Everyone Forgot the Truth Behind the 1980s’ Most Iconic Movie Moment

Cameron Crowe really came out the gates swinging in the romantic comedy genre when you consider that, before he made Singles and Jerry Maguire, he made his directorial debut with Say Anything. By all accounts, it really is the Godfather of modern-day rom-coms, and if you’re a fan of any romantic comedy made after 1989, it’s almost a guarantee that it was inspired by the groundwork he set with Say Anything, specifically the “romantic gesture” trope that helps the lead win the girl back by the end.

In Say Anything’s case, that’s the iconic moment of Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) holding a boombox and playing “In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel outside the bedroom window of Diane Court (Ione Skye). Even people who’ve never seen the movie recognize that scene through pop-cultural osmosis. It’s safe to say that if 30 years pass and a scene is still being referenced (in Deadpool 2, no less), it has ironclad staying power. However, many people seem to gloss over one key element.

‘Say Anything’s Most Memorable Scene Is Its Most Misunderstood

While many people recognize the iconography of the scene when it comes to what it represents to the film’s overall story, most of them seem to miss the forest for the trees (or … the trees for the forest. Whatever the expression is about foliage and a field of view). For every Ted Mosby acolyte who used the scene to get a date to prom or used it as the basis of a wedding proposal, everyone always seems to forget the most important aspect of the moment. The main point of discussion being that it, you know, doesn’t work.

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That’s right, it doesn’t lead to a triumphant, “Blue French Horn” moment where Lloyd and Diane finally get back together. It’s a bittersweet romantic moment, where he plays the last of his cards and gives up on trying to win her back when it fails. If anything, by the end, it proves the point that the movie establishes early on — even if it wasn’t intentional. When it comes to relationships, grand gestures aren’t as important as small, intimate moments. That seems obvious for real-life relationships, but for movie couples, that’s pretty profound, considering that’s often what solves most of their problems. If you’ve seen Love Actually, you already know that’s what wraps most of the storylines. Cue cards at the door, Portuguese lessons, and a very helpful and well-placed Rowan Atkinson is all you need to win the day, according to that movie.

There’s a ‘Say Anything’ Moment That’s More Important Than the Boombox Scene

For a film that’s often so heavily correlated with one iconic moment, most people end up forgetting about a little one that happens early on that actually feeds into the core of Lloyd and Diane’s relationship. At the end of their first date, while walking out of a 7-Eleven, Lloyd notices some broken glass on the ground, and kicks it out of Diane’s way so she doesn’t accidentally step in it. That could’ve been an endearing throwaway joke to show what a dork Lloyd is, but Diane brings it up later in dialogue while talking to her dad as justification for why she likes him so much.

It’s like the “idiosyncrasies” scene from Good Will Hunting. It’s the little things people associate with their significant others. Shattered glass should be the thing this movie’s remembered most for, more so than the boombox. At least this moment is vital to the plot (seriously, if you take the boombox scene out of Say Anything, the structure of the narrative would be no different). If you take out the broken glass, the Tootsie Pop center of their relationship falls apart.

That exchange is the unspoken reason why Diane comes back in the end. It’s throwaway moments like Lloyd teaching Diane to drive a stick-shift, or the montage of them talking casually, and the quiet moment of them in the back of Lloyd’s car while “In Your Eyes” plays on the radio. It’s arguably why the song that plays over the end credits is Nancy Wilson’s “All For Love,” rather than a reprise of “In Your Eyes,” since that’s the song that played on the radio after they leave the party and actually get a chance to talk to one another and connect. “In Your Eyes” is associated with the inciting incident that led to them breaking up, while “All For Love” is associated with them slowly realizing that they’re a good match for one another. (At least Diane comes to realize that. Lloyd knew he liked her from the get-go.)

There’s a Lot To Learn From John Cusack’s ‘Say Anything’ Character

Image via 20th Century Fox

This isn’t at all to say that the boombox scene isn’t a memorable and endearing moment in the movie, or that it doesn’t merit its place in pop culture (especially related to ’80s movies). It’s just that, out of context, people often take the wrong message away from it. It’s comparable to the “Stop the Wedding” trope that was made famous by the ending of The Graduate.

If there’s a message to be gleaned from Say Anything, it’s that if your significant other is having doubts about your relationship, don’t sing “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” (though spontaneously turning into a young Heath Ledger will likely help your odds of winning them back). It might also be best to not run through an airport to stop them from getting on a plane. Instead, your best bet would be to just deliberately walk towards some broken glass that’s on the ground and brush it away for the sake of their safety. According to Say Anything, the odds will be better in your favor that the relationship will last. That’s right, we all learned something today.

Release Date

April 14, 1989

Runtime

100 minutes

Writers

Cameron Crowe

Producers

James L. Brooks, Paul Germain