Optimism as a Revolutionary Act

"I wanna get hurt!" -Lloyd Dobler

Cameron Crowe wrote and directed Say Anything in 1989. It still stands out as one of the best romantic comedies ever and certainly in a tie for first with High Fidelity as the best John Cusack movie ever. The story of the movie in mega-Reader's Digest form is this. John Cusack plays underachiever and eternal optimist Lloyd Dobler. Lloyd has a thing for the unattainable goody-two-shoes valedictorian Diane Court, played by Ione Skye. Caving to his charming , nervious swagger, over the course of the summer after graduation, Diane falls for Lloyd amidst the watchful eyes of a clingy disapproving father. This is all I can say, because if you have not seen this film, you must! It has all the right stuff.

While watching the DVD with Audio Commentary by Cameron Crowe, he continually hit on the idea that the character of Lloyd Dobler was the personification of "optimism as a revolutionary act". While I can't quote his talk about this verbatim, but in so many words here it is.

There are people out there who are so idealistic and caught up in the idea that everything is fine, that they ignore the problems of the world and refuse to be anything but optimistic as an effect of that. The difference between these folks and the character of a Lloyd Dobler person is that Lloyd is fully aware of the dark shadows that loom over life, in fact he has experience in them. There is no idealistic approach in the manner in which Lloyd reveals his character. Instead, it is a choice made to remain sure and hopeful in the face of defeat, and stand smiling in the acknowledgement of the trials that come. That is truly optimism as a revolutionary act, to be going against the odds to not see the light, but to find the light when it can't be seen.

This is what I strive to do; sometimes successfully, sometimes not. Then again, it seems to be about the trying that makes it happen. It takes a longing like that of love to bring someone that far.