The Golden Age of John Cusack: 1985-2000

Some actors have a shelf-life. The passion that drives them wanes over time and they begin turning in tired, listless performances, one after another. They become stuck in a rut that is impossible to break out of. Sure, there have been actors who have staged comebacks after years in the wilderness, but these are exceptions rather than the rule. In a perfect world, actors whose hearts aren't in it anymore would retire like baseball players, leaving the heavy-lifting to those who are still burning with energy. With this in mind, I want to highlight the golden age of one of these thespians who I feel has fallen off the cliff: John Cusack.

There were few actors more likable than John Cusack in the late 1980s through the 1990s. He didn't have the range of someone like Johnny Depp, but he carved out a niche playing variations on the sensitive everyman. Cusack was sexy without being macho and smart without losing his coolness. And, he was younger than most leading men of his generation making it all the more impressive that he was as confident and consistently excellent as he was.

Evidence 1985-2000 were the golden years:


The Sure Thing (1985) - Back when Rob Reiner made movies that anyone wanted to watch, the director followed up This is Spinal Tap by casting a 19 year-old Cusack as a brash, fun-loving college student taking an It Happened One Night-inspired road trip with stuffy co-ed Daphne Zuniga. Cusack was still a bit rough around the edges, but he proved in his first starring role that he could be charismatic enough to carry an entire movie.

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Better Off Dead... (1986) - While the premise of a high school student who repeatedly tries to kill himself after being dumped by his girlfriend sounds like the makings of a heavy drama, or at least a very black comedy, this is actually a very silly movie that is made funnier by Cusack's winning performance.



Say Anything... (1989) - Cameron Crowe's surprisingly good directorial debut found the perfect use for Cusack's talents. As Lloyd Dobler, the actor is funny, sweet, romantic, confident, and completely natural. Every performance that Cusack ever gives is doomed to be compared to his performance as Lloyd Dobler in the same way that boyfriends across the world are forever doomed to be compared to Lloyd Dobler.
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Bullets Over Broadway (1994) - Cusack plays the Woody Allen-surrogate in the director's brisk comedy. While the supporting players such as Jennifer Tilly, Chazz Palminteri and Oscar-winner Dianne Wiest got most of the critical attention at the time, in hindsight it is Cusack who holds the film together in what was his funniest and most assured performance to date.


Grosse Point Blank (1997) - This idiosyncratic dark comedy was produced and co-written by Cusack and thus was the first film to fully bear his stamp as an artist. He plays a literate hitman who attends his 10-year high school reunion and much bloodshed ensues. As Martin Q. Blank, Cusack takes the intelligence and verbal dexterity of Lloyd Dobler and adds it to a film that visits the dark places that Better Off Dead... only hinted at.

Being John Malkovich (1999) - Cusack at his most un-Cusack. Here, he is unattractive and somewhat unlikable, but with the help of Charlie Kaufman's script, he is as funny as ever. This is another example of Cusack holding his own in the important central role, but knowing when to let the supporting cast take over.


High Fidelity (2000) - Another Cusack-produced personal project, this may represent his peak as an actor. It feels like the culmination of his career, incorporating aspects of just about all of his previous performances. Most impressive is how he breaks the fourth wall and makes the technique work. Cusack draws the audience in like few other actors can. We recognize ourselves in Rob Gordon, the grumpy record store owner, and we like him not because he is perfect person, but because he isn't.


John Cusack should have retired after High Fidelity. This would have made a perfect end to a perfect career. Unfortunately, he kept plugging along and has now phoned in serviceable performances in mostly terrible movies for a decade.

Evidence Cusack's time is over:

America's Sweethearts (2001)
Serendipity (2001)
Identity (2003)
Must Love Dogs (2005)
The Ice Harvest (2005)
The Contract (2006)
Grace is Gone (2007)
1408 (2007)
Martian Child (2007)
War, Inc. (2008)
2012 (2009)
Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)

How many of these movies have you seen? During the golden years, Cusack never made two bad movies in a row. Sure, he could come back to life if any legitimate directors decide to take a chance on him again, but the longer he continues to not care, the harder such a comeback will be. I hold out hope, but this falls short of expectation.