Pretty in Pink

1986 Drama

John Hughes crafts an exemplary '80s Brat Pack romance out of the standard Cinderella story in Pretty in Pink. Andie Walsh (Molly Ringwald) is a teenager who lives in the dingy part of town with her terminally underemployed dad (Harry Dean Stanton). She works at a record store with eccentric Ionia (Annie Potts) and is considered a misfit at her uppity high school, but somehow she rises above them all. Her oddball best friend, Duckie (Jon Cryer), is hopelessly in love with her, so he causes trouble for her romantic pursuits. When local rich kid Blaine (Andrew McCarthy) develops a fascination with her, they go out on a date together. Visiting the home bases of each social clique, they are basically ridiculed for their audacity to date one another. When Blaine eventually asks the delighted Andie to the prom, he is threatened by his rich friend Steff (James Spader). The romance versus high school social politics finally culminates at the big night of the prom. more..

Director: Howie Deutch

Starring: Molly Ringwald, Andrew McCarthy, Jon Cryer, James Spader, Harry Dean Stanton

 15 Reviews  1 Awards

Reviews

  • Delightful... The film is buoyed by a captivating performance by Ringwald, who has an unerring ability to share her character's emotions with an audience, as if we were eavsdropping behind her makeup mirror.

    - Los Angeles Times

    26 April 2013

  • Although it is not a great movie, it contains some moments when the audience is likely to think, yes, being 16 was exactly like that.

    Roger Ebert - The Chicago Sun-Times

    26 April 2013

  • Very high on my list of good movie titles, has fascinating deep tones, surprising poignancy, and tendor humor for a movie aimed at teenage audiences.

    Peter Stack - The San Francisco Chronicle

    26 April 2013

  • Fortunately, the actors are mostly likable, and the story is told gently enough to downplay both its trendiness and its conventionality.

    Elvis Mitchell - The New York Times

    26 April 2013

  • Blane's snooty friend Steff (Spader) could be a tired stereotype, but with his all-year tan, his hip-blase voice and hs view of high school as a "career," Steff becomes a recognizable character of any age: upscale slime in embryo.

    Richard Corliss - Time

    26 April 2013

Awards

  • Michael Gore

    BMI Film & TV Awards (1987)

Lists

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