Review of Some Kind of Wonderful (1987) by Tj A — 23 Aug 2011

This is what pretty In Pink should have been and more. I really loved this one the whole way through and really wanted more when it was all said and done. That's how you should feel after a great movie that hits all the right notes and gets you deep down in all the right places.

I couldn't say the same for the reverse version of this called Pretty In Pink,which I wrote a very honest unkind review of but hey, someone had to say what that movie really was. Pretty in pink was very shallow and heartless and Some kind of Wonderful is extremely charming and loveable.

I don't know if that was the film makers intention from the start when they made this,but... it almost felt like they knew they missed the point on the previous movie and decided to go for a home run here.

Eric Stoltz as Keith Nelson is the male version of Molly Ringwalds Character in pretty in pink, he plays the role very well and gives his character more depth playing the loveable artsy,nerdy,blue collar sensitive guy.

I absolutely fell in love with Mary Stuart Masterson as Watts, who is Keith's best friend who is totally in love with him but he just can't see it. Lea Thompson plays the high school dream girl that Keith is in love with at first sight but knows he doesn't have the money or power to get her.

I really loved how this looked at the whole pretty in pink concept from the male point of view, and all the characters here seemed very fleshed out and no one seemed overly annoying at all. I really dug Elias Koteas as the skinhead punk with a heart of gold, who becomes Keith's friend after many weeks of detention who helps him out later on.

Craig Sheffer (another favorite of mine) plays the rich asshole boyfriend character who cheats on Lea Thompson, and she stays because she wants that power and status. Keith seeing him cheat knows he would be a better match for Thompson's character and after a scene where he asks her out at the right moment and she says yes, its when Mary Stuart Masterson's character Watts really figures out how much she loves Keith.

The drama happens from that point on and I won't give away the ending but it will leave you more than satisfied. I wasn't expecting alot from this after watching pretty in pink but it knocked me on my ass with how much better of a movie it was.

I suggest watching them back to back to see for yourself. You just get a better feeling for this movie as a whole and it doesn't come off super cheesy like Pretty In Pink was. This is a perfect date movie especially for a guy to watch with his girl so he can show her his sensitive side.

I'd call this pretty much a guy friendly chick flick that has a good balance of male and female perspective throughout the whole movie. So its not bashing one side or the other and I tend to find alot of chick flicks are just so focused on guys as assholes routine that it turns me off from watching alot of them.

This has a pretty equal feel of the good side and bad side of both sexes. I also really think its a shame Eric Stoltz wasn't a bigger star after doing this but oh well that's how life works I guess.