Say Anything

IF YOU'VE seen Easy A (2010) you probably remember the scene where Olive Penderghast (Emma Stone) pines for someone to woe her. Towards the movie's end, while Olive is doing a live broadcast on webcam, her long-time crush "Woodchuck" Todd (Penn Badgely) lifts his speakers, whereupon a song is heard, Emma looks out her window, and sees the man of her dreams.

Say Anything (1989) is the movie where that scene was derived from. It was John Cusack, playing Lloyd Dobler, who did it first. He was carrying a stereo. A car was behind him. He was professing undying love to Diane Court (Ione Sky), the high school valedictorian. There wasn't much to it, of course, but it was refreshing to see the fashion in the eighties—big hair, thick shoulder padding—the outfits my mother used to wear. Also, the soundtrack was intense. (I think the 80's and 90's comprise the golden age of pop music. These days the music is mostly plain noise.)

Contrary to popular belief I do watch romantic comedies; they're a welcome relief from hospital stresses. You don't have to think much. They almost always end with the man and woman finally getting together. I do replays of My Bestfriend's Wedding, Pretty Woman, Love Affair, and You've Got Mail once in a while. For some reason, though, I cannot stand today's Pinoy rom-coms, especially with John Lloyd Cruz and Sarah Geronimo in them. I tried watching One More Chance, which only stirred in me feelings that bordered on irritation and annoyance. I did try, but minutes into the film, I knew I had to leave.