Growin’ Up – a blog about life after Smith by Lauren Kaelin ’10 Say Anything…

This movie really meant a lot to me when I was seventeen.

I had this poster. And I admit it, I too loved Lloyd Dobler.

Or maybe I just loved John Cusack and his delightfully heart-shaped face, faded pants, and Peter Gabriel devotion. And I think I loved him until I saw Must Love Dogs. That movie was real crap and his face– not so heart-shaped.

Regardless. Say Anything… represents the pinnacle of so many careers: John Cusack, Ione Skye (whatever happened to her?), and maybe even Cameron Crowe (Elizabethtown anyone?). But what relevance does this Ro-Co hold for me now?

In the movie, this total brainy-philanthropic-babe named Diane Court FINALLY agrees to go out with Lloyd Dobler. He woos her, they have sex to Peter Gabriel, and eventually he tags along on her overseas fellowship educational adventure. In the middle there is some business with Diane’s father avoiding taxes and stealing from the elderly– an odd plot twist to say the least.

On this most recent viewing, another part jumped out at me. In the middle of the movie, Lloyd is invited over to the Courts for dinner. And the tax-violating father asks him what he wants to do for a career.

” A career? I’ve thought about this quite a bit sir and I would have to say considering what’s waiting out there for me, I don’t want to sell anything, buy anything or process anything as a career. I dont want to sell anything bought or processed or buy anything sold or processed or repair anything sold, bought or processed as a career. I dont want to do that. My father’s in the army. He wants me to join, but I can’t work for that corporation, so what I’ve been doing lately is kick-boxing, which is a new sport…as far as career longevity, I dont really know. I cant figure it all out tonight, sir, so I’m just gonna hang with your daughter.”