Pretty In Pink (1986)

Lace, deconstructed waist coats, floral prints and whole lot of pops pinks, Andie (Molly Ringwald) is an earnest outsider immersed in her own quirky vintage world. Her only companions are; Iona who is her boss at a record store where she works at and classmate Duckie (Jon Cryer) who is helplessly in love with her. On the surface Andie and Duckie would make the perfect hipster match, they both love obscure music artists, dress in vibrant far out ways and both would be considered part of the alternative crew. However instead it is rich, popular and generically dressed Blane (Andrew McCarthy) who Andie develops feelings for when he asks her out. “You’re ashamed to be seen with me”. But Blaine’s friends are social piranhas who enjoy tearing apart anyone who doesn’t fit into their superficial world and thus Andie finds it rather difficult to date someone who is from a completely different social sphere from her. Ferris Bueller's day off, the Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles, throughout his career John Hughes has had the insatiable ability to craft generation defining films that held up a candle light and illuminated perfectly the angst and beauty of adolescence. However compared to the aforementioned classics, Pretty in Pink doesn’t do John Hughes or Molly Ringwald justice. Sure it is the most fashion forward but the film lacks the zest and wit of a Ferris Bueller, the stark truth of the Breakfast Club and awkward, tenderness of Sixteen Candles. Pretty in Pink is John Hughes running out of ideas.