A single, transcendent moment can turn an enjoyable film into a beloved classic. The 1989 film Say Anything, which is famed director Cameron Crowe's directorial debut, is as prime an example of celluloid ascension as any. The engaging look at post-high school love is certainly a fine film, but let's be honest, are any of us getting the warm and fuzzies over it three decades later without that scene? You know, the scene?
John Cusack, playing the role of Lloyd Dobler, provided movie history with a truly iconic shot as he held his boombox high above his head as Peter Gabriel's classic "In Your Eyes" blared toward Ione Skye's second-story window. The sensitive determination and the willingness to make the sort of grand dramatic gesture all of us fellas wish we had the guts to pull off has rightfully become the stuff of legend.
It's right up there - in terms of memorable '80s movie greatness - with Daniel LaRusso's dramatic crane kick in Karate Kid, Darth Vader's shocking paternal admission in Return of the Jedi, and Meg Ryan's enthusiastic but fake, um, pleasure noises in When Harry Met Sally. And even though Cusack has gone on to star in dozens of films and offer plenty of admirable moments and roles since his boombox DJ days, there's still a demand to talk about that specific moment with him.
Dallas film buffs are in luck! On Sunday, May 19, at 7 p.m., Cusack will be present for a live Q&A and conversation following a 30th anniversary screening of Say Anything at the Majestic Theatre Dallas. Tickets go on sale Friday, Feb. 1, at 10 a.m. at livenation.com, with presale beginning Jan. 31. Tickets range from $49 to $250 for VIP.