Why John Cusack Was Tricked Into Filming Say Anything's Most Iconic Scene

When Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) and his girlfriend Diane Cort (Ione Skye) have sex for the first time in Cameron Crowe's 1989 romance "Say Anything...," it's in the back of a car with the radio playing. Lloyd is nervous, and the pair are giddy and exhilarated. Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" plays on the radio. "In Your Eyes" becomes "their song," and the couple falls more deeply in love. Soon thereafter, though, Diane becomes concerned that her wealthy father (John Mahoney) is involved in many untoward business practices, and that her family may lose their fortunes. Diane's father says that Diane should dump Lloyd, as he is merely a middle class kid with no prospects; he only dreams of being a kickboxer. Diane, although clearly in love with Lloyd, dutifully does so. Lloyd's heart is broken. 

To remind Diane of their previous romances, he parks his car outside of her house, hoists a boombox above his head, and blasts "In Your Eyes" into her room window. The song hurts Diane's heart, but Lloyd remains firm, knowing that their love is real. It's one of the most notable scenes in one of the best films of its decade. "Say Anything..." is a romance that any teenager can relate to, but is also wise about how complicated those relationships can be. It also elevated Peter Gabriel even further into the pop stratosphere, leaving "In Your Eyes" as one of the most romantic songs of all time. The song was already a hit, but "Say Anything..." pushed it upward even further. 

The boombox scene, however, caused a small conflict between Cusack and Cameron Crowe. Crowe wanted Lloyd to hoist the boombox over his head, but Cusack felt that Lloyd wouldn't do anything quite so demonstrative. In a recent interview with the New York Times, Crowe revealed that he had to kind of "trick" Cusask into doing it the way he wanted. 

The story goes that Cusack felt that Lloyd, a proud character, wouldn't prostrate himself like that. Lloyd, he felt, would simply sit on the hood of his car, play "In Your Eyes," and wait for the results. Crowe felt it would be more assertive if Lloyd hoist the boombox. Cusack, however, stuck by his guns, and insisted that Crowe and "Say Anything..." cinematographer László Kovács shoot it his way. According to Crowe, Cusack "felt like it was a subservient act: Why does Lloyd have to be a wuss like that? We struggled with how to get that scene." Evidently, Kovács witnessed the actor and the director butting heads, and helped with a solution. 

Cusack was allowed to shoot the scene as he wanted, but Kovács surreptitiously "neglected" to load up the camera. The director and photographer then waited until the last minute, rushed Cusack into the scene, kind of against his will, and got the shot they wanted. As Crowe recalled: 

"We had actually shot the scene where Cusack had the boom box on the hood of a car, and he was saying, 'That's more what I would do.' László leaned over and whispered in my ear, 'Don't worry, there's no film in the camera.' On the last day, as we were losing the sun, he said: 'I found a place across the street that would be good, and the car is parked there. Let's get him across the street and see if we can get it.' So we ran across the street. [John] said, 'OK, I'll do it.' So he's holding up the boom box, literally kind of pissed that he's having to do it one more time."

Weirdly, Crowe said, the slightly pissed-off face that Cusack made was "the perfect emotion for the scene." Lloyd would indeed be a little pissed in that moment, and Crowe was able to get that out of Cusack, even if it was contrary to his wishes.