the trip would be Alison - she had signed up on the "Ride
Share" board and was planning to visit her boyfriend at UCLA;
they had to share the back seat together
- during the journey to California, Gib experienced
his first of three dream fantasies of "traveling 3,000 miles
to get laid,"
meeting the "Sure Thing"
in a Malibu beachhouse and being seductively whispered to: "Before
you go any further, let's be honest. You want it. I want it. You know
I want it. You don't have to bulls--t me to get it. And even if you do
bulls--t me, you still get it...."
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Gib's First Dream Fantasy with "Sure Thing" During
Car Ride: "You want it. I want it"
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- during the trip, Alison mostly regarded Gib as vulgar
and crude, although she took a "spontaneous" risk to flash
her breasts at a passing car when he dared her to take a risk ("Don't
you know how great it makes you feel when you do something totally
spontaneous? Something totally off the wall?")
- the mismatched couple's continuing journey to California
was filled with further misadventures and bad luck, although their
antagonisms toward each other also revealed their true selves.
Their time on the road included hitchhiking in a pickup truck with
a redneck, the rescue of Alison from a sexual assault, Alison's
forgetfulness (leaving behind her appt. book and cash), Alison's
faking of pregnancy to get a ride, and a bad rainstorm. They were
saved when she found her father's credit card for use in an emergency,
and they could afford a fancy meal and hotel
- in Gib's 2nd dream fantasy - the "Sure Thing" appeared
in a skimpy white bikini at her luxury oceanside Malibu beach home,
as Gib napped in the swimming pool, while she begged for more sex: "Come
on, Giblet, one more time, one more time"
Gib's 2nd Daydream Fantasy of "Sure
Thing"
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- in Gib's 3rd dream fantasy, he dreamt
about Alison, and awoke in the morning with her in his arms (in
their luxury hotel bed); however, he was still looking forward
to his time with the 'Sure Thing' - a wish overheard by Alison
that caused a rift between them when they parted ways at UCLA in
Los Angeles. She sarcastically told him: "Have fun with your
'sure thing.'"
Gib's 3rd Fantasy Daydream - of Alison!
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Gib Waking Up with Alison in His Arms
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- Gib was invited by Lance to a Tahitian X-Mas frat
party, where he was complimented for his single-minded trip: "3,000
miles just to get laid, huh? Really respect that." Alison
heard that a party was being held closeby and encouraged the stuffy
Jason to reluctantly attend with her; but then, when Alison
and Jason arrived, she saw Gib with the 'Sure Thing.' They eyed
each other as they danced and then spoke for a few moments at the
punch-bowl - causing Jason some jealousy about their past acquaintance:
("How
do you know that guy?...How do you know he snores?...How do you know
what he eats for breakfast?"); upset by Gib's behavior as he
took the 'Sure Thing' to Lance's room, Alison
stomped out of the party, revealing her hurt and her hidden
love for him
- it was ultimately realized by Gib that his
smart, seemingly-incompatible, cross-country
traveling companion Alison was more suited
for him
- in his writing class after they both returned to
the East Coast school after vacation and an English essay he had
written titled The Sure Thing was read outloud by his teacher,
Alison realized that he didn't sleep with his "sure thing" as
he explained to her: "She wasn't my type"
- they shared a curtain-closing, feel-good ending kiss
under the stars, on the rooftop of the library
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Finale: Gibson and Alison Kissing
on the Forbidden Library Roof-Top
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Opening Title Credits
The Snapshot That Lured Gib to Travel to California During
Christmas Break
Back Seat Passengers on Road Trip to California
Alison - Acting Spontaneous By Flashing Herself From The
Car Window
Abandoned By the Side of the Road
Bedding Down in a Fancy Hotel
Jason and Alison at Frat Party
The True Reality of Being with the "Sure Thing"
Listening to Gib's "The Sure Thing" Essay Read Outloud
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