Pretty in Pink: 30th Anniversary

I discovered Pretty in Pink sometime in late junior high/early high school when I caught it on cable one night. I instantly loved Andie and Blane and rooted for them to get together. They just had so much chemistry! I mean, did you see the way they look at each other?! Anyway, when Cinemark announced it would be part of their Classics series to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the film I marked it on my calendar so I wouldn't forget.

Andie is a girl from the "wrong side of the tracks" (we know this because there are various images of train tracks), which basically means she's poor. And apparently that sucks, especially because she goes to school with a lot of "richies". Well, except for her best friend, Duckie, who is definitely not a "richie". Andie and her friends have cool, eclectic clothes and go to cool clubs to listen to cool music. The "richies" just throw lame parties in their parents' homes and fret about upholding their rich-people dynasties. However, opposites attract when Andie and Blane, a "richie" start crushing on one other and start dating.

Can we just talk about how adorable and real their flirting is? They perfectly capture the awkwardness of liking someone and finding ways to cross their path. I love when Blane asks Andie out because he's so awkward and nervous about it, but he likes her and she likes him so he does it. Roger Ebert's 1986 review of the film sums it up perfectly.

I am now going to go on a rant about Duckie. Lots of people really like him and think that Andie should have ended up with him. I am not one of those people. I like Duckie, I do. Well, for most of the movie, before he turns into a really bad friend. Andie and Duckie are friends, have been for years. Never has Andie given any indication that she has romantic feelings towards him. He, however, is in love with her. He doesn't ever actually tell her this, but assumes lots of things. Like that she agreed to go on a date with him when she never did. Then he gets entirely bent out of shape when he realizes that she actually has a date with someone else.

This would be fine if he acted a little hurt or sad but then supported his friend, because she clearly really likes this Blane guy. But he doesn't. Instead he blows up at her and says that he can't be her friend anymore, as if she was supposed to suddenly change her mind and her feelings because HE likes HER. "Hey, I don't care if you like me," he essentially says, "because I like you." WHAT?!

Here's the thing - Andie likes Blane. And he likes her, so they're going to go out and see what happens. Andie shouldn't have to feel guilty for that by someone who claims to be her friend.

At the end of the film the filmmakers and stars discuss the original ending of the film, which was Andie ending up with Duckie. Test audiences, however, didn't like this so they changed it to Andie ending up with Blane. I completely agree with this ending. One of the producers, though, makes the comment that "audiences didn't want Andie to end up with true love, they wanted her to end up with the cute guy." This comment really irks me. She doesn't end up with Blane because he's the "cute one" and she doesn't not end up with Duckie because he's "not conventionally attractive." She ends up with Blane because that's who she loves, and to say that she just chose the "cute guy" is incredibly disingenuous and reduces women to only choosing a guy based on looks. Again, Andie has never given any hint throughout the movie that she has romantic, lovey feelings for Duckie.

Can we just talk about their first date? I adore Blane and how he got up the nerve to ask Andie out after flirting with her at the record store and with a computer message, but dude chose to go to a party at his friend's home for their first date! Bad choice, man, bad choice. I do love how he tries to make the best of it, and then tries so hard later to do what Andie wants. He wants to spend more time with her and is willing to do something or take her home, but Andie doesn't want him to see where she lives. She's admittedly acting a little crazy, especially for their first date, but I love how they both try to work things out and meet in the middle because they like each other.

I adore Andie's dad and their relationship. He's a lost man after his wife left them a few years ago. He still loves her and his life has been a wreck since she left. Andie helps him out and sometimes plays the parent. I love their conversation after she's just returned from her first date (and amazing first kiss) with Blane. She is of course stressing about their different stations in life because she's a teenager and those things seems like a big deal when you're 18. As a wise older person, he sees it as "You like him and he likes you, so it's worth it." Which is so obvious! I love their breakdown at the end when they both must come to terms that his wife and her mom is gone but that doesn't reflect on their character.

Also, Andie's friend Iona is the best. And James Spader as Steff is perfect and so quintessential '80s with his feathered hair and sock-less loafers.