Pretty in Pink (1986)

A poor girl must choose between the affections of her doting childhood sweetheart and a rich but sensitive playboy.

Director:

Howard Deutch

Writer:

John Hughes

Stars:

Molly Ringwald, Harry Dean Stanton, Jon Cryer

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Molly Ringwald	...	Andie Walsh
Harry Dean Stanton	...	Jack Walsh
Jon Cryer	...	Duckie (Phil Dale)
Annie Potts	...	Iona
James Spader	...	Steff
Andrew McCarthy	...	Blane McDonnagh
Jim Haynie	...	Donnelly
Alexa Kenin	...	Jena Hoeman
Kate Vernon	...	Benny Hanson
Andrew Dice Clay	...	'Dice-man' - Bouncer at CATS (as Andrew 'Dice' Clay)
Emily Longstreth	...	Kate
Margaret Colin	...	English Teacher
Jamie Anders	...	Terrence
Gina Gershon	...	Trombley, Girl Friend / Gym Class
Bader Howar	...	Sales Girl

Storyline

Teenager Andie is one of the not-so-popular girls in high school. She usually hangs out with her friends Iona or Duckie. Duckie has always had a crush on her, but now she has met a new guy at school, Blane. He's one of the rich and popular guys but can the two worlds meet?

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Plot Keywords:

school | teenager | crush | high school | father | 

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Taglines:

He's crazy about her. She's crazy about him. He's just crazy.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 February 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

La chica de rosa

Filming Locations:

366 South June St., Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$40,471,663 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tracey Ullman was considered for the role of Iona but her American accent wasn't quite there at the time.

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Goofs

Andie's sunglasses are alternately in her lap and her hair when Blaine is going to ask her out for first time.

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Quotes

Duckie: This is a really volcanic ensemble you're wearing, it's really marvelous!

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Connections

Referenced in Psych: Dual Spires (2010)

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Soundtracks

"What's It Going To Be"
Written and Performed by Maggie Lee

User Reviews

No to Duckie or Blane, Si to Steff

Possible spoilers: To hell with the Duckie vs. Blane question. Steff's the only interesting one.

1. He's fearless: Duckie's afraid to tell Andie he loves her, Blane's afraid of his friends, but Steff walks up and hits on her right in front of his friends without caring what they'll think. He exploits Blane's shame about Andie but clearly feels no shame himself.

2. Duckie's suffering puppy love, Blane's just curious, but Steff has been after Andie for years. When he says it's "not *only* for sex," he's probably telling the truth, in his own sarcastic way. Key scene, when Blane and Andie walk in on Steff and Benny Bimbo, and Steff clearly wishes he were with the hot geeky girl, instead of the vapid blonde, even if Benny is better-looking, sexually available, and approved by his friends. And it's not only the challenge attracts him to Andie: despite his arrogance, he's probably been turned down before. He just suspects that with Andie, he'd have something real, and with Benny, whether her ecstasy is real or faked, it will be conducted according to "Cosmo."

3. He's willing to fight for what he wants, i.e., sabotaging Andie's relationship with Blane. OK, he's fighting dirty--but he's fighting at all. The others are about as decisive as Hamlet.

Right, enough deep thought devoted to what should probably be regarded as another teen movie. I give full credit to Spader, who fleshed out what could have been a one-dimensional baddie by making him really interested in Andie in his own sociopathic way, instead giving lip-service to a script that could have been played with the character being vicious solely out of hurt pride and snobbery.