The day I watched Say Anything was the day I developed impossible ambitions (hopeless expectations) – the Lloyd Dobler Complex. Minus my obvious one sided love affair for John Cusack and passion for Cameron Crowe movies, Lloyd Dobler has to be one of the greatest romantic characters written.
Lloyd Dobler – the guy that everyone loves. His best friends are girls but he hangs with the guys equally as well. He looks out for Diane Court at the party, walks her home. He’s open about how crazy he is for her. He holds her face when he kisses her. He listens to her when she talks. And god bless his heart, he holds a boombox outside her window, playing Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” when she breaks up with him.
What goddamn horseshit. It’s characters like these (plus a great soundtrack) coupled with movie-obsessed personalities like mine that has led to the meaningless romanticising of the Valentine’s Day theory – “The One“. This great guy with the goods and packaging. In the formative years, they can be very misleading because you fail to realise that people write characters like these because they don’t exist. Not everyone can pull off trenchcoats.
And with that, I shall reluctantly release Lloyd Dobler to the past – I set you free and give you leave to go. Take Blane from Pretty in Pink with you.
