The plot of this predictable but sort of charming film is really "The Sure Thing." As in, put two attractive young adults who seem to hate each together on the road for a few days and watch them fall for each other -- it can't miss, it's a sure thing! But apparently this film wasn't a sure thing, as it is an overlooked title in the canons of both director Rob Reiner and actor John Cusack. Much of the dialogue, particularly that delivered by the very talented Cusack (who must have been 18 or 19 when this was filmed), is clever and sharp. But even Cusack sounds like a community theater actor at times, and his sparring partner, played by Daphne Zuniga, is even less convincing as the uptight preppy co-ed. "The Sure Thing" seems like a remake of Frank Capra's "It Happened One Night," but Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert had more chemistry. Even though you knew what would happen in that 1934 film, the fun was in seeing the pickles the young couple found themselves in, and watching them bicker their way through it. There are some of those moments here, such as the car scenes with a very young-looking Tim Robbins at the wheel, but there aren't enough to keep the film popping along. Reiner has a nice touch with light romantic movies ("The Princess Bride"), but the story here is a bit too light. If you're a Cusack fan, and want to see him just before he hit his stride as a leading man, "The Sure Thing" might rate a "7" instead of a "6."
Review of The Sure Thing
