Pretty in Pink *** (1986, Molly Ringwald, Jon Cryer, Andrew McCarthy, Harry Dean Stanton) – Classic Movie Review 3086

Writer-producer John Hughes reunites with Molly Ringwald after The Breakfast Club (1985) for another one of his sensitive looks at the rites of passage of American high-school kids. Pretty in Pink is one of the fondly regarded, key Brat Pack movies of the Eighties.

But director Howard Deutch’s 1986 teen romantic comedy tells a familiar, much-told story about a poor, not-so-popular high school girl called Andie Walsh (Ringwald) who falls in love with a ‘richie’ new guy at school, rich but sensitive playboy Blane McDonnagh (Andrew McCarthy), and breaks the heart of her doting childhood sweetheart Duckie (Jon Cryer).

Hughes’s nifty, thoughtful writing finds fresh paths to tread among the cliches and stereotypes, and the quirky, affecting acting also helps to bring a lot of life into the old tale, though director Deutch could have made the movie faster and funnier.

Ringwald is excellent, and Harry Dean Stanton is very effective as her pitiable father in an all-too brief role. McCarthy is brisk and efficient but Cryer is so good and appealing that sympathies stray to him instead of to the star-crossed lovers.

And it’s great that  Hughes has once again made a teen movie that can also be enjoyed by adults.

There is one four-letter word, edited out in TV version.

Also in the cast are Annie Potts, James Spader, Alexa Kenin, Andrew ‘Dice’ Clay, Margaret Colin, Dweezil Zappa, Jim Haynie, Kate Vernon, Emily Longstreth, Jamie Anders, Bader Howar and Gina Gershon.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 3086

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