This
is John Cusack. Take a good look. Although he doesn't appear to be
your typical leading man, he has acted in over 70 films, many of
which as the main character. On multiple occasions he alone has
carried the weight of a film. So what makes him so special? What
exactly is the appeal of John Cusack?
To
pinpoint the forces contributing to Cusack's rise to success, let's
look at his early years, particularly the films of 1985 - 1989.
During this five year period, he picked up numerous leading roles as
the high school graduate coming of age. These films include Say Anything, Better Off Dead, The Sure Thing and One Crazy Summer. Upon
close inspection, there is a clear thread running through each of
these films. Cusack, you might say, found his niche in this period
and has portrayed variations on this typecast ever since. Spoilers
ahead.