Pretty in Pink

Starring: Molly Ringwald, Harry Dean Stanton, Jon Cryer, Andrew McCarthy, James Spader, Annie Potts, Andrew Dice Clay, Margaret Colin, Gina Gershon
Directed by: Howard Deutch
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
1986

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A middle class girl (Molly Ringwald) struggles to choose between her best friend from childhood (Jon Cryer) and a rich boy (Andrew McCarthy) at school, who suddenly shows interest in her.

Review:

Tim: Pretty in Pink is another very good John Hughes-written film. The guy was simply fantastic at getting in the mind of teenagers during the 1980s. While I still prefer the Hughes-directed films like The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles, this is still an exceptionally good film. It's so full of teenage angst and romance, love and betrayal. It's a very engaging, entertaining film.

With most of these movies, our opinion will depend upon the characters. Molly Ringwald was so terrific at playing these normal, girl-next-door type of roles. She was very good as Andie Walsh- she's not so beautiful that we can't relate to her, but not so normal that we can't look up to her. She's a perfectly normal teenager- she could be anyone, anywhere. That was her big appeal. I really liked the character of Duckie, played wonderfully by Jon Cryer. He was funny, likeable, and yet, annoying and frustrating at the same time. He's a wonderfully written character and provides a great deal of the humor in the film. James Spader was very well cast the rich, snobby, arrogant guy that you just can't help but hate. He's really an unlikeable character, and he plays him very well. In the middle of all this is Andrew McCarthy- he's rich, but seems pretty nice, caught between both worlds. I didn't really like McCarthy all that much. Sure, he gives a fine performance, but I felt like he was one of the weaker links of the film. I never really rooted for his character, so I didn't care if he ended up with Ringwald or not. Annie Potts was a great addition to the cast, and I enjoyed Harry Dean Stanton as Ringwald's father. For a simple romantic dramedy, this film had a very impressive cast.

I liked that this film had some depth to it. On the surface, it's about a girl who likes a guy. But, digging into the story, there's some powerful themes at work. This film is a meditation on class in America- the rich and the poor. It's also about friendship, about standing tall for what you believe in, even if people might ridicule you for it. The film is about some of the deeper, most interesting parts of life. That's one of my favorite aspects of the film- you can watch it on different levels. Most romantic comedies are so light and forgettable. This film is certainly not that.

I loved that this film engaged me throughout the entire film. In so many romantic comedies, the story meanders around and loses me at various points. Pretty in Pink never lost me. It engaged me from start to finish. I really, really enjoyed this film- it's one of the stronger films from the mid 1980s.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club