kstephens

I genuinely wanted to like this episode. It starts out with its extremely offbeat and - er - likeable heroine played with mouselike reserve by Kate Micucci. I will assume that some work was done to inhibit Miss Micucci's charms...as she seems unflatteringly modest in her feminine allurements here. Which is the point of the episode - a skewering of the beauty industry. (What EXACTLY is in all those skin creams, anyway?) The premise goes from lightly comedic to full-out body horror which would make David Cronenberg wince in places. The episode builds on its squirminess throughout. All while Stacy is egged-on by sinister TV beauty huckster, Dan Stevens. (This plot element seems derived from the Stephen King story, "The Revelations of Becka Paulson.") Then things pivot into full-on gore near the end. Bravo to Martin Starr's clueless Keith! I also cheered the unpredictability and audacity of the plot and Miss Amirpour's direction. But a lot of the goodwill created is then squandered by an overlong and too absurdly ironic epilogue. As if the viewer hadn't gotten the point in the preceding 55 minutes. So the overall impression is one of disappointment in an uneven execution. They didn't quite stick the landing. But certainly an unforgettable entry in Season One of Guillermo del Toro's series.

I saw this in the theatres when I was 19, and I related to Keith Nelson: his hangups, his insecurity, self-consciousness. It probably cemented the deal when I saw Mary Stuart Masterson's tomboyish Watts, a little gangly, pixie cut (with dark roots), all surface-level bravado despite her many tender and vulnerable moments in this film. (That she reminded me a lot of an ex-girlfriend at the time caused me some difficulty!)

I only know the details about this movie I read on this page, but I get the idea of John Hughes's 'Pretty in Pink' do-over. I wanted Duckie to get Andie too! My feeling watching this again in 2022 is that Mr. Hughes wanted to put down a less comedic statement about teenage life. He wanted *not* to laugh off all the pathos one feels in high school...and his script succeeds. This is lovely, observant and truthful writing. John Hughes was the sympathetic tuned-in voice of adolescence which has rarely been recaptured in film. We miss him...

And Howard Deutch was an excellent choice of director. The feeling of the movie is subdued (unlike my memory of it) and it deftly captures familiar teen territory with nuance. Even when you have stereotypes like Hardy Jenns or Duncan, Deutch never plays up the one-dimensional tropes. It helps that Eric Stoltz gives a heartfelt performance throughout, defusing the "Ducky-ness" of the situation. Lea Thompson is effective as well.

Though I am now old enough to be the parent of any of these characters, I still respond to the romance, the nuance, and deep feeling of this story. It has aged very well and unfolds its truths with confidence. (How many 80's films can say this?)

And, after all these years, I still have faith that Keith and Watts and Amanda lived good lives...and each found happiness in the most satisfactory way.