Written by: Ashtyn at 10:15 pm
Movie Info:
Writer: John Hughes
Director: Howard Deutch
Cast: Molly Ringwald, Harry Dean Stanton, Jon Cryer, Annie Potts, James Spader, Andrew McCarthy, Andrew Dice Clay, Gina Gershon
Rating: PG-13
Studio: Paramount
Release Info:
Theatrical Release:February 28, 1986
DVD Release Date: August 5, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon, Wal-Mart: $9.86
John Hughes is the undisputed king of 80s movies. He revitalized the high school drama and to this day no one has done it in a more memorable fashion than he did. I often find myself missing the days of such great brat pack films as The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, and St. Elmo’s Fire, so when the I Love the 80s pack came out, the press release that I originally read made me smile. We did not receive all of the I Love the 80s pack DVDs to review. We were sent a small selection of movies including Top Gun, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and obviously, Pretty in Pink.
This would be the third Hughes film that Molly Ringwald had a big part in. These days, Ringwald is playing the mom of a pregnant teenager rather than playing the teen herself. This has a way of making us 80s kids feel a little bit older, but that is beside the point. Pretty in Pink remains one of those movies that will always make me smile. Years later it just sleighs me that Jon Cryer still looks exactly like Duckie.
While this pack is probably a long time coming, considering the amount of great 80s movies out there, this particular DVD probably isn’t going to be necessary to fans that already have the “Everything’s Duckie” Edition. The Duckie Edition, which includes numerous special features, will probably end up being a better deal for the true Pretty in Pink fan. This release, which is a pleasure to watch, does not offer the depth of the former release though, so if you have that one don’t go out of your way to pick this up. If you’re just out to watch the movie though, this should work nicely.
The Pretty in Pink Plot
This is your typical high school drama that is anything but typical in the sense of quality. Andie (Ringwald) is a cute high school senior from the wrong side of the tracks. She’s smart, fashionable, and though it’s obvious that she doesn’t have money, she does what she can with what she’s got. She works at the record store in the mall with her friend/boss, Iona (Annie Potts). Meanwhile, her best friend Phil Dale, aka Duckie (Cryer) is madly in love with her. Unfortunately, for him, he isn’t the only one who has their eye on Andie. Sitting across the tracks from Andie and Duckie is Blane (Andrew McCarthy), who also has a fondness for redheads.
This love triangle tends to make things hard on Andie because she doesn’t want to hurt Duckie, but having an attraction to Blane also has its side effects. Being from different sides of the tracks causes Andie to feel insecure and Blane’s friends, mainly Steff (James Spader) continuously point out Andie’s monetary flaws. The only thing that matters to Blane is Andie though and while she cannot understand why he would want to give up everything for her, the truth is that he would if she would let him. The question then becomes is she willing to cross the lines for him?
While the romantic element is firmly in place with a great matching of Ringwald/Cryer and Ringwald/ McCarthy, there is much more here than romance. Plenty of laughs are sprinkled throughout the film ranging from the exuberant Iona and her amusing stories to Duckie’s dance performance in the music store. Add in small performances from Gina Gershon playing one of the high school gym class girls and Harry Dean Stanton as Andie’s dad and you have a winner.
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Audio/Visual:
The video quality for Pretty in Pink is not perfect though I wouldn’t expect most 80s movies to come out looking absolutely perfect without considerable work. What you receive here is standard. You are going to find some grain and noise in this 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. The majority of the colors here look good, though the darker colors don’t come through as well and the skin tones need some work. It’s not horrible enough to distract you from watching the film, but it would have been nice to see it cleaned up some more.
The audio is handled by Dolby Digital 5.1 though I cannot help but find this fact amusing. The soundtrack was not really anything that would warrant the need for such audio strength. Despite this, it is available and it packs a punch to the sound as a whole. It’s more than what is necessary, but it sounds good nonetheless. It would have been nice to see a stronger video presentation with a more standard audio, but what is here works. Where audio is concerned you can opt to play the film in English or French. English subtitles are also available.
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Audio:
Bonus Features:
The special features on this disc are all but non-existent. The only thing available comes with nearly all of the I Love the 80s films and that is the “Music from the 80s” CD. If you have the “Everything’s Duckie” edition, you won’t want to bother with this offering. However, if you’re interested in this version the songs on the disc include, “Lips Like Sugar” by Echo & the Bunnymen, “Chains of Love” by Erasure, “Need You Tonight” by INXS, and finally “Take on Me” by A-ha. While these songs are certainly reminiscent of the 80s it is mildly depressing to see that this is a standard bonus among the I Love the 80s set, making it incredibly unnecessary if you purchase more than one disc from this set.
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Bottom Line:
Pretty in Pink remains one of my favorite 80s movies and probably always will be. The cast is talented, the movie has the Hughes mark all over it, and it never seems to get old. As far as high school dramas go there are only a few movies that will surpass this one. Sure, this DVD isn’t as worthy as the other Pretty in Pink, releases, but if you haven’t seen this movie you should pick it up. If you’re into bonuses seek out the Everything’s Duckie Edition and if you don’t care about bonuses, the I Love the 80s Edition should work just fine.
Overall Rating:
Technorati Tags: Duckie, Comedy, Romance, Blane, Andrew McCarthy, Jon Cryer, Molly Ringwald, Wrong Side of the Tracks, Pretty in Pink, DVD, I love the 80s, Paramount, DVD Review
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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
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Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.
