Review of Pretty in Pink (1986) by Lorne F — 20 Jan 2010

Maybe I'm a skeptic...maybe I didn't go to the same HS experience everyone else went to. I don't know.

What I do know is EVERY main character in this movie was absolutely detestable. Some of them are not even people, but stereotypes personified. Molly Ringwald plays yet another disenfranchised poor teen, who is kind of a weird asshole but everybody is love with her regardless. Jon Cryer comes in as the backhanded friend who is entirely dedicated to Ringwald's character but only because he longs to be with her in a more romantic sense...the typical nerdy nice guy except he's also bat shit insane (and to me annoying). James Spader provides an abysmal performance as a young Mr. Moneybags with no apparent soul (if people like this really exist, I seriously doubt they're going to PUBLIC Schools with poor people in them...just saying). His companion Andrew McCarthy is supposed to be the sweet sensitive guy who is "different" than the other "richies"...but I fail to see how. The guy lies to the girl he loves about everything due to peer pressure...and then she just up and accepts him in the end because he says he loves her? Riiiight. I guess we'll just take his word for it since not once in the movie did he do ANYTHING showing any real example of love. The only character in this movie I did like and find something from was Annie Potts as the nostalgic record store employee. She was loving, understanding, and actually filled with moments of some insight.

My biggest complaint with this film has to be that the emotions spring forth from this movie with little to no reason...the very definition of a chick flick. I hate to be overly logical while viewing a teen "comedy" (there was little funny about this movie), but any rational mind approaching half these situations is going to find itself running into a mental brick wall at an approximate speed of "durrrrr". The most shining example of this is the "touching" scene where Ringwald's father buys her a new dress...Ringwald then goes on to scold the ever living crap out of him for being poor, jobless, and still loving her mother. They argue, they cry, they hug, they laugh, and all with such incredible speed I thought at any moment Anakin Skywalker was gonna walk in and start slaughtering younglings.

Why is it in these movies expect us to accept that all people can jump from emotion to emotion like any 16 year old female? I can buy that a 16 year old teenager moves that quickly around the emotional Russian roulette, but the old father? Where is the convincing...I just find it hard to believe a guy who has been pining over an ex wife for well over 10 years is gonna say "You know daughter, you're right. I'm a big dumb idiot. Welp, time to get my life straight!" So we get some line about daughter knowing more than father, and a scene of him putting the mother's picture away. I guess we're supposed to feel pity for a man who can't even manage to keep a job, but someone how provides a teen girl with food/shelter just fine.

Anyways stuff to like about this movie...80s nostalgia (big puffy dresses are big and puffy), Andrew Dice Clay playing a decent bouncer role, some genuine teen angst problems. However the cons of this movie greatly outweigh the pros...and I'd say OVERALL this is a 2 star movie. However, Annie Potts was cute enough I'd throw her an extra star. Thanks Annie Potts.