PRETTY IN PINK

US, 1986, 96 minutes, Colour.
Molly Ringwald, Andrew Mc Carthy, Harry Dean Stanton, Jon Cryer, James, Spader.
Directed by Howard Deutch.

Pretty in Pink is one of several films by John Hughes focusing on '80s youth. A writer of comedy (National Lampoon comedies, Mr Mom), Hughes began to write youth films with Sweet Sixteen. He followed it with the excellent The Breakfast Club and the oddball Weird Science. While he has written Pretty in Pink, he has not directed it.

The star is Molly Ringwald who also appeared in Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club. She is supported by Andrew Mc Carthy (Class, St. Elmo's Fire, Catholic Boys) and Jon Cryer (No Small Affair). There is excellent support from Annie Potts as the middle-aged ex-hippie and Harry Dean Stanton (Repo Man, Paris Texas) as her father.

The plot of the film is rather familiar, not as telling as The Breakfast Club, but effective in its portrait of an 18-year-old and her experiences.

1. The popularity of youth films in the '80s? A serious youth comedy? Fur the American audience? For the wider audience, teenagers, parents?

2. The film as a piece of Americana? The town, the homes, the poor and the wealthy, class distinctions? Schools, shops? Styles and fashions? The musical score? Songs?

3. The portrait of Andy: the title, the use of pink throughout the film for heroine, dresses, accessories? The 18-year-old girl? Her mother gone? Her looking after her father, love for him, getting him up, strong and decisive, urging him to get a job, taking with him? His giving her the dress? His evading the truth and her forcing him to look at reality? Her scholarship; school, the snobbery of the other girls - art class, the gymnasium? Her angry reactions? Her being reported? The Principal and his advice? Her friends? The clashes in the school between her and her friends with the wealthy? The staff and their resentment? Her friendship with Iona, her working at Trax? Their friendship, talks, outings, discussing dresses? helping Iona to affirm her age? Her relationships? The constant friendship of Duckie? The bond between the two? her taking him for granted? His easy approach, helping her with her study? Her being hurt and angry with him? The restaurant and the reconciliation? The attraction towards Blane? His coming to the shop, the message on the computer, the outing, the humiliation at the wealthy party, Duckie humiliating him at the restaurant? Her being ashamed of her house and not wanting to Blane to see it? The kiss? The going to the Prom? Her phone calls and his not answering? her being hurt, confronting him in the school corridor? Her dress, affirming herself? Going to the Prom? Happy? Duckie's help? Meeting Blane? The happy ending?

4. The portrait of Andy's father: his reluctance to face, the truth, his love for his wife and her leaving? Slow in getting up, the domestic scenes? His wisdom and wanting to talk, talking things over with Phil? The job interviews and his avoiding them? The confrontation between the two? His giving her the dress? His pride in his daughter?

5. Phil and the nickname Duckie? His comic style carry-on, eccentric clothes, behaviour, jokes? His devotion to Andy, love for her, unable to express it? Studying with her? Clashes, Cats and the humiliation? The visits to the shop and setting off the alarms etc.? His reaction against Blane? His talking things over with Andy's father? The going to the Prom, the suit? The slick ending with his being eyed off by the girl?

6. The portrait of the rich, their homes, style, snobbery and arrogance, ethos? The party and their attitudes towards Andy? Steff and his approaches to Andy and her rejection of them, the party and his girlfriend, sex, humiliation, rudeness? The comparison with Duckie and Iona at Cats?

7. Blane as a pleasant young man, attractive, visiting the shop, the dating, going out with Andy, the error in taking her to the party, at Cats? Her not wanting him to see her home? Steff and his arrogance, their talking things over? Blane influenced by his mother, not answering the phone? The final confrontation with Steff at the Prom? The reconciliation with Andy?

8. Iona and the comic touches, Trax, her various dresses and hair-dos, her hankering after the '60s? The strong friendship with Andy, talking things over, the dress? Her admitting her age? Relationships?

9. The portrait of the school, activities, closes? Teachers? Responsibilities? The Prom?

10. Themes of growing up, emotions, relationships, classes and wealth, pride and affirmation?