FREE ON CINEGEEK.DE Say Anything 

The first time Lloyd Dobler calls Diane Court, he stands in front of the mirror, strokes his hair and tries to make the best impression. Her father answers; Lloyd stammers down his text (the father is already used to such calls). But a little unusual is Lloyd's call:'She's pretty great, isn't she?''''What?''. An important motive in Cameron Crowes Say Anything is that of honesty. Maybe in a worse movie, Diane would have answered the phone directly. Crowe, however, introduces her father first. Diane lives with him since the divorce and promises his daughter she can tell him anything. Lloyds Karrie intentions are quite childish: he wants to become a professional kickboxer. But that's just vague. No university education is planned at Lloyd, his life planning seems to correspond to that of a failure. Diane, on the other hand, is planning to study in London. She is beautiful and the best of her high school year - the joy of her father, who runs an old people's home and puts everything on her daughter. Diane doesn't date often because she intimidates the other students. After Lloyd confessed to his best friend Corey (Lili Taylor) who he's after, her answer sounds simple: ''She's too smart for you.'' Diane seldom laughs; she misses high school jokes in her life. That's probably why she agrees after Lloyd asks her to come to a party with him. Although she initially reacts reluctantly, Lloyd finally manages to get Diane to love him: ''He made me laugh.'', Diane argues to her little enthusiastic father. In Mr. Court's eyes, Lloyd's biggest problem is his lack of career planning. He only knows what he doesn't want:'I don't want to buy anything, sell anything, or process anything as a career.'' Most of us watch teenage romances because we want to identify with the lovers. Most of the time this doesn't work so well, because films rarely play in life. Say Anything is real, Cameron Crowe has the gift to project her own desires and memories from her teenage years onto the screen. It is a bit surprising that only the following directors of the Slacker generation claimed exactly that for themselves! Crowe's romance is very gentle and tactful with her characters, especially John Cusack's face stands for the value that is most important to Say Anything: sincerity. If Diane's father is her confidant, Lily Taylor acts as Corey in this role for Lloyd. Corey has already composed over 60 angry songs about her ex - and perhaps for this reason cannot understand the true love of Lloyd and Diane. Diane's separation makes John Cusack feel to us through his play. It is the burning intensity of young love, the will to do the right thing and stay true to yourself that makes Say Anything so great. Cameron Crowe's movie can still dream!