The Sure Thing

"A sure thing comes once in a lifetime... but the real thing lasts forever."

1985 1h 35m EN

👍

6.5

SOLID

🍅

81%

FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

IMDB

★6.5TMDB · 340🍅81%Rotten Tomatoes●76Metacritic★7IMDB · 23,196

ComedyDramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Gib, a beer-guzzling slob, and Alison, an uptight Ivy-Leaguer, are an unlikely duo stuck together on a cross-country trip during Christmas break. At first they get on each other's nerves but, as time passes, they find their divergent natures complement each other. Now they need to realize what they've already found before it's too late.

“A sure thing comes once in a lifetime... but the real thing lasts forever.”

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Cast

John Cusack
Walter "Gib" Gibson
Daphne Zuniga
Alison Bradbury
Anthony Edwards
Lance
Boyd Gaines
Jason
Tim Robbins
Gary Cooper
Lisa Jane Persky
Mary Ann Webster
Viveca Lindfors
Professor Taub
Nicollette Sheridan
The Sure Thing

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Rob Reiner
Writers: Steve Bloom, Jonathan Roberts
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $4.5M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 4.0× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

41 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Rob Reiner, shot by Robert Elswit. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Tom Scott. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Robert Leighton shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

John Cusack and Daphne Zuniga and Anthony Edwards carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A sure thing comes once in a lifetime... but the real thing lasts forever.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Rob Reiner directs. Robert Elswit behind the camera. Tom Scott scores. Robert Leighton cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $4.5M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Made its money back 4.0× over at the box office.
341 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4Directed by Rob Reiner, shot by Robert Elswit. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Tom Scott. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Robert Leighton shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7John Cusack and Daphne Zuniga and Anthony Edwards carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "A sure thing comes once in a lifetime... but the real thing lasts forever.".
9IMDB entry: tt0090103 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 8 themes, including "california", "college", "road trip", "swimming pool".