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The Sure Thing

  • 1985
  • PG-13
  • 1h 35m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
25K
YOUR RATING
John Cusack, Nicollette Sheridan, and Daphne Zuniga in The Sure Thing (1985)
Walter Gibson is a university freshman going through a dry spell. His old buddy arranges a "sure thing" for him in California. Gibson and his classmate Allison then take a long road trip out to Cali, and both foil each other's plans.
Play trailer2:50
1 Video
84 Photos
Holiday ComedyHoliday RomanceRomantic ComedyTeen ComedyComedyDramaRomance

A New England college freshman agrees to meet up with a girl in California and ends up hitchhiking across the country with his crush.A New England college freshman agrees to meet up with a girl in California and ends up hitchhiking across the country with his crush.A New England college freshman agrees to meet up with a girl in California and ends up hitchhiking across the country with his crush.

  • Director
    • Rob Reiner
  • Writers
    • Steve Bloom
    • Jonathan Roberts
  • Stars
    • John Cusack
    • Daphne Zuniga
    • Anthony Edwards
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.0/10
    25K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Rob Reiner
    • Writers
      • Steve Bloom
      • Jonathan Roberts
    • Stars
      • John Cusack
      • Daphne Zuniga
      • Anthony Edwards
    • 98User reviews
    • 60Critic reviews
    • 76Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:50
    Official Trailer

    Photos84

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    + 77
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    Top Cast44

    John Cusack
    John Cusack
    • Walter 'Gib' Gibson
    Daphne Zuniga
    Daphne Zuniga
    • Alison Bradbury
    Anthony Edwards
    Anthony Edwards
    • Lance
    Boyd Gaines
    Boyd Gaines
    • Jason
    Tim Robbins
    Tim Robbins
    • Gary Cooper
    Lisa Jane Persky
    Lisa Jane Persky
    • Mary Ann Webster
    Viveca Lindfors
    Viveca Lindfors
    • Professor Taub
    Nicollette Sheridan
    Nicollette Sheridan
    • The Sure Thing
    Blake Marcia Christie
    Blake Marcia Christie
    • Julie
    • (as Marcia Christie)
    Robert Anthony Marcucci
    • Bobby
    Sarah Buxton
    Sarah Buxton
    • Sharon
    Lorrie Lightle
    • Lucy
    Joshua Cadman
    Joshua Cadman
    • Jimbo
    Krystal Richards
    • Girl in Photo
    John Putch
    John Putch
    • Mastin
    Steve Pink
    Steve Pink
    • Football Player
    Tracy Reiner
    Tracy Reiner
    • Alison's Friend
    Martin J. Layton
    • Frat Guy
    • (as Marty Layton)
    • Director
      • Rob Reiner
    • Writers
      • Steve Bloom
      • Jonathan Roberts
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews98

    7.024.5K
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    Summary

    Reviewers say 'The Sure Thing' Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Curabitur pretium tincidunt lacus.

    Nulla facilisi etiam dignissim diam quis enim lobortis scelerisque
    Lorem ipsum dolorSit amet consecteturAdipiscing elitSed do eiusmodTempor incididuntUt labore et doloreMagna aliquaUt enim ad minimVeniam quisNostrud exercitation
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    Related interests

    Chevy Chase in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
    Holiday Comedy
    Philemon Chambers and Michael Urie in Single All the Way (2021)
    Holiday Romance
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    Romantic Comedy
    Lacey Chabert, Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, and Amanda Seyfried in Mean Girls (2004)
    Teen Comedy
    Will Ferrell, Angela Grillo, and Lap-Gei Cheung in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
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    Romance

    Storyline

    Did you know

    • Trivia
      The scene where Gib teaches Alison to shotgun a beer was added to the script after John Cusack told Rob Reiner it was something he knew how to do.
    • Goofs
      While in the blue car they are supposed to be driving west to California yet at the end of the first day there is a shot of the car coming toward the camera with the sun setting behind it which means the car was driving east.
    • Quotes
      • Professor Taub: [reading Gib's Paper] 'It could be tonight,' he though as he stood in the corner, pretending to have a good time. He would meet her tonight. All his young life, he had dreamed of a girl like this. 5'6, silky hair, trim, nubile body. Nubile, by the way, is spelled with a "u".
      • [Continuing]
      • Professor Taub: Trim, nubile body that really knew how to move. And soft, deeply tanned skin. Now as for personality traits, she needed only one. She had to love sex and all the time. To arrive at this moment, he had traveled vast distances enduring many hardships. Abject poverty, starvation, show tunes, you name it. From across the room, he saw her. She was perfect. He knew almost nothing about her and she didn't know much more about him. It was exactly how it was supposed to be. He brought her to his room. The lights were soft, the moment was right. Then she leaned over and whispered in his ear, 'Do you love me?' Thoughts raced through his mind. Did she really want him? What had he done to deserve this bounty? Does God exist? Who invented liquid soap and why? 'Do you love me?' Staring into her eyes he knew that she really needed to hear it but for the first time in his life, he knew these were no longer just words and if he said it, it would be a lie. 'Do you love me?' she whispered. 'Do you love me?' It would not be tonight. The answer was no.
    • Alternate versions
      This film has an alternate version. The first scene of the alternate version starts with the scene right before Lance's dialogue "Private Gibson" to Gibson (John Cusack) where Gibson is sitting alone. This version doesn't have scenes with Gibson's dialogue to two women. This version delete the scene where Gibson's roommate is making love to his girlfriend. This version also doesn't have the scene where John Cusack kisses the girl in Lance's room close to the end of the film.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: The Beach Boys: An American Band/Maria's Lover/The Purple Rose of Cairo/The Sure Thing (1985)
    • Soundtracks
      Infatuation
      (Main Title Song)

      Written by Rod Stewart (as R. Stewart), Duane Hitchings (as D. Hitchings) and Roland Robinson (as R. Robinson)

      Performed by Rod Stewart

      Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records, Inc.

      By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

      Published by Rod Stewart/Hitchings Music/Rowland Robinson Music

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    Details

    • Release date
      • March 1, 1985 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • StudioCanal
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Tentaciones de verano
    • Filming locations
      • Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Embassy Pictures
      • Monument Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    • Budget
      • $4,500,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $18,135,531
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $3,124,782
      • Mar 3, 1985
    • Gross worldwide
      • $18,135,531
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    • Runtime
      • 1h 35m(95 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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