Bearing in mind all the obvious issues with this film, it is a great surprise to me that it is one of my favourites. Firstly, it is a romantic comedy. I don't "do" romantic comedy. I am one of those males who the thought of softening to a rom-com reduces to a pre-teen "err, I wouldn't kiss a girl" state. I enjoyed 'Last of the Mohicans' but that was an adventure with a romantic element. This is definitely a rom-com, dead square and centre. Secondly, the whole film is so dated {to an era which was not the greatest of my life). Within five minutes of the start, with the music, clothes and 'Miami Vice' font, I would expect anyone born before 1975 to be able to date this film to within 1 year either side. Thirdly, despite the journey, not enough is made of location to describe this as a road movie. Lastly, the plot is entirely predictable within the rom-com formula. As soon as the male and female leads fall out you know what is going to happen by the end of the film... (whoops, is that a spoiler!?!).

Despite these problems, 'The Sure Thing' hits the mark. This era produced some now badly dated and still immensely enjoyable American films like 'Ferris Bueller', 'Weird Science', 'The Breakfast Club' and 'Flight of the Navigator'. Like those films, the script, acting and direction are first-rate: you can laugh at and laugh with the Cusack character and understand why he gets up the nose of the Zuniga character. There are many genuinely funny moments and an underlying humour through it all. The minor parts - the party animal, the geek, the irritating couple - are all stereotypes but sympathetically drawn. Campus life is fun but innocent fun. Yes, there is drinking and fooling round, but no drunkenness, fighting, drugs or pregnancy. This is the ultimate appeal of the film, and it is a nostalgic one. It is innocent and simple like you wish your teenage years had been. The way the central characters draw together and meet halfway, not one adapting to the other, sustains the film throughout. For all its obviousness, this is an enjoyable film to watch.

For the first half hour or so this movie comes across as little more than a typically sophomoric and lame comedy about a guy who's looking for action with a girl - and it wasn't even outrageous enough to be truly funny. Gib (John Cusack) has just graduated from high school and gone on to an unnamed Ivy League school. He's frustrated by his lack of success with girls, and by his inability to get the attention of his classmate Alison (Daphne Zuniga.) Then out of the blue he gets invited by an old high school buddy to come to California for Christmas where his buddy will set him up with a "sure thing." To that point there was nothing particularly special about this movie, nothing noteworthy, nothing even especially humorous. But then, the road trip begins, and somehow it all begins to fit together.

True - you see the end coming almost from the beginning. Gib and Alison have to end up together. That's the whole point of a movie like this. The question is going to be how they end up together. And that actually became a very enjoyable and at times funny story. It turns out that Alison is also going to California for the holidays to visit her boyfriend, and against their wills they end up having to travel together and through a series of misadventures they fall for each other. In fact, I think one of the truly "sweetest" scenes I've ever come across in a movie is the scene in which Alison and Gib wake up with him holding her in his arms after they innocently shared a bed on the trip. She knows that this is innocent, that nothing happened, and simply enjoys the feeling of being held; he wakes up and immediately starts to assure her that nothing happened, that he hadn't tried anything. In a way that was the central scene of the movie, as their feelings for each other are defined at that moment.

In addition to an enjoyable story, I thought this was also notable for a look at some fairly well known performers early in their career. Here, I think especially of Anthony Edwards and Nicolette Sheridan. In all honesty, both were unrecognizable as, respectively, Gib's high school buddy Lance and the "sure thing" Lance has set Gib up with in California. Edwards was quite good in the role, while Sheridan didn't have a lot to do except look hot - and she pulled that off quite well!

Overall, this is predictable, it's formulaic, it's altogether unoriginal - and in spite of all that, this movie really does grow on you, in the same way that Gib and Alison grow on each other. The development of their feelings for each other really is fun to watch, and you really do feel a sense of satisfaction as their kiss at the end of the movie signifies that they've arrived at the destination fate intended for them.

This is a fun movie to spend some time with. 6/10

Walter "Gib" Gibson is a freshman at a worthy east coast college. An aspiring writer, he nevertheless is doing poorly in English because his spelling is suspect and his neatness is non-existent. Since there is a beautiful young lady in his class, Gib gets a great idea. Wby not ask Alison (Daphne Zuniga) to be his English tutor and try to get close to her? Although he has to dive into a pool to get her attention, he succeeds in arranging a tutoring session. Yet, after a nice first meeting, Gib puts the moves on Alison and she walks away angry. Christmas break is approaching and Gib suddenly hears from a close friend (Anthony Edwards). If Gib can travel to the west coast, his pal will set him up with a woman who will be a "sure thing", that is, she'll definitely sleep with him. But, upon arranging a ride from a note on a bulletin board, Gib learns that Alison will also be traveling in the same car, to see her devoted boyfriend in Los Angeles. Will it be the ride from hell? Or, will Alison warm up to Gib? This is a sure thing as far as comedy movies are concerned. It is funny, original and clever. Although it was one of Cusack's first major roles, it remains one of his best, nicely showing off his abundant charm, good looks, and acid wit. Zuniga, likewise, proves herself to one beautiful funny girl. The rest of the cast, including Edwards, Tim Robbins, and Nicolette Sheridan are terrific, too. As for the costumes, settings, and usual production values, they are quite nice, also. If you think this is a film for teenagers only, think again. This film was made for young and old alike, as everyone can appreciate and remember their first awkward steps into the world of love. If you need a surefire winner on your next trip to the video store, this one is a great choice. It will have you laughing up the proverbial storm, even as it delights you with its sweet tale of romance, too.