Pretty In Pink (1986) ***1/2

The first time I saw Pretty In Pink (1986) was nearly twenty years ago (a thought that truly blows my mind). I never saw the film as a teenager though I was aware of it. I watched PIP for the first time with an ex that I don't tend to like to think about but I don't hold that against the film in any way (even when my attachment to films/music/art is distinctly tied to memories of exes, I'm still able to enjoy them; I know that's not the case for everyone). Though the subject matter of this film and the nature of the relationship I had are slightly related, which is somewhat amusing.

Anyway, PIP, with its themes of classism and single parenting, is perhaps the most serious of John Hughes' films (that I've seen), though I still have yet to see a few, including She's Having A Baby (1988). Tonally, it's closest to the previous year's classic The Breakfast Club (my review here), though Hughes didn't direct PIP. That duty fell to Howard Deutch (in his feature debut), who went on to direct two more Hughes scripts, Some Kind Of Wonderful (1987) (another one I've never seen) and The Great Outdoors (1988) (now there's a movie I haven't watched for probably thirty years!), which is odd because according to Wikipedia Hughes had a falling out with Deutch due to the ending of this film (which I don't love either).

I like the characters in PIP a lot and I like most of the performances too—there are some truly affecting and indelible moments in this picture. Young Molly Ringwald, as Andie, is cute and generally charming. Harry Dean Stanton, as Ringwald's father Jack, is pure gold in every scene he's in (as he was in pretty much every role he ever played). Jon Cryer, as Duckie, is certainly an attention-grabber and he does an excellent job with the range of his character (he is a serious jerk for a while). Annie Potts, as the sage-like and motherly friend Iona, is an absolute delight and super crush-worthy—though I don't love where her character (or Ringwald's) ends up. James Spader is too good at playing douchebag Steff (really, just too good). But Andrew McCarthy…I'm conflicted on him. His portrayal of the yuppie that Andie falls for is awkward, which fits the character of Blane, but I still don't particularly like his acting, so it's hard to buy Andie being so into him (plus there's *SPOILERS* this). But love is strange I suppose...

Music of course plays a big part in PIP, as it does in many Hughes films, in terms of both the great soundtrack and score, and the characters' employment and preoccupations (working at a record store and hanging out at a club). Though—barring The Psychedelic Furs' title track, which features front and center multiple times—I think a few of the songs are too briefly or fleetingly used in the background.

To sum up, Pretty In Pink is an imperfect romantic teen dramedy but has too much of that Hughes magic going for it to ignore.

You can find my John Hughes Penned Feature Films Ranked list here.