Reverse Culture Shock

After celebrating five years of marriage, my British husband made a startling revelation: he had never seen “Say Anything.” In fact, he had never heard of it.

I was flabbergasted. Back in the early ’90s, it was hard to spend a weekend with my female or male friends without hearing a quote from that movie.

Boys used to like to compare themselves favorably to Lloyd Dobler, played geekily but lovably by John Cusack: “I’m the type of guy who would tell a girl to watch out for broken glass on the ground — like that scene in ‘Say Anything.'”

Girls would sigh, and say they were looking for a guy who wore his heart on his sleeve — like Lloyd (“I gave her my heart, and she gave me a pen.”)

And of course, my husband and I are not the only ones celebrating a milestone — the iconic film turns 20 this year.

I tried to explain to my husband why the movie is such a cult classic. Surely, the image of Lloyd holding a boom box over his head, blasting “In Your Eyes,” outside his estranged girlfriend’s window was poignant enough to cement it into the archives of any culture.

Or maybe the idea of anyone, Lloyd Dobler included, playing Peter Gabriel outside an ex’s house offends the British psyche. In a land where boys like to play it cool, and refuse to admit affection for anyone unless several pints of lager are involved, overt gestures of love don’t translate well onto the screen.

Luckily, my husband has agreed to watch it, so I will be able to embark on a cultural journey: is “Say Anything” appealing to Brits and Americans alike?