In 1986 John Hughes hit the jackpot again with adolescent audiences when he released Pretty in Pink, a poor girl/rich boy romantic comedy. Hughes' muse Molly Ringwald starred as Andie, a disadvantaged but proud teenager, who wants more than anything to be asked to the prom. The role was written expressly for Ringwald, who also appeared in Hughes' first two films, Sixteen Candles (1984) and The Breakfast Club (1985). The film also featured Andrew McCarthy as "richie" Blaine, and John Cryer as the lovesick Duckie.
Hughes, already established as the "teenpic maestro", wrote the screenplay but handed directing duties over to first-timer Howard Deutch, mainly known for directing music videos. Deutch would collaborate again with Hughes in Some Kind of Wonderful (1987), a film meant to be yet another project with Ringwald, but she rejected the part. This refusal would mark the end of the Hughes/Ringwald working relationship, and the role eventually went to Lea Thompson. But Pretty in Pink had its share of changes and substitutions as well: the original casting choice for the role of Duckie was another Hughes fave, Anthony Michael Hall. Hall, fearing typecasting due to similar nerdy roles in other Hughes pics, turned down the role and Jon Cryer stepped into the pointy white shoes.
The biggest change of the film, however, was the entire ending, which originally had Andie and Duckie end up together. The test screening did not fare well with audiences, and film execs decided Blane instead should be the lucky guy. The entire cast and crew returned to re-shoot the ending, but in the interim Andrew McCarthy had shaved his head and lost a lot of weight to appear in a New York play. Adept viewers will want to look for a thinner Blane with a bad wig! Another change connected with the revamped ending was the musical selection: originally a song - "Goddess of Love" - by the band OMD was to be featured. When Andie ended up with Blane, however, another OMD tune was used instead - "If You Leave" - a move that guaranteed the song immortality at senior proms everywhere.
Pretty in Pink featured an impressive supporting cast, including Harry Dean Stanton as Andie's warmhearted but deadbeat dad. James Spader was perfectly cast as Blane's sleazy best friend; McCarthy and Spader would star together in two more films, Mannequin and Less Than Zero (both 1987). Annie Potts, from Ghostbusters (1984) and Designing Women fame, played Iona, Andie's kooky co-worker. One of the film's dedications was to Alexa Kenin, featured as Andie's friend Jena. Kenin was tragically murdered by her boyfriend shortly before the release of Pretty in Pink. An up-and-coming actress, Kenin had appeared opposite Clint Eastwood in Honkytonk Man (1982). Other significant bit player parts included Margaret Colin as a teacher, Gina Gershon as a snob, Dweezil Zappa as a stoned-out flake, and comedian Andrew "Dice" Clay as a club bouncer.
By and large, Pretty in Pink was panned by critics at the time of its release (One critic, apparently more taken with the soundtrack, advised "See the album."). Over time, however, it has been recognized as a fine effort from the man now called "The Frank Capra of contemporary cinema." The film made an instant and lasting impression, however, on its intended audience - high school kids. And it worked: one would be hard-pressed to find any child of the 80s not touched by the painfully accurate representations of adolescent angst, whether it be the heartbreak of unrequited love or social rejection by the popular kids.
Producer: Lauren Shuler Donner, John Hughes
Director: Howard Deutch
Screenplay: John Hughes
Production Design: John W. Corso
Cinematography: Tak Fujimoto
Costume Design: Marilyn Vance
Film Editing: Richard Marks
Original Music: Michael Gore
Cast: Molly Ringwald (Andie Walsh), Harry Dean Stanton (Jack Walsh), Jon Cryer (Phil "Duckie" Dale), Andrew McCarthy (Blane McDonough), Annie Potts (Iona), Jim Haynie (Donnelly), Alexa Kenin (Jena), Kate Vernon (Benny).
C-96m.
by Eleanor Quin
