Pretty In Pink (1986) - Turner Classic Movies

Brief Synopsis

A working-class girl falls for the richest boy in her high-school class.

Cast & Crew

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Howard Deutch

Molly Ringwald

Andrew Mccarthy

Jon Cryer

James Spader

Annie Potts

Film Details

MPAA Rating

Genre

Drama

Comedy

Romance

Romantic Comedy

Teens

Release Date

1986

Production Company

Charles J Bond

Distribution Company

Paramount Pictures

Location

Los Angeles, California, USA

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 37m

Synopsis

John Hughes wrote this seminal '80s movie starring Molly Ringwald, Andrew McCarthy and Jon Cryer in a bittersweet love story about self image and social classes. Ringwald plays a girl from the wrong side of the tracks who catches the eye of the rich and popular Andrew McCarthy. But between his snobby friends and her oddball best friend Duckie, played by Jon Cryer, the romance might be doomed.

Director

Howard Deutch

Cast

Molly Ringwald

Andrew Mccarthy

Jon Cryer

James Spader

Annie Potts

Harry Dean Stanton

Bader Howar

Melanie Manos

Jamison Anders

Kate Vernon

Kevin Williams

Timothy J

Christian Jacobs

Tommy Blatnik

David Sutton

Jimmer Podrasky

Maggie Roswell

Kevin Ricard

Kristy Swanson

Alexa Kenin

Bruno

Audre Johnston

Margaret Colin

Dweezil Zappa

Jeffrey Hollie

Andrew Dice Clay

Gina Gershon

Jim Haynie

Emily Longstreth

Terry Wilson

Kevin D Lindsay

Karen Laine

Rock Deadrick

John Rozman

Crew

Paul Abascal

Steve Addabbo

Pamela Alch

Script Supervisor

David Anderle

Music Supervisor

George H Anderson

Sound Effects Editor

John Ashton

The Association

Darryl M Athons

Arthur Baker

Elinor Bardach

George Berndt

Ruth Bird

Sound Effects Editor

Bruce A. Block

Don Bolger

Charles J Bond

Gary Bourgeois

Irene Brafstein

Mike Brooker

Frank L Brown

Property Master Assistant

Bruno

Richard Butler

Tim Butler

Jimmy Campbell

Chris Carpenter

Dean Chamberlain

Michael Chinich

Executive Producer

Tommy Cole

Reginald Connelly

Erik Cord

John W Corso

Production Designer

Lauren Shuler Donner

Dennis Drummond

Sound Effects Editor

Dorian Dunas

Casting Associate

Sam Edelman

Transportation Coordinator

Vince Ely

Andrew Farriss

Jack Feldman

Wayne Fitzgerald

John Frazier

Special Effects

Matt Freeman

Production Assistant

Tak Fujimoto

Director Of Photography

Gerald Gates

Gary Gero

Joan Giammarco

Sound Effects Editor

Michael Gore

Joseph A Graham

Carol L Green

Assistant Director

Jack N Green

Camera Operator

Robert Grieve

Sound Effects Editor

Gordon Hackman

Conrad W. Hall

Assistant Camera Operator

Mary Sutton Hallmann

Dick Hancock

Stunt Coordinator

Paula Herold

Danny Hutton Hitters

Michael Hoffman

Costume Supervisor

John Hughes

Executive Producer

John Hughes

Michael Hutchence

Jane Schwartz Jaffe

Associate Editor

Daniel S. Jimenez

Jesse Johnson

Jesse Johnson

Art Jones

Neville Keighley

Nik Kershaw

Tony Kerum

Duncan Kilburn

Terry Kirkman

Charles Darin Knight

William Kolber

Karen Kovacevich

Production Associate

Maggie Lee

Maggie Lee

Vicki Lemay-jackson

John Lennon

Doug Leonard

Stephen Lim

Assistant Director

Marci Liroff

William A Lowman

Lighting Technician

John Maguire

Production Auditor

Barry Manilow

Barry Manilow

Louis Mann

Richard Marks

Johnny Marr

Melton C Maxwell

Lighting Technician

Ian Stephen Mcculloch

Julene Mckinney

Jack Mclean

Mel Metcalfe

Laurel Moore

David Moritz

Roger Morris

Joel Moss

Charles J. Newirth

Location Manager

Bob Noland

Kenny Ortega

Jeff Passanante

Ronald W Payne

Production Assistant

L Leon Pendarvis

John S Platt

Jimmy Podrasky

Jennifer Polito

Paul Power

John T Ramsey

Otis Redding

Ed Reilly

Lighting Technician

Donna Roberts

Costume Supervisor

Michael D Roberts

Production Auditor

John Robie

P Scott Sakamoto

Assistant Camera Operator

Gary Scalzo

Don Schlicher

Arne L Schmidt

Unit Production Manager

Chuck Sharp

Winston Sharples

Art Shippee

Property Master

Lauren Shuler Donner

Steve Sibenick

Belouis Some

Elena Spiotta

Production Associate

Craig Staley

Tim Staubs

Richard Stone

Bruce Sussman

Gene Triol

Rick Valencia

Transportation Co-Captain

Marilyn Vance-straker

Costume Designer

Suzanne Vega

Suzanne Vega

Gaston Veilleux

Transportation Captain

Jane Vickerilla

Associate Producer

Ellen Vogt

Jeanne Weber

Bruce Weintraub

Linda Whittlesey

Sound Effects Editor

Pamela J Yuen

Assistant Editor

Film Details

MPAA Rating

Genre

Drama

Comedy

Romance

Romantic Comedy

Teens

Release Date

1986

Production Company

Charles J Bond

Distribution Company

Paramount Pictures

Location

Los Angeles, California, USA

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 37m

Articles

Pretty in Pink

February 25, 2005

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

Pretty In Pink

Pretty in Pink

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

Quotes

Trivia

Miscellaneous Notes

Released in United States Winter February 28, 1986

Released in United States on Video February 1, 1989

Re-released in United States on Video July 18, 1995

Film is in memory of Alexa Kenin and Bruce Weintraub. First feature for director Howard Deutch.

Released in United States Winter February 28, 1986

Released in United States on Video February 1, 1989

Re-released in United States on Video July 18, 1995

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