“The Princess Bride.” “This Is Spinal Tap.” “Misery.” “Stand By Me.” “When Harry Met Sally.” “A Few Good Men.”
Director Rob Reiner leaves a dizzying legacy of movies behind following his Dec. 14 death. Early indications point to his grown son, Nick, as the person who allegedly killed both the director and his mother, Michele Reiner.
It’s a Hollywood tragedy of the first order.
Fans will spend days, even weeks, revisiting Reiner’s film canon, one that also includes solid entries like “The Bucket List,” “Ghosts of Mississippi,” “The American President” and “Albert Brooks: Defending My Life.”
One movie will get little mention in the crush of reports recalling his life and legacy – “The Sure Thing.”
The 1985 charmer didn’t get much love at the box office that year – a solid but unremarkable $18 million. It’s also pushed aside by Reiner’s other, iconic films.
Movies like “The Princess Bride” endure, inspire memes and capture the very best of populist Hollywood. It’s tough for any film to measure up. “This Is Spinal Tap” launched a wave of mockumentaries, from “Waiting for Guffman” to “Borat.”
Yet “The Sure Thing” is both raunchy and sweet, a singular rom-com with great chemistry and a keen understanding of the gender divide.
Walter “Gib” Gibson (Cusack) is having a hard time with the ladies at his new college. So when his old high school chum (Anthony “Talk to me, Goose” Edwards) invites him to visit his California campus, it comes with a tease.
There’s a “sure thing” waiting for Gib, the kind of girl who doesn’t take much to woo. ’nuff said.
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Naturally, Gib falls in love en route to his dream girl. His road trip partner, Alison (Daphne Zuniga), is buttoned-up and cerebral. She’s also in a committed relationship with an older man (Boyd Gaines).
They’re a terrible match, at least on paper.
Funny things can happen when you’re crossing the country, losing your money and fending off show tune-loving drivers.
“The Sure Thing” showed Reiner’s gift for comedy and ability to wring winning performances from young stars. It’s the proverbial movie they couldn’t make today, even though the story eschews the bawdy template set in motion by the plot (and title).
The sad part? According to JustWatch.com, there’s no current way to stream “The Sure Thing.” Your best bet is to pick it up on Blu-ray or DVD.
It’s well worth the investment.
Reiner’s place in Hollywood history is etched in stone, and “The Sure Thing” is one of many reasons why.