Say Anything (1989)

Anyone who doesn't get how John Cusack could've ever been a heartthrob needs only to watch this and gain immediate understanding. The romance between Lloyd and the way-out-of-his-league Diane is what teen girls across decades dream of.

When I saw this during its original theatrical run, I thought it was all about these teens navigating their first love affair. But watching it more than 35 years later, the theme became a loss of innocence: Diane isn't just graduating from high school, she's graduating from being "Daddy's little girl." Maybe she and Lloyd aren't destined to be eternal soulmates, but he's the one who helps her envision a life of her own and believe that she can attain it.

A wonderful film that works for teens and those of us well into adulthood.

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