[year/rating] 1987 PG-13 [genre] Romantic Drama [director] Howard Deutch [starring] Eric Stoltz Mary Stuart Masterson Lea Thompson John Ashton

Tagline

Before they could stand together, they had to stand alone.

Summary Capsule

Pretty in Pink, only better.

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Clare's Rating: Some Kind of Wonderful is great if for no other reason than because, unlike Pretty in Pink, it doesn't feature Andrew McCarthy's nightmare inducing crazy eyes.
Clare's Review: Analogy time folks. Some Kind of Wonderful is to Cinderella> as Pretty in Pink is to the ugly stepsisters. Both films were directed by Howard Deutch and written by John Hughes and they both have basically the same story line, but Pretty in Pink gets all the attention and glory while Some Kind of Wonderful just toils away diligently with hardly any recognition paid to it at all, even though it's actually a much better movie. I'm here to correct all that.

"Unfortunately, he doesn't notice anything is out of the ordinary, even when she's frenching him feverishly."

First, let's dig into just how similar these two films really are.

Pretty in Pink is about a poor girl (Molly Ringwald) whose best friend is this kind of flamboyant and offbeat guy (John Cryer) who secretly is madly in love with her. For some reason that's never fully fleshed out, poor girl falls for a rich boy at her school (Andrew McCarthy) who hangs with all the other rich kids but isn't as much of an elitist jackass as they are. The leader of the elitist jackasses (James Spader), sensing that his friend is going outside of the rigid social structure of high school cliques, basically tries to shame rich boy into never going out with or developing a relationship with poor girl. Meanwhile, poor girl's offbeat friend does everything in his power to convince poor girl that she can't date rich boy because rich boy will never understand her the way offbeat friend does.

In the end rich boy stands poor girl up for the prom after promising to take her, she makes a hideous pink dress for herself to go to it in anyway, offbeat friend escorts her to the prom because he is apparently a spineless door mat, rich boy spies poor girl at the prom looking vaguely attractive, treats her crappily again but then apologizes, they kiss awkwardly in the parking lot and then apparently, even though he's a d**k who doesn't deserve her and she's a moron who can't see that offbeat best friend would make a much better boyfriend, they live happily ever after.

Some Kind of Wonderful is basically the same movie with different genders and a better ending. In it, poor guy (Eric Stoltz) is best friends with this tomboy drummer outcast chick (Mary Stuart Masterson) who's secretly madly in love with him. For some reason that's never fully fleshed out, poor boy falls for a rich girl at his school (Leah Thompson) who hangs out with all the other rich kids but is herself, in fact, not particularly rich. Her elitist pig of a boyfriend (Craig Sheffer), sensing that she's perhaps not as wealthy and piggish as he'd like her to be, treats her like ass and then dumps her. Rich girl, in an attempt to piss off piggish boyfriend, agrees to go on a date with poor boy not knowing the full extent of his devotion to her. Tomboy drummer outcast chick meanwhile, in a veiled attempt to help poor boy get ready for his big date, does her best to show him that she's madly in love with him. Unfortunately, he doesn't notice anything is out of the ordinary, even when she's frenching him feverishly.

In the end, poor boy takes rich girl on a highly orchestrated date, they end up at elitist boyfriend's rich kid keg party where rich girl basically tells all her friends to sit and spin and then tells poor boy that freeing herself from the agony of being popular and rich in high school has shown her that she needs to be on her own for a while to find her true self. She then hits poor boy over the head with a branch from the clue tree and advises him that anyone with eyes can see that drummer tomboy best friend is wildly in love with him. Poor boy chases after drummer girl, the share a really excellent and romantic kiss and they live happily (but probably very frugally) ever after.

If I had to pick one main reason I like Some Kind of Wonderful more than Pretty in Pink it would have to be the casting. I think Eric Stoltz and Mary Stuart Masterson are great together, while Molly Ringwald and Andrew McCarthy have the on screen chemistry of two dead fish. Also, the subplot and comedic elements in SKOW are actually comedic and used to better effect to push the story along. Plus in SKOW the jerkweed rich guy who sucks actually gets what's coming to him in a really great and satisfying scene while in Pretty in Pink he's just left to be a weasley d**k for all eternity. Which, when added to how unsatisfactory I find Pretty in Pink's ending, basically spells its doom in my mind. Some Kind of Wonderful has more heart and much better acting. It's just that simple.

I can't say that I think either of these movies are high quality fare, but as teen romantic dramas from the 80's go, if I had a gun to my head and had to pick only one to watch, I definitely pick Some Kind of Wonderful over lots and lots of others.

No dude, she's not into you at all. But, where's the pink? Woo! Rebel!

Didja Notice? [some sources: IMDb]

• All the lead characters (Amanda Jones, Keith and Watts) are named in homage to the Rolling Stones.
• Check out a very young Candace Cameron (Full House's DJ) as Keith's little sister Cindy.

Is It Worth Staying Through End Credits?

We have no idea (but we'll let you know soon!)

Intermission! [some sources: IMDb]

Eric Stoltz and Craig Sheffer went on to work together again in Sleep With Me.

Leah Thompson has been married to Some Kind of Wonderful director Howard Deutch since 1989.

Molly Ringwald was offered the role of Amanda Jones but refused it, ending her successful relationship with John Hughes.

Groovy Quotes

Duncan: I'm here to kick your ass, and you know it, and everybody here knows it, and above all, you deserve it. In fact, I think it's safe to say that this party is about to become a historical fact.

Keith Nelson: Well, I like art, I work in a gas station, my best friend is a tomboy. These things don't fly too well in the American high school.

Watts: It must be a drag to be a slave to the male sex drive.
Keith: It's not just sex.
Watts: Oh, you want to start a book club with her?

Amanda Jones: I'd rather be with someone for the wrong reasons then be alone for the right.

Keith Nelson: You can't tell a book by its cover.
Watts: No, but you can tell how much it's gonna cost you.

Watts: Don't go mistaking paradise for a pair of long legs.

Girl: I've just never seen a girl wearing boys underpants before.
Watts: Have you ever seen a girl with a drumstick shoved up her nose?
Girl: Oh, is that some kind of a threat?
Watts: It's some kind of a warning.

Laura Nelson: Any fool can get into college. Only a select few can say the same about Amanda Jones.

Soundtrack Review

This soundtrack never took off the way lots of other John Hughes movie soundtracks did. There are a couple of decent tracks here and there, but for the most part it's all so dated that I doubt anyone without a nostalgic attachment to the movie would really find it all that fantastic.

If you liked this movie, try these:

• Pretty In Pink
• The Breakfast Club
• Less Than Zero