A Blast from the Past: “Pretty in Pink” Turns 40 This Year
- Matt Palmer
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Initial release date: February 28, 1986
Streaming services: Paramount Plus/MGM+/various PVOD services
“Pretty in Pink” is a popular movie released in 1986 that was written and produced by John Hughes. And, to celebrate the movie’s upcoming 40th anniversary, the Dietrich Theater will be showing the popular 80s flick on the big screen!
Andie is an outcast at her Chicago high school, hanging out either with her older boss, who owns the record store where she works, or her quirky classmate Duckie, who has a crush on her.
When one of the rich and popular kids at school, Blane, asks Andie out, it seems too good to be true. As Andie starts falling for Blane, she begins to realize that dating someone from a different social sphere isn’t easy.
This ended up being my first time checking out this 1980s classic. And, overall, I thought it was a fine movie to come out of the 80s era. A lot of audiences over the years have regarded “Pretty in Pink” as a quintessential 80s teen classic that’s a relatable look at adolescent, social and romantic struggles.
Just like most teen movies that came out of the 1980s, “Pretty in Pink” delivers a fun soundtrack (which is one of the many things the movie is known for). In fact, the title of this movie actually came from the 1981 song “Pretty in Pink” from the English band The Psychedelic Furs.
Molly Ringwald did a decent job as the movie’s main lead Andie Walsh. The actress really made the character her own and also made the character more grounded and relatable. Jon Cryer could steal the show here and there with his performance as best friend Duckie Dale, who actually has a humorous scene where he lip syncs and dances to Otis Redding’s “Try a Little Tenderness.” Now, even though Cryer did have a few funny
moments here and there, the Duckie character did get on the annoying side.
There’s actually a subplot featured in the movie involving Andie and her father, Jack, that serves as the main emotional anchor of this movie. Jack is a single father who’s struggling to cope after his wife left the family years earlier. This also creates a role reversal where Andie often acts as the “adult,” managing the household and emotionally supporting Jack.
There are also a few fun moments that take place at the record store where Andie works at that’s run by Iona (Annie Potts). Honestly, the Iona character really stood out due to her quirkiness and humorous behavior. Her character actually provides crucial, mature advice to Andie and is always there for her.
“Pretty in Pink” also heavily contrasts “rich” and “poor” through, for example, the stark differences in set design and, significantly, the characters’ clothing. The rich/poor tension also highlights the difficulty of inter-class romance in high school. The movie’s story also explores the awkward, often painful, transition into adulthood, focusing on personal growth and the complexity of relationships.
“Pretty in Pink” endures as an iconic 80s teen drama, defining the John Hughes era by centering high school social class, authentic teenage identity, and fashion as self-expression rather than just brand consumption. The movie, alongside its soundtrack, has maintained a strong, nostalgic feel and is often analyzed in pop culture.
MPA: Rated PG-13 (runtime 97 minutes)
TRIVIA: James Spader was offered the role of Blane, but he chose to take the role of Steff instead. He found it more fun to play a bad guy. “Pretty in Pink” was filmed at the same high school as “Grease.” It’s included among the AFI’s 2002 list of 400 movies nominated for the Top 100 America’s Greatest Love Stories list.
“Pretty in Pink” is showing at the Dietrich Theater at the following dates and times: Saturday 2/14 - 11 am; Sun 2/15 - 4 pm and 7 pm; Monday 2/16 - 7 pm.
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