College freshman Gib decides to go cross country to visit his friend in California during winter break. Waiting there for him is a bikini-clad babe whom his friend assures him is a "sure thing". Allison, a retentive girl at Gib's college has also decided to head out to see her boyfriend during break. Gib and Allison are thrust together on a road trip, and somewhere along the way, they find each others company to be tolerable......A staple of eighties Teen movies, it's your age old story of a guy travelling a long way to sew his oats, but obviously falls in love with the stuffy girl who has rejected him time and time again.The clichés are rife throughout, they hate each other to begin with, they begin to grow on one another, become jealous of each other, and what do you know? The final act features a big party, Hawaiian shirts, your token jock best friend, and the nerdy boyfriend.I wouldn't have it any other way. This was the beginning of Cusack's golden age in cinema, and it goes to show just what a great actor he is. He owns the film, and even though he's your atypical college boy, with an awful motivation for travelling, you can't help but like him.The couple both learn life lessons from each other, they run afoul of a few people, there are some funny scenes, nothing hilarious, but it's just a comfort food sort of film.You just know what's going to happen, it ticks every box in the eighties teen comedy checklist, but you just sit there and let it take you away with its nostalgia.

The Sure Thing is an 80's classic teen film that holds up very well into present day as the relevant themes still hold true no matter the decade you're in. Led by an assured performance from John Cusack, this is a very sentimental film that is in the lines of what you would expect from John Hughes. It's a sweet, sentimental growing-of-age story and a better-than-average road trip film to boot. Rob Reiner's film is about a boy named Water Gibson who decides to go on a cross-country road trip to California in order to get with a girl his friend hooked up for him. However, another college student named Alison is also going on this trip to see her boyfriend, but of course they hate each other. However as the trip goes on, feelings begin to change. So what about "The Sure Thing"? John Cusack, despite his tender age, really handled himself quite maturely. He delivered a funny and sentimental performance as a college boy just trying to do what many college boys want to do. I also liked the performance of Daphne Zuniga as Alison. She is quite abrasive and a loud-mouth at times, but she reminds me of some people of days past. Overall, The Sure Thing is a sweet movie that introduced Cusack to stardom, as he would go to have a rather solid career. There may be nothing entirely new about the film, but then again it's the how, not the what. The movie ages well, especially for one that is thirty years old. A very touching, sentimental film. My Grade: A

John Cusack and Daphne Zuniga spend their time together hitchhiking across country to California in director Rob Reiner's romantic, teen comedy "The Sure Thing," a quasi-"It Happened One Night." Walter 'Gib' Gibson (John Cusack of "Sixteen Candles") and his best friend Lance (Anthony Edwards of "Top Gun") graduate from high school and head off to opposite ends of the nation to attend college. Eventually, Lance sets Walter up with a hot babe (Nicollette Sheridan) but he has no means of transportation. At the same time, Alison Bradbury (Daphne Zuniga) needs a ride to California during the Christmas break to visit her bespectacled boyfriend Jason (Boyd Gaines) who is in for a surprise. Inevitably, the two wind up together in the same car, a Volkswagon station wagon driven by Gary Cooper (Tim Robbins) and his girlfriend. Our hero and heroine don't last long with Gary and his girlfriend after she bares her breasts during the ride and flaunts them to another vehicle whose occupants had mooned them. After the cops cite Gary for her promiscuous behavior, he leaves Gib and the girl on the roadside and they have to thumb a ride to get to the land of sun and fun. Harmless fun from start to finish with nothing heavy in between and dreamy Nicollette Sheridan as the eponymous babe in her cinematic debut, "The Sure Thing" qualifies as a sure thing. Nobody—at least guys—will forget Nicollette's first scene when she sprawls out on the beach and oils up her lithe body as the waves crash behind her. According to Reiner, he was so nervous that he didn't show up for this scene and let his director of photography lense it. Lots of hit music tunes enliven this sweet little comedy that Rob Reiner directs. For the record, Henry Wrinkler produced "The Sure Thing."

Walter "Gib" Gibson is a freshman at a worthy east coast college. An aspiring writer, he nevertheless is doing poorly in English because his spelling is suspect and his neatness is non-existent. Since there is a beautiful young lady in his class, Gib gets a great idea. Wby not ask Alison (Daphne Zuniga) to be his English tutor and try to get close to her? Although he has to dive into a pool to get her attention, he succeeds in arranging a tutoring session. Yet, after a nice first meeting, Gib puts the moves on Alison and she walks away angry. Christmas break is approaching and Gib suddenly hears from a close friend (Anthony Edwards). If Gib can travel to the west coast, his pal will set him up with a woman who will be a "sure thing", that is, she'll definitely sleep with him. But, upon arranging a ride from a note on a bulletin board, Gib learns that Alison will also be traveling in the same car, to see her devoted boyfriend in Los Angeles. Will it be the ride from hell? Or, will Alison warm up to Gib? This is a sure thing as far as comedy movies are concerned. It is funny, original and clever. Although it was one of Cusack's first major roles, it remains one of his best, nicely showing off his abundant charm, good looks, and acid wit. Zuniga, likewise, proves herself to one beautiful funny girl. The rest of the cast, including Edwards, Tim Robbins, and Nicolette Sheridan are terrific, too. As for the costumes, settings, and usual production values, they are quite nice, also. If you think this is a film for teenagers only, think again. This film was made for young and old alike, as everyone can appreciate and remember their first awkward steps into the world of love. If you need a surefire winner on your next trip to the video store, this one is a great choice. It will have you laughing up the proverbial storm, even as it delights you with its sweet tale of romance, too.