# Guess John Cusack's Ten Good Films! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 6, 2007, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-john-cusacks-ten-good-films/418252 "2007-09-06T16:04:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Meltdown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Meltdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meltdown)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-john-cusacks-ten-good-films/418252/1 "2007-09-06T16:04:57Z")
From the IMDb: > [@](#): > > Cusack “Only Made 10 Good Films” > > Hollywood star John Cusack believes he has only made 10 good films, despite spending over 25 years in the film industry. Cusack, 41, counts Grosse Pointe Blank and Being John Malkovich among his best work, but admits he is embarrassed of a majority of his filmography. He says, “I’ve made 10 good films. The ones that suck I tend to blank out. It’s like I never even made them. Well, there aren’t 40 that are great, put it that way. But that’s fine. Ten is a good battling average.” [Link](http://www.imdb.com/news/wenn/2007-09-06/) My list (in chronological order): The Sure Thing Better Off Dead Eight Men Out Say Anything The Grifters Bullets Over Broadway Grosse Pointe Blank Being John Malkovich High Fidelity Huh. I could only come up with nine. But I haven’t seen 1408 yet. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-john-cusacks-ten-good-films/418252/2 "2007-09-06T16:12:48Z")
[QUOTE=Meltdown] From the IMDb: [Link](http://www.imdb.com/news/wenn/2007-09-06/) My list (in chronological order): The Sure Thing Better Off Dead Eight Men Out Say Anything The Grifters Bullets Over Broadway Grosse Pointe Blank Being John Malkovich High Fidelity Huh. I could only come up with nine. But I haven’t seen 1408 yet. [/QUOTE] Identity Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-john-cusacks-ten-good-films/418252/3 "2007-09-06T16:22:00Z")
My ten: Stand By Me Grosse Pointe Blank Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil Being John Malkovich … Hmm. I haven’t seen nearly as many of his movies as I thought I had. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-john-cusacks-ten-good-films/418252/4 "2007-09-06T16:30:55Z")
Without having read anyone’s answers, here is my list: The Sure Thing Cradle Will Rock Being John Malkovich The Road to Wellville Fat Man and Little Boy Admitedly, I haven’t seen that many of his films. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-john-cusacks-ten-good-films/418252/5 "2007-09-06T16:33:59Z")
I liked him in The Grifters (but not as much as Annette Benning - man, she’s smoking hot in that movied) and Grosse Pointe Blank. I didn’t like Being John Malkovich as much as I thought I would. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-john-cusacks-ten-good-films/418252/6 "2007-09-06T16:37:23Z")
I’m a fan of **Runaway Jury**. Other than that. . . \*\*High Fidelity Say Anything The Sure Thing BJM \*\* were great. I saw **GPB** but it didn’t register with me. A lot of his other stuff is just “good”. Some of it SUCKS. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-john-cusacks-ten-good-films/418252/7 "2007-09-06T16:37:28Z")
High Fidelity (one of my all time top 10) Grosse Pointe Blank Being John Malkovich Bullets over Broadway Identity 1408 (I thought I’d hate this one) Say Anything Runaway Jury (underrated) The Thin Red Line Sixteen Candles I’m sure we can eliminate **The Road to Wellville**. Of that much, I’m sure. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-john-cusacks-ten-good-films/418252/8 "2007-09-06T17:17:13Z")
What? No _America’s Sweethearts_? No _Serindipity_? How is this possible?? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-john-cusacks-ten-good-films/418252/9 "2007-09-06T17:36:24Z")
I doubt his top 10 would match most viewers’ lists. He may have, say, had a life-changing experience on the set of The Thin Red Line and think the end result is a work of art. Still doesn’t mean I don’t find it dull as nails. My list of favourites: Eight Men Out Say Anything… The Grifters Bullets Over Broadway Grosse Pointe Blank Being John Malkovich High Fidelity Stand by Me (not sure if he’d consider this a movie he ‘made’ or was simply a part of, considering the size of his role) Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil The Journey of Natty Gann ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-john-cusacks-ten-good-films/418252/10 "2007-09-06T17:51:10Z")
It’s funny. Although I would have said I really like John, when I went to his IMDB entry I was surprised at just how many of his movies I haven’t seen. ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-john-cusacks-ten-good-films/418252/11 "2007-09-06T17:51:13Z")
Identity High Fidelity Being John Malkovich Grosse Pointe Blank The Grifters Say Anything The Sure Thing He did good work in True Colors, but it wasn’t that great of a movie. I’ll probably say that he thinks that his work in these movies was important: Bullets Over Broadway The Thin Red Line Cradle Will Rock Anyone could have played his part in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, folks… that was Spacey’s movie through and through. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-john-cusacks-ten-good-films/418252/12 "2007-09-06T17:57:10Z")
Moved from IMHO to CS. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-john-cusacks-ten-good-films/418252/13 "2007-09-06T19:07:01Z")
He’s being snarky and self-deprecating. I think he just said 10 as a round number, not that he actually meant 10 _exactly_. If he stopped to look at the list I know he’d find more than 10. My list of Cusack movies (though he wasn’t lead in all of them), in no particular order: **Bob Roberts Grosse Pointe Blank Broadcast News The Sure Thing Say Anything Being John Malkovich High Fidelity The Grifters Bullets Over Broadway The Journey of Natty Gann** I’d also add to the list: **1408 Cradle Will Rock** I haven’t seen some of the ones mentioned, like **Better Off Dead** , **Eight Men Out** , **Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil** and **Identity**. I haven’t seen this either, but I’ll bet **Max** would be on the list. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-john-cusacks-ten-good-films/418252/14 "2007-09-06T19:21:52Z")
Worst John Cusack movie: **Must Love Dogs**. I thought it was going to be a can’t-miss romantic comedy. I think it’s the last movie I walked out on. ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-john-cusacks-ten-good-films/418252/15 "2007-09-06T19:23:39Z")
If you’re trying to guess _his_ favorites, then you can strike _Better Off Dead_. I’ve seen it reported that he absolutely hates that movie. I think it rocks, of course. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Meltdown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Meltdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meltdown)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-john-cusacks-ten-good-films/418252/16 "2007-09-06T20:20:30Z")
I was intentionally excluding films in which he had only a peripheral role (like Bob Roberts, which I otherwise would have put on the list) as being outside the spirit of his pronouncement, but that’s open to interpretation. Interesting that he hates Better Off Dead. I hadn’t heard that. I still use “Go that way really fast. If something gets in your way, turn” as words of advice. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-john-cusacks-ten-good-films/418252/17 "2007-09-06T21:07:06Z")
The Ice Harvest Better Off Dead Eight Men Out Say Anything The Grifters One Crazy Summer Grosse Pointe Blank Being John Malkovich High Fidelity ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-john-cusacks-ten-good-films/418252/18 "2007-09-06T23:48:08Z")
By good, did he mean that he acted well in them or that the movie itself was good? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2007, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-john-cusacks-ten-good-films/418252/19 "2007-09-07T01:41:11Z")
He might be including the as-of-yet unreleased _War, Inc._, an unofficial sequel (or possibly prequel) to _Grosse Pointe Blank_. I saw a trailer online a few months ago and it looks great, although I haven’t heard a thing about it since. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2007, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-john-cusacks-ten-good-films/418252/20 "2007-09-07T02:14:19Z")
**The Ice Harvest (2005)** … _Charlie_ -\> He was pretty good in this uneven movie. **Serendipity (2001)** … _Jonathan Trager ._-\> I like him and the movie was good **America’s Sweethearts (2001)** … _Eddie Thomas._ -\>Terrible movie, he was not good. **High Fidelity (2000)** … _Rob Gordon ._ -\>Great Movie & Character. **Being John Malkovich (1999)** … _Craig Schwartz ._ -\>Great Movie & Character. **Pushing Tin (1999)** … _Nick Falzone_ -\> Silly movie, but I enjoyed it and he was the best actor in the movie. **The Thin Red Line (1998)** … \*Capt. Gaff -\> aka Mince ligne rouge, La (Canada: French title) \* -\> I did not like the movie, he was fine in it. **Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)** … \*John Kelso \* -\> Great movie and breat roll **Anastasia (1997) (voice)** … \*Dimitri \* -\> He did a good job in a middling animated movie. **Con Air (1997)** … \*U.S. Marshal Vince Larkin \* -\> Silly but fun movie, he was very good, second best character after [Steve Buscemi](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000114/) **Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)** … \*Martin Q. Blank \* -\> Great movie and great role. **City Hall (1996)** … \*Deputy Mayor Kevin Calhoun \* -\> Good movie, he and Danny Aiello out actor scenery chewer Pacino. **The Road to Wellville (1994)** … \*Charles Ossining \* -\> He was very good in a movie where Anthony Hopkins was terrible and Dana Carvey was painful to watch and Matthew Broderick stunk. **Bullets Over Broadway (1994)** … \*David Shayne \* -\> He was good in a good movie. **Bob Roberts (1992)** … \*Cutting Edge Host \* -\> Small Part and he was good. **The Grifters (1990)** … _Roy Dillon_ -\> He was great in this entertaining movie. **Fat Man and Little Boy (1989)** … \*Michael Merriman -\> aka Shadow Makers (UK) \* -\> One of his best movie, one of his best roles. **Say Anything… (1989)** … \*Lloyd Dobler -\> aka …Say Anything… (USA: promotional title) \* -\> His signature movie and he was great. Not my favorite John Cusack movie however. **Tapeheads (1988)** … \*Ivan Alexeev \* -\> Fun and strange movie, he was great. **Eight Men Out (1988)** … \*George ‘Buck’ Weaver \* -\> My second favorite John Cusack Movie. He was great. **Broadcast News (1987) (as John Cusak)** … \*Angry Messenger \* -\> Small Role, no comment. **Hot Pursuit (1987)** … \*Dan Bartlett -\> aka Persecución intensa (Mexico) \* -\> Crappy movie, no camp value, he seemed to sleep walk through it. Must have just been a quick payday or something. **One Crazy Summer (1986)** … \*Hoops McCann \* -\> Fun and stupid movie that I was the right age for. I probably remember this too fondly as I saw it in the San Diego Drive in with about 20 friends and a few cases of beer. **Stand by Me (1986)** … \*Denny Lachance \* -\> Small role, he was very good. **The Journey of Natty Gann (1985)** … \*Harry \* -\> He was great in this little remembered movie. **Better Off Dead… (1985)** … \*Lane Meyer -\> aka Better Off Dead (USA) \* -\> My absolute favorite John Cusack movie. I love this movie, one of my favorite 80’s comedies. (I want my two dollars!) (Ohhhh. Tentacles. N-T. )(This is pure snow! Do you have any idea what the street value of this mountain is?)(Now that’s a real shame when folks be throwin’ away a perfectly good white boy like that. )(Two brothers… One speaks no English, the other learned English from watching “The Wide World of Sports.” So you tell me… Which is better, speaking no English at all, or speaking Howard Cosell?) I don’t care if he doesn’t like it, I do. I rated this one a 10. **The Sure Thing (1985)** … \*Walter (Gib) Gibson \* -\> A good solid performance in a Rob Reiner little gem. **Grandview, U.S.A. (1984)** … \*Johnny Maine \* -\> Forgettable role in a forgettable movie. **Sixteen Candles (1984)** … \*Bryce \* -\> Small but competant early role. **Class (1983)** … _Roscoe Maibaum_ -\> Small but competant early role. So I have seen a lot of his movies and I like him in most of them and I like most of his movies. Jim [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-john-cusacks-ten-good-films/418252.md?page=2)