Day 27 - Pretty In Pink
First Impressions:
I don't know how many times I've seen "Pretty in Pink"; it's definitely been fewer than the number of times I've seen "The Breakfast Club" which is in the double-digits.
"13 Going On 30" (first on the list) pairs with "Pretty in Pink" in a way I could not have predicted. "Pretty in Pink" is not a course unto itself like "The Notebook" but is part of a required 200 level course called Intro to Teen Rom-Coms. "Pretty in Pink" was supposed to end with Duckie and Andie together but was re-written to reflect the preferences of the test audience. "13 Going On 30" is the original ending to "Pretty in Pink". Written in 1986, is it the vast head-start in becoming a classic that has "Pretty in Pink" with multiple votes, or is there something to the test audience wisdom that has it near the top of the list?
Personal Reflections:
"If somebody doesn't believe in me, I can't believe in them."
"Pretty in Pink" ranks where it does because each viewing is a vision quest. Upon this viewing I was struck by Andie's integrity. She is a lightening rod of truth; if something strikes her the wrong way, beware! Andie is not apologetic for her emotionality or her opinions. I really respect this about her. Molly Ringwald is beautiful but at the same time believable. She isn't Benny, the glacial blond who looks like an Abercrombie model. Andie has personality. She cares for those around her, has dreams and aspirations beyond prom and high school mixers.
When Blane dumps her as his prom date, she doesn't sit at home, ice cream bucket in lap, mascara streaming. No, Andie whips up a special pink prom dress and shows them they didn't break her. In staying true to herself, she forces Blane to reject his inauthentic friends and accept her as she is. With the original ending, we miss this aspect of getting what you want by staying true to yourself. The test audience was likely teenage girls which is why Blane would be the ideal choice and it makes sense because as wise as Andie is, she is 17. For anyone older than 25, Duckie is the one you marry. Iona, Andie's older friend, knows this.
James Spader is sublime as richie, Steff. He gets rejected by Andie early in the film and is so wounded by this that he threatens to denounce Blane from their social circle if Blane dates her. The first times I saw "Pretty in Pink" I believed what Steff said: that he was dissuading Blane out of class elitism. This is after all a movie of rich guy, poor girl. It was only upon subsequent views that I realized how wounded Steff's ego is. Andie is a divining rod of truth, a mirror and she sees Steff for who he is, and forces him to see his core. Rather than change, Steff tries to break the mirror.
Rom-Com 200 Homework: Think of a conflict you've had. Think about how you tried to discredit the other person to salvage your damaged ego. Now drop your hammer and look into the mirror. What do you see?
Rom-Com Tropes:
1. Cinderella story in which poor girl gets rich guy with a fabulous dress.
2. Best friend who pines after the protagonist, love unrequited.
3. The BEST dance scene with Duckie in the record store.
Soundtrack:
"If You Leave" by OMD is in my top five songs of all time. Whenever I hear it I see the prom scene. Feel pretty sure I'm not alone with this one. One time I heard it while shopping at London Drugs and I thought I was going to start crying in the cereal aisle.
I don't know how many times I've seen "Pretty in Pink"; it's definitely been fewer than the number of times I've seen "The Breakfast Club" which is in the double-digits.
"13 Going On 30" (first on the list) pairs with "Pretty in Pink" in a way I could not have predicted. "Pretty in Pink" is not a course unto itself like "The Notebook" but is part of a required 200 level course called Intro to Teen Rom-Coms. "Pretty in Pink" was supposed to end with Duckie and Andie together but was re-written to reflect the preferences of the test audience. "13 Going On 30" is the original ending to "Pretty in Pink". Written in 1986, is it the vast head-start in becoming a classic that has "Pretty in Pink" with multiple votes, or is there something to the test audience wisdom that has it near the top of the list?
Personal Reflections:
"If somebody doesn't believe in me, I can't believe in them."
"Pretty in Pink" ranks where it does because each viewing is a vision quest. Upon this viewing I was struck by Andie's integrity. She is a lightening rod of truth; if something strikes her the wrong way, beware! Andie is not apologetic for her emotionality or her opinions. I really respect this about her. Molly Ringwald is beautiful but at the same time believable. She isn't Benny, the glacial blond who looks like an Abercrombie model. Andie has personality. She cares for those around her, has dreams and aspirations beyond prom and high school mixers.
When Blane dumps her as his prom date, she doesn't sit at home, ice cream bucket in lap, mascara streaming. No, Andie whips up a special pink prom dress and shows them they didn't break her. In staying true to herself, she forces Blane to reject his inauthentic friends and accept her as she is. With the original ending, we miss this aspect of getting what you want by staying true to yourself. The test audience was likely teenage girls which is why Blane would be the ideal choice and it makes sense because as wise as Andie is, she is 17. For anyone older than 25, Duckie is the one you marry. Iona, Andie's older friend, knows this.
James Spader is sublime as richie, Steff. He gets rejected by Andie early in the film and is so wounded by this that he threatens to denounce Blane from their social circle if Blane dates her. The first times I saw "Pretty in Pink" I believed what Steff said: that he was dissuading Blane out of class elitism. This is after all a movie of rich guy, poor girl. It was only upon subsequent views that I realized how wounded Steff's ego is. Andie is a divining rod of truth, a mirror and she sees Steff for who he is, and forces him to see his core. Rather than change, Steff tries to break the mirror.
Rom-Com 200 Homework: Think of a conflict you've had. Think about how you tried to discredit the other person to salvage your damaged ego. Now drop your hammer and look into the mirror. What do you see?
Rom-Com Tropes:
1. Cinderella story in which poor girl gets rich guy with a fabulous dress.
2. Best friend who pines after the protagonist, love unrequited.
3. The BEST dance scene with Duckie in the record store.
Soundtrack:
"If You Leave" by OMD is in my top five songs of all time. Whenever I hear it I see the prom scene. Feel pretty sure I'm not alone with this one. One time I heard it while shopping at London Drugs and I thought I was going to start crying in the cereal aisle.
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