Movie Review: Pretty in Pink
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this film features teenagers in
mature situations. Adults and teens are shown using crude
language, drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, cavorting in
their underwear, and trashing a parent's home during a party. A
character is seen rolling a joint. Excessive bad behavior is
portrayed in a negative light and usually results in negative
consequences.
Families who see this film could talk about how financial status and conformist behavior play roles in determining popularity. Parents may want to share and compare their own high school experiences with their kids to bridge the generation gap. They could use this film to discuss and encourage their kids to recognize the value of their classmates' differences.
Common Sense Media Review
For most children of the 80s, writer/director John Hughes'
films played a considerable role in forming their opinions
about what high school was really like. Of course, anyone in
high school at the time would have told you differently, but
for tweens at the time, movies like
The Breakfast Club (1984),
Sixteen Candles (1985) and PRETTY IN PINK (1986)
served as primers for navigating the shark-infested waters of
the high school caste system.
PRETTY IN PINK is the third of such films starring Molly Ringwald. In this one, she plays Andie, a smart girl from the wrong side of the tracks who lives with her well-meaning unemployed father and hangs out with her best friend, Duckie (Jon Cryer). When she develops a mutual crush on a wealthy kid named Blane (Andrew McCarthy) her world is turned upside-down, as friends from both sides disapprove of their relationship.
Although well intentioned, PRETTY IN PINK is not as good as you may remember it to be. The film's message repeated throughout the movie of being true to oneself is completely lost during its lame conclusion. Ironically, a much different ending was intended for the film, yet after proving itself unpopular with test audiences, Hughes switched it to its current one. The script is full of clichés and not a shred of chemistry exists between Ringwald and McCarthy. The film's only redeeming qualities are in the performances of its supporting cast, as well as its totally awesome soundtrack featuring bands like the Psychedelic Furs, New Order, and OMD. James Spader is perfectly typecast as McCarthy's best friend Steff, the obnoxious self-entitled snob we love to hate. Annie Potts is divine as nostalgia-ridden Iona, Andie's coworker/mother figure, and Cryer's Duckie (aka the Duckman, aka Phil Dale) evokes sympathy, bemusement, and at times intense irritation from the audience.
Despite the film's obvious misgivings, PRETTY IN PINK is highly entertaining and contains some of Hughes' best one-liners ("His name is Blane? Oh! That's a major appliance, that's not a name!") It's hard to judge how this generation will react to an 80s classic such as this one given its dated look and obvious dialogue. Kids will undoubtedly poke fun at Andie's disastrous sense of fashion, in particular her prom dress, which resembles a pink burlap sack. One thing they most certainly will marvel at is a scene where Blane flirts with Andie using a crude form of instant messenger.
Families who enjoy this film may like Hughes' other movies including The Breakfast Club (1984), Sixteen Candles (1985), and Some Kind of Wonderful (1987) as well as more current films dealing with high school cliques such as Mean Girls (2004) and She's All That (1999).
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
