L'amour à l'envers

Mary stuart Masterson plays a girl who has a crush on Eric Stoltz who has been friends with her for a long time but she never has told her feelings. When Stoltz starts hanging around with the rich crowd and falls for the snobby beauty queen Lea Thomson Masterson fears she may lose him. A well scripted comedy romance drama slice of life that John Hughes does right every now and then. on a scale of one to ten..8

This is one of those films which creeps up on you.

On the surface, it is a romantic cliche, but it is extremely well done. The main characters, especially Watts (a very young Mary Stuart Masterson), turn in superb performances, and lift this way above the ordinary.

Good comic-relief from the support cast - watch especially for the scenes with Keith's sister Laura, and the one between Watts and her admirer - which is a real hoot!

For sheer romantic escapism, this film is close enough to perfect. And can be seen over and over.

Enjoy.

Even though he didn't sit in the director's chair, "Some Kind of Wonderful" has John Hughes' fingerprints all over it. Which is a good thing. And while everyone says this is a carbon copy of "Pretty in Pink" (it is), it hits the target. This movie handles issues of class division and status pretty well. True love's been under Eric Stoltz's nose the entire time, he just had to get over his infatuation with the popular girl first. And we've all been there; we've all wanted someone who was beyond our reach (especially in high school). That empathy is key here. Age is really the only catch (these actors are too old to play teenagers), but it's also a cast that features John Ashton and Elias Koteas. That's a win in my book.

7/10

It's refreshing to have a movie about teens in love that doesn't rely upon sex to gain the viewer's interest. I love this movie, have probably seen it a a few dozen times, especially in the original, unedited version (that wasn't shortened to fit into a two-hour TV time-slot). It's a classic story, but told from a timeless perspective---the movie first ran in 1987, yet there's extremely little in it that would make it seem "dated."

Mary Stuart Masterson is, as always, superb in her performance. While this is one of her early films, it shows her enormous ability and potential. She plays a playful, feisty, street-smart character that also has a sensitive, shy, and deeply loving side. Mary Stuart's kissing scene is one of the most wonderfully romantic and intense kissing scenes on film that I've seen, yet it has an innocent quality that makes it all the more special.

Eric Stoltz and Lea Thompson give excellent performances as well, with good acting and both are able to highlight dialogue with subtle nuances. However, I feel that Mary Stuart's character is the most interesting and emotionally sensitive, enough that she'll bring tears to your eyes. This is an excellent film. It came out at a time when there were a lot of teen movies (Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club, etc.), but this is a story that never grows old and is a pleasure to watch again.

Some Kind Of Wonderful tanked at the box office when it came out, but the truth is this sleeper hit was actually good. And I will even go far saying that this reverse Pretty In Pink is better than Pretty In Pink itself. Why? Good, honest performaces. Hughes decides to leave his Brat Packers behind and went with great choices in Eric Stoltz (who could've gave John Cusack a run for his money in the Teen Angst movie department), Lea Thompson and Mary Stewart Masterson, who steals the show as Watts. Sure the story is run of the mill, but it is the acting that pulls it through. Another good thing is that Thompson's character of Amanda Jones doesn't come off as being a snooty brat (for use of a better word). She is from the same part of town like Keith and tries to fit in with the 'cool' clique. Another good supporting performance is Duncan, the headbanger who is a regular in detention. I love how they forge a friendship through their art. And who can forget how Duncan and the lifers help Keith make his date with Amanda a success? One other thing I like is the soundtrack. It doesn't sound commerical like in other Hughes films. The music really suits every scenes it shows up in (especially the end credits that feature Lick The Tins take on 'Can't Help Falling In Love'). Molly Ringwald reportedly turned down a role in this film, but it's good that she did because I couldn't picture her in this classic. Great film.