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:

He's a doll. He's a dreamboat. He's a delinquent.

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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

Cry Baby, The Bonny Sisters song, was the first rock album John Waters ever owned.

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Goofs

After the immunizations, in the scene were Allison talks to the drapes for the first time, Lenora is standing on the steps trying to pose. The scene shoots away from her, but when it shoots back to her, her hair barrette has changed sides.

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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

In the original version, the courtroom scene has an exchange between Wanda (Traci Lords) and her mother and father (Patricia Hearst and David Nelson) where Wanda asks her parents to get her out of the situation. Specifically, she asks them to get her "the fuck" out of here. "Fuck" is beeped out when Wanda initially utters it, and subsequent uses of the word are beeped as well when Wanda's mother asks her husband what the F-word means. The beeping-out continues until Wanda's mother asks the judge if she can take her daughter "the fuck home," uncensored, causing the courtroom audience to chuckle. In a version being aired on "Indie" channel in November, 2007, the scene is intact, but the word "fuck" is not beeped out.

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Connections

Referenced in Alice (1990)

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Soundtracks

I'M SO YOUNG
Written by William 'Prez' Tyus
Performed by The Students
Courtesy of MCA Records

User Reviews

Crazy and Kewl

I love this film. I never got to see it fully when it came out, though I was only ten. I've recently gotten back into watching Johnny Depp cuz of POTC. My hubby wanted to see this cuz of other ppl playing in the film so I sat and watched it with him. It may have scenes that are a bit on the over acting side, but that's what is so wonderful about it. I've watched it 3 different times in one week. I love the campy lines because that's what makes the movie as good as it is. Johnny Depp is kewl as Cry-Baby. Ricki Lake fit perfectly as Pepper, and the two kids, Snare-Drum and Susie-Q were totally adorable.

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