The Sure Thing 1985

As the curtain closes on their high school days, Walter Gibson (character) can’t help but feel like his once effortless charm has lost its luster. His best friend Lance is bound for UCLA, while Walter heads to a college in New England, leaving him feeling disconnected and struggling to rekindle his romantic spark. The two friends stay in touch through letters, with Walter’s attempts at wooing the intelligent and introspective Alison Bradbury (character) from his English class only serving to drive her away. It seems like his luck is stuck in a rut.

Lance, ever the matchmaker, reaches out to Walter with an intriguing proposition - meet him in California for Christmas break, where he’s arranged a “sure thing” with a lovely lady. Eager to recapture some of that old magic, Walter hops on a ride-share board and meets Gary Cooper (character) and Mary Ann Webster (character), the kindly couple providing transportation. But things take an unexpected turn when he finds himself seated next to none other than Alison, en route to visit her boyfriend Jason at UCLA. The tension between them becomes palpable, prompting their driver to abandon ship on a deserted road, leaving Walter and Alison to continue their journey together.

As they navigate the challenges of their impromptu travel companionship, Alison’s near-miss with a would-be assailant forces Walter into action, allowing him to save her from harm. In the aftermath, the two weary travelers decide to stick together, eventually making their way to a train station. However, when Walter finds himself without sufficient funds for his bus fare, they’re forced to check into a motel instead. As he struggles to come to terms with Alison’s continued presence in his life, Walter becomes increasingly possessive and paranoid, ultimately retreating to a local bar where he indulges in a tipsy rendition of Christmas carols with the friendly locals, losing himself in the festive atmosphere.

As the sun rises on their uncertain future, Walter hastily ushers Alison out of the motel room, his cunning plan to conceal her true identity by stuffing scarves into her shirt in a desperate attempt to deceive passersby. With a makeshift pregnancy disguise, they successfully flag down a ride and arrive at a local eatery, where Alison’s realization that she has left her appointment book and cash back at the motel sends their morning crashing down. That night, as the rain pours down, their spirits sink equally low until Alison recalls her father’s emergency credit card, a lifeline that allows them to treat themselves to a luxurious hotel stay and a dinner of celebration.

The next morning, Alison awakens to find Walter embracing her tenderly, only for him to swiftly withdraw upon regaining consciousness. Meanwhile, as they navigate the desert landscape in the company of a truck driver, Alison listens intently as Walter confides in his “sure thing”, an enigmatic phrase that will soon be revealed.

Upon arriving on the UCLA campus, Alison’s ire is piqued by Walter’s apparent deception, and she decides to part ways with him. That night, however, Walter finds himself at a Christmas mixer arranged by Lance, where he hopes to rekindle his “sure thing” connection. Meanwhile, Alison, now alone, becomes restless at Jason’s dormitory and seizes the opportunity to drag him along to the same gathering.

As fate would have it, Alison and Walter cross paths once more, their mutual jealousy simmering beneath the surface like a pot about to boil over. A confrontation ensues, setting the stage for a series of events that will test the limits of their complicated relationship. Back on campus after the holiday break, Alison and Walter struggle to maintain a facade of normalcy in their English class, where Professor Taub assigns a writing project that inadvertently forces Walter to confront his true feelings.

As he pours his emotions onto the page, it becomes clear that Walter has undergone a profound transformation, one that will eventually bring him face-to-face with the harsh realities of his own desires. Meanwhile, Alison’s own epiphany dawns on her when she realizes the truth about Walter’s night with the “sure thing”, paving the way for a heart-wrenching confession and a kiss that will change their lives forever.