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The Sure Thing

1 disc
Region 1 USA/CA (info)

When free-spirited but juvenile Walter "Gib" Gibson (John Cusack) meets studious, uptight Alison Bradbury (Daphne Zuniga) at an unnamed Ivy League college, sparks fly; unfortunately, they are mostly of the disastrous variety as all of Gib's attempts at courtship fall painfully apart. Inevitably, the duo is tossed together when they both answer the same ad for a ride to California. While Alison is traveling to reunite with her tidy law school boyfriend, Gib is on the road to meet a beautiful girl his best friend promises him is "a sure thing." Before too long, Gib and Alison's bickering inflames the driver, who promptly deposits the two with their suitcases on the side of a lonely highway thousands of miles from their destination. As the misadventures pile up, the initially contentious pair begin to take a liking to one another--but do these two dare fall in love?

Rob Reiner's initial attempt at romantic comedy pays subtle homage, with gentle lyricism, to the classic screwballs of early Hollywood. The film is buoyed by the stellar performances of the two leads, Cusack (in one of his first significant roles) and Zuniga, who are reminiscent of the great studio pairings of the past.
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Additional Info

Manufacturer Part Number (MPN): 1002363
Credits

John Cusack, Daphne Zuniga, Anthony Edwards, Viveca Lindfors, Nicollette Sheridan, Tim Robbins, Lisa Jane Persky
Critic Reviews

"...Huge hearted, immaculately cast and jammed with rewindables..." -- 4 out of 5 Stars
Total Film
"...Cusack demonstrates his character's fundamental decency....[His] underlying steadiness anchors the film..." -- Rating: B+
Entertainment Weekly
"...The surest thing here is the inspiration guiding [the film makers]....Beguiling..."
New York Times
"...Cusack and Zuniga are real finds, as talented as they are intelligent....Lots of film have sweetness and humor, but THE SURE THING also has smarts..."
Los Angeles Times
"...A refreshing, charming and quietly wonderful love story..."
Chicago Sun-Times
"Rob Reiner directed THE SURE THING as the follow-up project to his untoppable THIS IS SPINAL TAP, and it's still one of his best..."
USA Today
"[T]his is a near-not perfect comedy that demonstrates Reiner's sure hand in any genre."
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