Pretty in Pink directed by Howard Deutch, written by John Hughes

Pretty in Pink directed by Howard Deutch and written by John Hughes, Paramount, 2006.
ASIN: B000FZETIO

Plot Summary

While Andie Walsh is happy working at a record store and designing her own clothing there is one thing she wants as she nears the end of her senior year—the love of rich kid Blane McDonnagh. Unlike the rest of the richies, Blane is sensitive and sweet and Andie wishes he would notice her. Finally, her luck turns when Blane messages her on a computer and eventually asks her out on a date. While Andie is thrilled, her best friend Phil “Duckie” Dale is not. Duckie has loved Andie (to the point of obsession) ever since they were children and he hopes to one day marry her. Fortunately for Andie, her manager and good friend Iona recognizes Blane’s charm and encourages her to date him. But will the support of Iona be enough to help working-class Andie agree to go out with Blane, especially as her friendship with Duckie is quickly disintegrating? And, even if Andie agrees to date Blane, will they be able to overcome their class differences?

Critical Evaluation

While many hail Pretty in Pink a classic and often refer to it as one of the most famous teen movies of the 1980s, there is much to be desired in the film. While the actors and actresses are certainly talented the plot is little more than a cliché Cinderella storyline as poor Andie pines after rich Blane. Fortunately, for Andie (and unfortunately for her best friend Duckie) Blane returns her feelings and most of the movie consists of Andie and Blane trying to make their relationship work despite their class differences. The ending, while happy, is predictable and stilted, leaving some viewers to wonder why producers bothered creating Duckie to be such a dynamic character when Andie pays so little attention to him. In addition to these concerns, because Pretty in Pink is now dated some viewers may have trouble concentrating on the storyline as they are visually accosted by outrageous fashions and crazy hairstyles.

Of course, this leads to the question why Pretty in Pink is still so popular today. I believe that the main reason Pretty in Pink is still viewed is because of supporting character, Phil “Duckie” Dale. Duckie, like Andie, is from a working class family and has a distinct sense of style. He constantly follows Andie around like a lost puppy and quips funny one-liners at her and anyone else who will listen. Viewers cannot help liking him even if he is somewhat immature. In fact, Duckie has such a following that the DVD version of Pretty in Pink is named the Everything’s Duckie version. In addition to Duckie, viewers will appreciate actor Harry Dean Stanton’s sensitive portrayal of Andie’s unemployed father, a man who wants to do his best for his daughter but finds that he is paralyzed by grief after his wife’s abandonment. Indeed, Andie’s father has some of the best lines in the film including his explanation of love—“You can’t make it happen. It either will or it won’t” (Deutch & Hughes, 2006). Overall, Pretty in Pink is a classic love story that, despite its cliché plot, still speaks to viewers today and, as a result, should be included in every library collection.

Reader’s Annotation

Working-class Andie must decide whether to pine after the affable rich boy or to pursue her eccentric best friend, Duckie.

About the Director/Writer

"Born and raised in New York City, [director Howard] Deutch attended Ohio State University and began his career in the entertainment industry working on movie trailers and music videos. He has directed music videos for an assortment of top recording artists, including Billy Idol and Billy Joel..." (Filmbug, 2011a). He has also directed a variety of movies including The Great Outdoors and Grumpier Old Men. He is currently hard at work on the television series Big Love and Life Unexpected.

Writer, John Hughes, is famous for the brat pack movies Pretty in Pink, Breakfast Club, and Sixteen Candles. He also wrote Weird Science, Uncle Buck, and Home Alone. John Hughes is a producer of twenty-three films including Dutch and Curly Sue. Unfortunately, John Hughes died at the age of 59 in 2009.

Filmbug (2011a). Howard Deutch. Retrieved from http://www.filmbug.com/db/35286

Filmbug (2011b). John Hughes. Retrieved from http://www.filmbug.com/db/1397

IMDb. (2011). Howard Deutch. Retreived from http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0222043/

IMDb. (2011). John Hughes. Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000455/

Genre

Classic, Drama, Feel good flick, Romance

Tags

80s, Romeo and Juliet, poor girl rich boy, record store, older sister mentor, single father, male best friend, clothing design, fashion

Curriculum Ties

This could be used in a unit on tolerance and the high school experience. It could also be used as a comparison to Romeo and Juliet.

Booktalk Ideas

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Reading Level/Interest Age

N/A

Challenge Issues

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Favorite Quotes

“I’m off like a dirty shirt.” –Duckie

******

“I’ve been out with a lot of girls at this school. I don’t see why you’re so different”. –Steff

“I have class”. –Andie

Why Was This Included?

I wanted to include an iconic 80s teen movie in my database that I had never seen before and Pretty in Pink fit the description. I had already seen The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles and I knew that people discussed Pretty in Pink in relation to these two movies so I decided to watch it.