Molly Ringwald Film Fest Movie #3
Synopsis: Girl with hideous taste in clothing is pursued by milquetoast rich boy and weirdo best friend.
Blurb From the VHS Jacket: “She’s a high school girl from the wrong side of town. He’s the wealthy heart-throb who asks her to the prom. But as fast as their romance builds, it’s threatened by the painful reality of peer pressure.”
What Did I Learn?: Rich kids really love wearing white pants, sports jackets and dress shirts to school.
You Might Like This Movie If: You know that it’s not easy being pretty in pink.
Really?: 1) The school is divided between “richies” and kids from (literally) the wrong side of the tracks. Isn’t anyone middle class? 2) What was the point of having Harry Dean Stanton still depressed about his wife leaving him five years earlier? The subplot didn’t have anything to do with the main storyline, and it was rather easily (and conveniently) resolved after a nice father-daughter heart-to-heart.
Rating: Pretty in Pink is a good-but-not-great John Hughes teen drama. Class conflict is a real issue in many high schools, but PiP reduces it to a cartoon: the rich kids are all blonde and gratuitously nasty Young Republicans, while the poor kids enjoy funky fashions and working class solidarity. Still, you have to love James Spader’s uber-slimy performance (“gonna be late for class...”). 7/10 stars.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091790/
I love this film, mostly for reasons of nostalgia. But you've forgotten Annie Potts' terrific character, and Jon Cryer's endearing performance! I know you're currently doing a Molly Ringwald film-fest, but should that extend to other John Hughes movies, may I suggest "Some Kind of Wonderful?" Hughes didn't direct it (Howard Deutsch did) but he wrote it, and it is my favourite of the JH teen angst bunch.
ReplyDeleteEnjoying your reviews, as always!
Hey Anonymous:
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking the time to leave a comment - they are greatly appreciated!
I don't currently own a copy of Some Kind of Wonderful, but I would like to do a review of it at some point.
And you'll have to let me know when you do, because I LOVE that movie! It features one of the best movie kisses EVER! - Maryan
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