Cry-Baby (1990)

In 1950s Baltimore, a bad boy with a heart of gold wins the love of a good girl, whose boyfriend sets out for revenge.

Director:

John Waters

Writer:

John Waters

Stars:

Johnny Depp, Ricki Lake, Amy Locane

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Johnny Depp	...	Cry-Baby
Amy Locane	...	Allison Vernon-Williams
Susan Tyrrell	...	Ramona Rickettes
Polly Bergen	...	Mrs. Vernon-Williams
Iggy Pop	...	Belvedere Rickettes
Ricki Lake	...	Pepper Walker
Traci Lords	...	Wanda Woodward
Kim McGuire	...	Mona 'Hatchet-Face' Malnorowski
Darren E. Burrows	...	Milton Hackett
Stephen Mailer	...	Baldwin
Kim Webb	...	Lenora Frigid
Alan J. Wendl	...	Toe-Joe
Troy Donahue	...	Hatchet's Father
Mink Stole	...	Hatchet's Mother
Joe Dallesandro	...	Milton's Father

Storyline

Allison is a "square" good girl who has decided she wants to be bad and falls hard for Cry-Baby Walker, a Greaser (or "Drape" in John Waters parlance). Spoofing Elvis movies and Juvenile Delinquency scare films of the '50s, this movie follows the adventures of Cry-Baby who, though he is sent to juvie, is determined to cross class (and taste) boundaries to get Allison back.

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Plot Keywords:

1950s | forbidden love | dysfunctional family | greaser | teen movie | 

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Taglines:

Good girls want him bad. Bad girls want him worse.

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 April 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cry-Baby

Filming Locations:

USA

Box Office

Budget:

$11,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$8,266,343

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min 91 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Originally, the square's show at the beginning was going to feature a child contortionist. The scene was filmed in its entirety with the contortionist, but the scene was later cut for the premiere. The contortionist was at the premiere, but no-one had thought to tell her that they cut her scene.

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Goofs

When Allison is singing with the "Squares", after she adjusts the microphone she is on the other side and the microphones' lengths change between shots.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Wanda's mother: Hi Kids. Remember, always look both ways before crossing.
Wanda: [embarassed] Mother!

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Crazy Credits

The film begins with an old-fashioned 50's style Universal logo. It's also accompanied by 50's doo-wop music. A stage curtain opens up the movie.

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Alternate Versions

To avoid a 15 certificate for its UK cinema release, some uses of the word 'fuck' were bleeped. The cinema release was rated 12, but the video release was still rated 15 (because the 12 certificate wasn't used for video recordings until 1994). The current UK DVD release has all uses of 'fuck' unbleeped, and is rated 15.

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Connections

Referenced in X-Rated Ambition: The Traci Lords Story (2003)

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Soundtracks

SH BOOM
Written by James Keyes, Claude Feaster, Carl Feaster, Floyd McRae (as Floyd F. McRae) and James Edwards
Performed by Gerry Beckley, Timothy B. Schmit and Andrew Gold
Produced by John Boylan

User Reviews

Silly, sweet fun. Don't take it seriously, just enjoy it

There seem to be two types of folks who detest "Cry-Baby;" those who think Waters sold out by making anything that cost more than $500 and didn't include coprophagy, and those who insist that all movies be Art with a capital A.

I was well into my 20's when the movie first came out, not a fan of 21 Jump Street, and no stranger to movies, including masterpieces and early John Waters, but I LOVED it, and have caught the uncut version on USA network quite a few times.

Cry-Baby is no Citizen Kane, and it's no Pink Flamingos, but, at risk of being pretentious, I will say that its full of something that makes art: Truth. Even in incredibly silly scenes, the movie is based in real and true emotions. John Waters' love for the fun parts of the 50's, (and hatred of the status quo that obviously made his teen years a living hell) is all over this film.

Yes, scenes such as the orphanage are silly, but the cynicism of the orphanage workers and the angst of the mother are as real as can be. The silliness works because the John Waters BELIEVES in what he is saying, and makes damn sure that his actors are with him!

All of the actors, from Johnny Depp who (as with all of his roles) *becomes* the character to Joe Dallesandro who barely can get his lines out, believe in their characters.

"Cry-Baby" parodies 50's "Teen Rebel" musicals such as "Rock Around the Clock" and "Don't Knock the Rock", but with obvious affection.

Yes, it's a musical. If you're one of those cynics who says things like "But people DON'T just start singing in real life" don't see it. Movies exist to give us a break from real life while mirroring it enough to be cathartic. Musicals and parodies take it one step further. They're not diaries, they're not reality, they're MOVIES!

"Cry-Baby" is a lot of fun, and the soundtrack is terrific (and "Hairspray"'s is even better!).

If you liked "Cry-Baby", I recommend "Hairspray" (not quite so silly, just as sweet.) and "But I'm A Cheerleader," which is definitely Waters-inspired, from its use of pink to its incredibly true emotions within very silly situations.

If you didn't like Cry-Baby, how sad. You obviously missed something.