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Cry-Baby (1990)

PG-13 | | Comedy, Musical | 6 April 1990 (USA)
Cry-Baby Poster
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 | See full cast & crew »
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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 Alan J. Wendl ... Toe-Joe
Troy Donahue ... Hatchet's Father
Mink Stole ... Hatchet's Mother
Joe Dallesandro ... Milton's Father
See full cast »
Edit

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. Written by Linda (& Moo)

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

1950s | forbidden love | dysfunctional family | greaser | teen movie | See All (82) »

Taglines:

He's a doll. He's a dreamboat. He's a delinquent. See more »

Genres:

Comedy | Musical

Certificate:

PG-13 | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 April 1990 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Beksa See more »

Filming Locations:

USA See more »
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Box Office

Budget:

$11,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$8,266,343
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Johnny Depp and Willem Dafoe previously appeared in Platoon (1986). See more »

Goofs

While they're making license plates and singing in the prison with Cry-Baby it's obvious they're not hitting their hammers against anything. See more »

Quotes

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

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. See more »

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. See more »

Connections

References Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) See more »

Soundtracks

HIGH SCHOOL HELLCATS
Written by Dave Alvin
Performed by James Intveld
Additional vocals by Rachel Sweet and Syd Straw
Produced by Dave Alvin
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are the differences between the Theatrical Version and the Director's Cut?
See more »

User Reviews

 
John Waters forever!
22 March 2006 | by lee_eisenberg – See all my reviews

No doubt you well know that John Waters does everything possible to trash the rules in his movies. And he sure does here! "Cry-Baby" has a familiar plot - a good girl attracted to a hoodlum boy - but everything about the movie is a hoot. Johnny Depp once again shows himself to be possibly the greatest actor of his generation as Wade "Cry-Baby" Walker, a "drape" who falls for "square" Allison Vernon-Williams (Amy Locane). Naturally, her conservative family and acquaintances don't approve of this one bit, so trouble ensues.

Probably the funniest scenes in the movie are as follows: an air-head mother (Patty Hearst) tells her daughter to stop and look both ways before crossing the street - this to a girl who prefers to hang out with the "drapes"; at a "square" party, some boys sing the most mind-numbing, idiotic song imaginable (it just goes to show what dorks they are); and the scene in jail, where a cop (Willem Dafoe) makes everyone repeat "God bless Dwight Eisenhower! God bless Roy Cohn! God bless Richard Nixon!" - in case anyone had any doubts as to which side the police were on.

All in all, this is a movie that's impossible not to like. The truth is, I've never seen a John Waters movie that I didn't like. Just great.
17 of 22 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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