Teen comedies are to the eighties, what screwball comedies were to the thirties. There was an abundance of them. They created overnight stars with Molly Ringwald and Andrew McCarthy. Pretty in Pink is one those films. It stars Ringwald and McCarthy. They play Andie and Blane. They are the center of a modern Cinderella story.
Andie is a poor teenager, who doesn’t fit with the high school in crowd. She works at a record store, with her friend, Iona. Annie Potts does a good job playing this zany witty lady, with a rebellious streak. Andie also has a father, Jack, (Harry Dean Stanton),at home that she loves dearly. She is helping him with the reality of heartbreak. His wife left him and he isn’t handling that well. Annie may be an outsider, but her friend, Duckie, (Jon Cryer), is a social outcast. Cryer is the standout in this film. His comic skill are shown here. Cryer is not only good at comedy, receiving an Emmy award for his work on the show, Two and a Half Men, but also has good dramatic skills. After Two and a Half Men, he guested on NCIS, playing a surgeon, who saves the lead character, Gibbs life.Duckie wants to be different, but like many young people, understands that society’s norms are important. Cryer’s character is secretly in love with Andie. An awkward moment in the film, is Duckie telling Jack that he loves Annie. Jack doesn’t react and simply brushes off the whole thing.
Andie only thinks of Duckie as a friend. Her true feelings are for Blane. He was thought to be unapproachable by Annie. Blane falls for her. Annie thinks she is living a dream. Blane is the opposite of Andie. His family is rich. His friend Steff, (James Spader) is a spoiled rich kid. Blane has asked Andie to the prom. She is ecstatic. Steff and the rest of Blane’s shallow friends convince him that he is of a better class than Annie. This causes Blane to back out of the prom date. This upsets Annie and makes Duckie happy. He thinks he has a clear field with her. Soon, Duckie and Blane will both understand something about their feelings for Annie.
The script for this charming coming of age tale was written by John Hughes. His many teen comedies are entertaining. They bring to life what high school can be. Pretty in Pink is no different. Hughes started writing for National Lampoon magazine and wrote the scripts for Vacation and Christmas Vacation. He wrote the script for one of the most successful comedies of all, Home Alone. He also, like many successful writers, became a director. He helmed successful teen comedies like The Breakfast Club. He also was responsible for Planes, Trains and Automobiles and Uncle Buck. His contribution to film comedy was enormous.
Pretty in Pink is a comedy, that satirizes social standing. The two characters , Andie and Duckie show deep feeling. This makes the world of Blane and his friends, look very empty. It shows that money and status don’t always make you happy. Some comedies can be very dark, some can be very funny. Pretty in Pink is a comedy that shows the best in people and also the worst.