Production note The Sure Thing was not on streaming and was reportedly available on YouTube at the time of recording.
Production note Rob Reiner directed The Sure Thing as his second feature.
Production note John Cusack was very young during production and the story involved emancipation.
Production note The film was shot for a $4.5 million budget and made $18.1 million.
Production note Roger Ebert gave the film three and a half stars.
Mentioned with uncertainty The soundtrack is mentioned as a possible reason the movie is not streaming.
Production note The movie includes a professor reading Allison’s essay aloud in class.
Production note Cusack told Reiner he could shotgun beer, and the scene was added.
Production note Larry Hankin plays the trucker/hitchhiker character.
Production note The hosts joke that many of the movie’s shots were actually filmed in California even though it plays as a road movie.
The Watch Used as a side conversation about Chris Ryan’s other podcast.
Castle Rock Discussed as Reiner’s production company and a key part of his industry legacy.
Seinfeld Cited as an example of Reiner’s producing impact through Castle Rock.
Spinal Tap Named as one of Reiner’s landmark projects and an early directing example.
The Princess Bride Used to illustrate Reiner’s casting instincts and cross-generational appeal.
A Few Good Men Mentioned as a strong example of Reiner’s talent for casting stars at peak moments.
Misery Referenced as a top Stephen King adaptation and a great actor-driven thriller.
Stand By Me Used repeatedly as another benchmark for Reiner’s emotional storytelling and ensemble casting.
When Harry Met Sally Cited as a defining rom-com and a model for the genre.
It Happened One Night Used as a classic screwball-road-romance influence on The Sure Thing.
Risky Business Compared to The Sure Thing as a nearby 80s teen movie touchstone.
The Flamingo Kid Mentioned as another smarter-than-expected movie in the teen/young-adult lane.
Before Sunrise Craig compares the film’s long conversational passages to Linklater’s style.
The Breakfast Club Discussed both as a contemporaneous teen movie and as a near-casting destination for Cusack.
Ferris Bueller's Day Off Used as a top-tier teen-movie comparator in the rankings discussion.
