John Cusack: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked
4. Walter "Gib" Gibson - The Sure Thing
This one treads a familiar path, going a little something like: boy meets girl. Girl dislikes boy. Boy takes girl on road trip. Love grows. But be under no illusion, as there is nothing contrived about Rob Reiner's whipsmart teen comedy. Playing college-bound Walter "Gib" Gibson, Cusack expertly conveys all the angst and bluster of a young lad facing the very real realisation that he may have lost his touch with the ladies. Given a golden ticket from his pal at UCLA in the form of a liaison with Californian cutie Nicolette Sheridan - the film's eponymous "Sure Thing" - Gib takes a road trip with bookish Alison to claim his prize. What ensues is a sweet love affair, which begins with an inspired tracking shot, with Gib harassing Alison as she does laps of the pool, all the way to one of the decade's most satisfying finales. Most people look to Say Anything as Cusack's best and brattiest roles, but this is easily the truest testament to his emerging talent.
Shaun is a former contributor for a number of Future Publishing titles and more recently worked as a staffer at Imagine Publishing.
He can now be found banking in the daytime and writing a variety of articles for What Culture, namely around his favourite topics of film, retro gaming, music, TV and, when he's feeling clever, literature.
