Random Ramblings on My Favorite Movie of All Time-PART TWO!

So, I just watched the version of “Say Anything” with the commentary from Cameron Crowe, John Cusack, and Ione Skye and I have more to say about my favorite movie of all time. Now you may be wondering, “Why did it take you so long to watch the commentary version when you’ve clearly owned the DVD for several years?” And to that I would say, “I haven’t had any time to watch the special features on a DVD! I barely make it through the movie itself without falling asleep!” People with kids know what I’m talking about. Anyways...

You would think after seeing the movie as many times as I have that I would know every little detail and hidden thing in the movie, especially because I DID take the time to watch the deleted, extended, and alternate scenes many, many years ago, BC (that’s Before Children). But apparently I missed some things that I think are crucial for you to know about. So here they are:

1) Lloyd Dobbler was based on Cameron Crowe’s neighbor Lowell Marchant. He came to Crowe’s door one day and introduced himself as a kickboxer and talked about how kickboxing was “the sport of the future.” He wiped his hand on his pants before shaking Crowe’s hand and that moment and his mannerisms stuck with Crowe when he was writing the part of Lloyd.

2) Corey’s room is practically a shrine to Joe. I can’t believe I never noticed it before, but if you look around there are giant cheesy posters and pictures of Corey and Joe in her room. My favorite is the one where they are standing back to back.

3) James Court (John Mahoney)’s (hair was dyed a slightly different color in all of the scenes. In one of the final scenes at the prison where he is talking to Lloyd, the dye was all gone, which symbolized that “the mask was off”. He was no longer faking or covering up who he was.

4) Both John Cusack and Ione Skye admitted to being attracted to one another while filming but neither acted on their feelings because they were both seeing other people at the time. As I mentioned in my first post about the movie, Ione was seeing Anthony Kiedis from Red Hot Chili Peppers. She said he used to wait outside of her trailer all day, which she found “really annoying”. I think it’s funny to imagine an angry, jealous Anthony Kiedis waiting to beat up Lloyd Dobbler. Who would want to beat up Lloyd Dobbler?! He’s such a lovable guy! Ione and Anthony were a sexy couple though. Just Google some of their images together, you’ll see what I’m talking about!

5) The song that was originally supposed to be played during the boombox scene was Billy Idol’s “To Be A Lover.” The song that was actually playing on the boombox while the scene was shot was Fishbone’s “Turn the Other Way.” Crowe eventually found Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” on a tape he made for his wedding to Nancy Wilson and knew it was “the one.”

6) Cameron Crowe and his wife Nancy made several small cameos in the film (Crowe’s hand changes the tape at the party, Nancy’s torso walks by in the final scene in the airplane).
 
7) Diane’s father’s secret life ruined her life, but made it possible for her to recognize the man who would save her life (Lloyd). He wanted so desperately for his daughter to have a good, honest life (unlike the secret life he was living) that he couldn’t even see the criminal acts he was committing as anything but positive acts of love. His love for Diane was borderline creepy though. In the dinner party scene at the house, he treats Diane almost as if she is his wife. Diane is oblivious, but Lloyd senses the awkward tension, which causes him to ramble on in one of the greatest speeches in the whole movie.

 “You mean like a career? Um, I don’t know, I’ve thought about this quite a bit sir, and I would have to say considering what’s waiting out there for me, I don't want to sell anything, buy anything or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought or processed. Or repair anything sold, bought or processed, y'know? As a career I don't want to do that. So, my father's in the army, he wants me to join, but I can't work for that corporation. So what I've been doing lately is kickboxing. Which is a, uh, new sport, but I think it's got a good future.  As far as career longevity goes, I don't really know, because, you know, you can't really tell.  Your training sticks as a fighter, you know, but it's no good, you know, you have to be great, but I can't really tell if I'm great until I've had a couple of pro fights. But I haven't been knocked out yet.  I don't know, I can't figure it all out tonight sir, I'm just going to hang with your daughter.” 

This speech also showed how Lloyd was uncertain of his future, just as Diane had previously stated in her speech at graduation. The only thing Lloyd was certain of was being with Diane.

8) I also wanted to mention (which I can’t believe I forgot to discuss in my first post about this movie) how much I love the dictionary in Diane’s room. If you haven’t seen the scene, Diane is picking out possible outfits to wear to dinner in her bathroom while Lloyd is waiting for her on the other side of the door in her room. They are talking to each other through the door, and she’s holding up different outfits. While he’s waiting, he starts looking around at the stuff in her room and he picks up this huge dictionary. He says, “Wow, this a mother dictionary.” She then says something like, “Yeah, I used to have this thing with checking off the words I looked up.” He then flips through and sees that almost every word has an “x” next to it. I LOVED how brainy Diane was! I envied her. I wished I was more like her and concentrated more on my schoolwork, but alas I was an insecure, boy-crazed rebel, like most of my fellow female Catholic schoolmates . I DID however, being the pious girl that I was (cough, cough), have a prayerbook that I would put check marks in next to the prayers that I said. That’s kind of the same, right? No?

So there you have it. What a story! A corrupted father’s love for his daughter and two outcasts (but in very different ways) finding a home in each other. I’ve always related to outcasts and may now even more than I ever did in my teens. I’ve always felt like an outcast, almost to the point of finding it difficult to connect with other people at all. It’s hard to make connections when you always have this feeling in the back of your mind that nothing is ever permanent and life is short. But there’s always one thing that will NEVER change and that is Lloyd Dobbler and Diane Court stealing our hearts! Watch the movie folks. That’s all I have to say...for now.

(All film stills belong to 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, I don't claim to own anything.)