Pretty in Pink is a 1986 American movie about love and groups of students in American high schools during the 1980s. The film features Molly Ringwald, along with Harry Dean Stanton, Jon Cryer, Annie Potts, James Spader, and Andrew McCarthy. It is often called a "Brat Pack" film and is considered a very popular movie among fans. The story follows Andie Walsh, a high school senior played by Ringwald, and her relationships with her love interest, Blane McDonnagh (played by McCarthy), her best friend, Philip F. "Duckie" Dale (played by Cryer), and her father (played by Stanton).
The movie was directed by Howard Deutch, produced by Lauren Shuler Donner, and written by John Hughes, who also worked as a co-executive producer. The title comes from a song by the Psychedelic Furs. The film's soundtrack, praised as one of the best in modern movies, includes a re-recorded version of this song. The band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark's song "If You Leave" became a popular hit and reached number four on the US Billboard Hot 100 in May 1986.
Pretty in Pink had its first showing at Mann's Chinese Theatre on January 29, 1986, and was released in theaters in the United States on February 28, 1986, by Paramount Pictures. Critics gave the film mostly positive reviews, especially praising Ringwald's acting. The movie earned $40.5 million, which was more than the $9 million it cost to make.
Plot
High school senior Andie Walsh lives with her father, Jack, who works part-time in a Chicago suburb. Andie's best friend, Philip "Duckie" Dale, is in love with her but is afraid to tell her. At school, Andie, Duckie, and their friends are often teased by Benny Hanson and Steff McKee, who are popular and wealthy. Steff is attracted to Andie but feels upset that she once rejected him.
Andie works after school at Trax, a music store managed by Iona, a friendly person in her 30s. Andie talks to Iona about the school's senior prom, and Iona encourages her to attend even without a date. Blane McDonnagh, a wealthy student and Steff's friend, becomes interested in Andie and asks her to the prom.
On the night of their date, Andie waits for Blane at Trax, but he is late. Duckie arrives and asks Andie to go out with him, but she ignores him. When Blane finally arrives, Duckie becomes upset and argues with Andie before leaving. Blane takes Andie to a party at Steff's house, where she is teased by wealthy guests. Later, Andie takes Blane to a nightclub, where Iona and Duckie are sitting together. Duckie is angry and jealous of Blane.
After arguing with Duckie, Andie and Blane leave the club. Andie tells Blane she wants to go home but refuses to let him see where she lives. Eventually, she allows Blane to drop her off. He asks her to the prom, and they share their first kiss. The next day, Andie talks to Iona about the date. Meanwhile, Blane begins to spend less time with Andie after being pressured by Steff, Benny, and other wealthy friends.
Jack gives Andie a pink dress he bought for her, but they argue because Jack has been lying about working full-time. Jack becomes emotional and admits he is still sad about his wife leaving them.
At school, Andie confronts Blane for ignoring her and not returning her calls. When asked about the prom, Blane says he had already asked someone else but forgot. Andie accuses him of lying, saying he is ashamed of being seen with her because his friends disapprove. She leaves as Blane cries, and Steff insults her as he walks by. Duckie overhears this and fights Steff in the hallway. Teachers stop the fight. Andie then visits Iona, upset, and asks for her old prom dress.
Using fabric from Iona's dress and the pink dress Jack gave her, Andie makes a new prom dress. When she arrives at the prom, she feels nervous but sees Duckie. They make up and walk into the ballroom together.
At the prom, Steff, who is drunk, teases Andie and Blane. Blane confronts Steff and realizes Steff is angry because Andie once refused his advances. Blane criticizes Steff's selfish behavior and decides he no longer wants to be friends with him. He apologizes to Andie, tells her he always believed in her, and kisses her cheek before leaving.
Duckie tells Andie that Blane went to the prom alone and says Blane is different from other wealthy students. He encourages Andie to find Blane, joking he will never take her to another prom if she does. Duckie then sees a girl smiling at him and goes to dance with her. Andie finds Blane in the parking lot and they kiss.
Cast
Charlie Sheen was a possibility for the role of Blane, but Ringwald persuaded the filmmakers to choose McCarthy instead. Anthony Michael Hall refused the role of Duckie because he wanted to avoid being seen as only suitable for a certain type of role. Ringwald tried to persuade the filmmakers to cast Robert Downey Jr. as Duckie, but she agreed that Cryer was a good choice after the film's ending was changed. Jennifer Beals refused the role of Andie Walsh. Jodie Foster, Sarah Jessica Parker, Tatum O'Neal, and Lori Loughlin were also thought about for the roles.
Production
Ringwald told Hughes about the song "The Psychedelic Furs" by the same name. This inspired Hughes to write the screenplay.
Deutch believed the opening scene was incomplete. Later, Hughes added a scene where Jack tells Andie she might wear ruffles under his T-shirt.
At first, the film ended with Andie and Duckie together. However, people who watched the movie before it was released disliked this ending. Hughes wrote a new five-page ending where Andie and Blane become a couple instead. This new ending was filmed months after production ended. It was shot in one day on a soundstage that looked like a Los Angeles hotel ballroom where the original ending was filmed. When Andrew McCarthy returned to film the new scene, he had already lost weight and cut his hair for a stage play. A wig was used for the re-shoot. Ringwald predicted audiences might not like the original ending, saying it felt unfair for Andie to want something but not get it. She also said Duckie was based on her best friend, who was gay and had a nonromantic relationship with her.
Jon Cryer was surprised that people disliked the original pairing of Andie and Duckie. He believed the entire film was built around their relationship. To protect Duckie’s character in the new ending, Hughes added a scene where another girl shows interest in him at the prom. This girl, played by Kristy Swanson in her first movie role, was named "Duckette" in the credits. Paramount executives worried the original ending might make the film seem to suggest wealthy and poor people should not interact. The band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark wrote the song "Goddess of Love" for the original ending, but later rewrote it for their album The Pacific Age. Hughes felt the song did not fit the new ending and asked the band to write a new one. With only two days before a tour, the band wrote "If You Leave" in less than 24 hours. Paramount has not been able to find the footage of the original ending.
In the closing credits, the film is dedicated to actress Alexa Kenin and set designer Bruce Weintraub, who both died shortly after production ended.
The film was adapted into a novel by H. B. Gilmour and Randi Reisfield, published in 1986 by Bantam Books (ISBN 0-553-25944-X, ISBN 978-0553259445). The book was written before the final scene was changed, so it includes the original ending where Andie ends up with Duckie instead of Blane.
Release
Pretty in Pink was the most successful movie in the week of March 12, 1986. During its opening weekend, the film earned US$6.1 million, and it made a total of $40.5 million during its time in theaters. It was ranked 22nd among the highest-grossing films of 1986.
On the review site Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 75% based on 117 reviews. The site’s summary states: "Molly Ringwald delivers a strong performance in this sweet, intelligent teen comedy that updates a classic idea with thoughtful and clever writing."
Metacritic, which calculates scores using a weighted average, gave the film a score of 56 out of 100 based on 22 critics, reflecting "mixed or average" reviews. Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore rated the film an average of "B+" on a scale from A+ to F.
Roger Ebert gave the film three stars out of four. He criticized the "very old" plot but praised Molly Ringwald and Annie Potts’ performances, calling the film "heartwarming and mostly truthful" with "some nice humor."
Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote, "The actors are mostly likable, and the story is told gently enough to reduce its focus on trends and traditions."
James Harwood of Variety noted, "John Hughes’ teen perspectives are maturing in Pretty in Pink, an intelligent (though not original) look at teenage insecurities. Molly Ringwald’s performance gives the film a strong emotional center."
Pauline Kael of The New Yorker stated that Ringwald "carries the movie, though she has little to do or say," and called the film "slight and vapid, like watery Jello." Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune gave the film one-and-a-half stars out of four, criticizing the "tired script" and a "one-note performance" but calling Ringwald "charming."
Patrick Goldstein of the Los Angeles Times called the film "delightful," noting that it "captures the nuances of youth" and "lets viewers see how teenagers experience emotions."
Paul Attanasio of The Washington Post wrote that the film "follows a standard formula—rich boy, poor girl—and does little to change or improve it."
Legacy
The main cast of the movie Pretty in Pink appeared in an October 15, 2010, issue of Entertainment Weekly, which highlighted reunions of cast members from important films and television shows. The movie was referenced in the song “1985” by the American rock band Bowling for Soup from their 2004 album A Hangover You Don't Deserve. The song includes the line: “She knows all the classics. She knows every line. Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, even St. Elmo's Fire.”
Soundtrack
The movie Pretty in Pink, like other films directed by John Hughes, includes a soundtrack with mostly new wave music. The director, Howard Deutch, originally wanted the film to use theme music, but Hughes encouraged him to include post-punk music instead. The film’s title song, "Pretty in Pink" by the Psychedelic Furs, inspired the movie. A softer version of the song was made specifically for the film’s opening scene, different from the original version on the 1981 album Talk Talk Talk. The song "Left of Center" was remixed by Arthur Baker. Another track, "If You Leave" by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, was written in 1985 just for the film. New Order contributed two songs to the film: an instrumental version of "Thieves Like Us" and "Elegia." These songs appear in the movie but are not on the official soundtrack album.
The band The Rave-Ups performed "Positively Lost Me" and "Shut-Up" from their Town and Country album in the film, but none of their songs are on the soundtrack. Nik Kershaw’s song "Wouldn’t It Be Good" appears on the soundtrack in a version performed by Danny Hutton Hitters, the band of former Three Dog Night singer Danny Hutton. The Smiths’ "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" is on the soundtrack and was later covered by the Autumns for the 2000 album Isn't She Still… The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Revisited. Echo & the Bunnymen’s "Bring On the Dancing Horses" was also recorded specifically for the film, as noted in the liner notes of their compilation album Songs to Learn & Sing.
Other songs in the film, such as Otis Redding’s "Try a Little Tenderness" (to which Duckie lip-synchs), The Association’s "Cherish," and Talk Back’s "Rudy," are not on the official soundtrack album.
The soundtrack was released on vinyl by A&M Records in February 1986 and was later certified a gold record by the RIAA. It was listed on "Best Movie Soundtracks: The 15 Film Music Compilations That'll Change Your Life" by The Huffington Post and "The 25 Greatest Soundtracks of All Time" by Rolling Stone. AllMusic gave the soundtrack four stars out of five. A limited edition pink vinyl version of the soundtrack was released in 2013.