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... not even in the 80s, not even in a teen movie in the 80s.

This is a cult favorite starring Molly Ringwald as Andie, a high school senior of limited means. She gets persistently bullied by the rich crowd at school. Her mom ran out on her and her dad, and as a result dad is chronically unemployed and likes to drink, but he's not a mean drunk. Molly also has to deal with Duckie (Jon Cryer), an amiable goofball who is madly in love with her.

Andie is surprised when wealthy Blaine (Andrew McCarthy) casts an eye in her direction. However, their dating is causing tensions among his elite circle. Or should I say elitist circle? They have all the charm of the French aristocracy before they were guillotined. Blaine asks Andie to the prom, but when he comes up against brick wall opposition from all of his friends he wilts and pulls away from Andie, making lame excuses about having already asked somebody else to the prom. She sees right through him. Meanwhile Andie's dad has managed to buy a pink dress at a thrift shop, and she decides to fix it up as a prom dress and go to the prom anyways.

How will this all turn out? Watch and find out. Let me single out James Spader as doing a great turn as Blaine's snobby friend Steff. He is the one who convinces Blaine that Andie is nothing special. Plus there is a scene I will never forget. At the high school, as Andie passes Steff at a distance, he gives her a look like she is something he scraped off of his shoe. It is creepy and it is real. Kudos to Mr. Spader for such a great early performance.

The excellent supporting cast includes Harry Dean Stanton as Molly's dad, James Spader perfecting his rich jerk persona, Annie Potts as Andie's kooky co-worker at a record store who thinks she is a relic because she is mid 30s, Kate Vernon, Gina Gershon, Kristy Swanson, Margaret Colin, Dweezil Zappa, and Andrew "Dice" Clay. The script by John Hughes mostly works, and the good New Wave songs on the soundtrack add to the film's charm. I'm not exactly the target audience for teen romance films, even thirty years ago when it was released, but even I enjoyed it, so if it's your kind of thing, you should love it.

Just one more thing...Jon Cryer grew up and filled out nicely. Who would have thought in 1986 that 25 years later Cryer would be the hunk and Charlie Sheen would have the appearance of a death mask. Go for depth girls, you don't know what the geeky guy in high school will look like when he matures.

Although John Hughes didn't direct this film, his steady hand is evident all throughout in this much more serious story about a poor girl and a rich guy who want to be together despite all odds against them. Despite the more serious tone of this movie, it still has some funny and touching scenes, most of them featuring Duckie, the best friend of Andie and perhaps the man that truly loves her. However, she has her heart set on Blane, the rich preppie who claims he doesn't act like his snobbish friends do but it is hard to tell at times.

What makes this movie so great is how it is willing to treat all these kids as adults in real situations and real emotions. The acting accentuates these overtones with Molly Ringwald in perhaps her most sophisticated role, Jon Cryer as the lovable Duckie, Andrew McCarthy as Blane, and James Spader in a perfectly devilish role as Steff, the worst of the bunch by so smooth and relentless, it is hard not to be impressed by him. All in all, this is one of the better 1980s teen movies and one that I think people will remember more fondly as it isn't so overtly unique that people can relate to the characters and feel for them. Unfortunately, it was essentially the end of the Molly Ringwald-era, but her memory in these three Hughes movies will always stay with us.

I have seen all John Hughes movies from the 80s starring Molly Ringwald and you can't really watch them without comparing them. "Sixteen candles" is more of a "pure" teen-comedy with a big house party followed by a "hangover"-morning, and "Breakfast Club" is the most serious one and, as far as I'm concerned, the most distinctive of the "Brat-pack" movies.

Breakfast Club is the one I like the most, but "Pretty in pink" is also a very good movie. Molly plays (as always) a very unusual girl who lives with her lazy but very caring father (Harry Dean Stanton). She has only two real friends and one of them is a guy called "Duckie". Duckie is kind of a geek and Jon Cryer does this part so good you don't even miss Anthony Michael Hall a bit. Molly also works in a record store owned by her other friend played by Annie Potts.

Molly falls in love with a rich and popular guy (McCarthey) who has mutual feelings. The story is very cliché with a rich guy and a poor girl from two opposite sides of society who falls in love, causing disappointments among their old friends. Duckie is really hurt and McCarthey's best friend tells him to drop Molly, mostly caused by jealousy in this case. This jealous friend is played by James Spader and he is very good at playing bad. The cliché's are told with charm and intelligence though (like "Mischief") and some scenes almost brings tears to the eyes. (I wonder if the movie would have been even better if Hughes had directed it himself!?)

Anyway, it's a sweet story with many wonderful actors typical of the 80s. Remember to look for a very young and very gorgeous Gina Gershon as a High School girl.

The only thing I miss is a great song or two, like the ones in Sixteen candles and Breakfast club. Otherwise if you're crazy like me about the movies from the 80s I see no reason to skip this one.

This movie also has one of the most clever titles ever.

PRETTY IN PINK

STARRING: MOLLY RINGWALD, ANDREW MCCARTHY

Molly Ringwald plays Andie, a poor girl who lives with her father after her mother left them. She falls in love with a "richie", as she calls him, named Blane (who is played by Andrew McCarthy) but the pressure of friends is in the way of their relationship being perfect. Meanwhile, Andie's best friend Duckie is declaring even more his undying love for her.

"Pretty in Pink" is one of those great teen movies that only comes along once. It has a fantastic sound track, cute guys, a great leading lady and a clever plot with some of the most romantic movie scenes of its time. It defines the 80s high school years with its cliques, which still are around until this day, and the problems that occur when you fall in love with someone else on the other side of the tracks.

I give this movie **** out of *****

An 80's movie. You have to love them. This is one of the few that do have a slight twist on the ending though. I like this film for many reasons. Molly Ringwald is the queen of the teen movies in the 80's. She is a must watch in all of these classic films. I also loved the fact that you got to see some later on famous stars appear in this film like Kristy Swanson and Gina Gershon. Neither really had any lines but they were in it. Make sure to see this movie if you get a chance. Romance or not, it is a good film.