View source for Pretty in Pink

{{short description|1986 film by Howard Deutch}}
{{about|the film|the song of the same name by the Psychedelic Furs|Pretty in Pink (song)|other uses}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Pretty in Pink
| image          = Pretty In Pink poster.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Howard Deutch]]
| producer       = [[Lauren Shuler Donner|Lauren Shuler]]
| writer         = [[John Hughes (filmmaker)|John Hughes]]
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Molly Ringwald]]
* [[Harry Dean Stanton]]
* [[Jon Cryer]]
* [[Annie Potts]]
* [[James Spader]]
* [[Andrew McCarthy]]
<!-- per poster billing block -->
}}
| music          = [[Michael Gore]]
| cinematography = [[Tak Fujimoto]]
| editing        = [[Richard Marks]]
| distributor    = [[Paramount Pictures]]<ref name=afi>{{cite web|url=http://www.afi.com/members//catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=67116|title=Pretty in Pink|work=[[American Film Institute]]|access-date=November 5, 2017|archive-date=April 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190415163509/http://www.afi.com/members//catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=67116|url-status=live}}</ref>
| released       = {{film date|1986|01|29|[[Grauman's Chinese Theatre|Mann's Chinese Theatre]]|1986|02|28|United States}}
| runtime        = 97 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $9 million<ref>[http://powergrid.thewrap.com/project/pretty-pink Box Office Information for ''Pretty in Pink''.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303230644/http://powergrid.thewrap.com/project/pretty-pink |date=2016-03-03 }} ''[[The Wrap]]''. Retrieved April 4, 2013.</ref>
| gross          = $40.5 million (US)
}}

'''''Pretty in Pink''''' is a 1986 American [[teen film|teen]] [[romantic film|romantic]] [[comedy-drama]] film about love and social cliques in American high schools in the 1980s. The film stars [[Molly Ringwald]], alongside [[Harry Dean Stanton]], [[Jon Cryer]], [[Annie Potts]], [[James Spader]], and [[Andrew McCarthy]]. A [[cult film|cult classic]],<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://ew.com/article/2016/02/28/pretty-pink-30th-anniversary-interview/|title=Pretty in Pink: Director Howard Deutch looks back on the famous ending 30 years later|last=Falcone|first=Dana|date=February 28, 2016|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=October 19, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.villagevoice.com/2016/02/29/rough-trade-goes-back-to-the-80s-for-pretty-in-pinks-30th-anniversary-party/|title=Rough Trade Goes Back to the '80s for Pretty in Pink's 30th Anniversary Party|last=Tan|first=Emily|date=February 29, 2016|website=[[The Village Voice]]|access-date=October 19, 2017|archive-date=October 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019221435/https://www.villagevoice.com/2016/02/29/rough-trade-goes-back-to-the-80s-for-pretty-in-pinks-30th-anniversary-party/|url-status=live}}</ref> it is commonly identified as a "[[Brat Pack]]" film. The film follows high school senior Andie Walsh (Ringwald), and her relationships with her love interest Blane McDonnagh (McCarthy), her best friend Philip F. "Duckie" Dale (Cryer), and her father (Dean Stanton).

It was directed by [[Howard Deutch]], produced by [[Lauren Shuler Donner]], and written by [[John Hughes (filmmaker)|John Hughes]], who also served as co-executive producer. The film was named after a [[Pretty in Pink (song)|song]] by [[the Psychedelic Furs]], and the film's soundtrack, which has been acclaimed as "among the most brilliant in modern cinema",<ref name="thp">{{cite news|title=Best Movie Soundtracks: The 15 Film Music Compilations That'll Change Your Life|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/05/08/best-movie-soundtracks_n_3240173.html#slide=2429720|first=Joshua|last=Ostroff|work=[[The Huffington Post]]|date=May 9, 2013|access-date=September 9, 2013|archive-date=September 23, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130923020528/http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/05/08/best-movie-soundtracks_n_3240173.html#slide=2429720|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="rs">{{cite magazine|title=The 25 Greatest Soundtracks of All Time|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/lists/the-25-greatest-soundtracks-of-all-time-20130829/pretty-in-pink-1986-19691231|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|access-date=September 9, 2013|archive-date=September 4, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130904224851/http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/lists/the-25-greatest-soundtracks-of-all-time-20130829/pretty-in-pink-1986-19691231|url-status=dead}}</ref> features a [[re-recording (music)|re-recorded]] version of the song. [[Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark]]'s "[[If You Leave (song)|If You Leave]]" became an international hit and charted at number four on the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] in May 1986.

''Pretty in Pink'' premiered at [[Grauman's Chinese Theatre|Mann's Chinese Theatre]] on January 29, 1986, and was released theatrically in the United States on February 28. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised Ringwald's performance, and grossed $40.5 million against a $9 million budget.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pretty in Pink |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0091790/?ref_=bo_se_r_1 |access-date=February 22, 2025 |website=Box Office Mojo}}</ref>

==Plot==
<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, the plot summary should be 400 to 700 words. -->
High school senior Andie Walsh lives with her underemployed working-class father, Jack, in a Chicago suburb. Andie's best friend, an outsider named Philip "Duckie" Dale, is in love with her, but is afraid to tell her how he truly feels. In school, Duckie and Andie, along with their friends, are harassed and bullied by the arrogant [[Preppy|"richie"]] and popular kids, specifically Benny Hanson and her boyfriend, Steff McKee, who finds Andie attractive and secretly resents having been rejected by her.

Andie works after school at Trax, a hip record store managed by the quirky thirty-something Iona. Andie starts talking about her school's senior prom to Iona, who advises her to go, despite not having a date. Blane McDonnagh, one of the preppy boys and Steff's best friend, falls for Andie and eventually asks her out.

On the night of the date, Andie waits for Blane at Trax, but he is late. Duckie enters and asks her to go out with him, but she ignores him. When Blane arrives, Duckie becomes upset and argues with Andie before storming off. Blane brings Andie to Steff's house party, where Andie is bullied by the rich partygoers. Andie then brings Blane to a local nightclub, where Iona is sitting with Duckie, who is hostile and jealous toward Blane.

After another argument with Duckie, Andie and Blane walk out of the club. She tells him she wants to go home, but refuses to let him bring her there, confessing she doesn't want him to see where she lives. Andie eventually allows Blane to drop her off, he asks her to the prom and they share their first kiss. Andie visits Iona the next day to talk about the date. Meanwhile, Blane, pressured by Steff, Benny, and rich friends, begins distancing himself from Andie.

Jack presents Andie with a pink dress that he has bought for her. However, they begin to argue because he has been lying about going to a full-time job. Jack breaks down, revealing that he is still bitter and depressed about his wife having left them.

At school, Andie confronts Blane for avoiding her and not returning her calls. When asked about the prom, he claims that he had already asked somebody else but had forgotten. Andie calls Blane a liar, saying he is ashamed of being seen with her as his rich friends will not approve. Andie runs away as a teary-eyed Blane leaves, with Steff trashing Andie as he passes. Duckie overhears Steff and attacks him in the hallway. The two fight before teachers intervene. Andie goes to Iona, upset about what happened, and asks for her old prom dress.

Using the fabric from Iona's dress and the dress that her father had bought, Andie creates a pink prom dress. When she arrives at the prom, Andie has second thoughts about braving the crowd on her own until she sees Duckie. They reconcile and walk into the ballroom hand in hand.

As a drunk Steff begins mocking the couple, Blane confronts him and finally realizes that Steff resents Andie because she had turned down his advances. He calls him out on his spoiled and entitled attitude, saying that he no longer wishes to associate with him. Blane shakes Duckie's hand and apologizes to Andie, telling her that he always believed in her and that he will always love her, kissing her cheek before walking out.

Duckie concedes that Blane is not like the other rich kids at school and advises Andie to go after him, joking that he will never take her to another prom if she does not. He then sees a girl smiling at him, signaling him to come over and dance. Andie catches up with Blane in the parking lot and they kiss.

==Cast==
{{div col}}
* [[Molly Ringwald]] as Andie Walsh
* [[Harry Dean Stanton]] as Jack Walsh
* [[Jon Cryer]] as Philip F. "Duckie" Dale
* [[Annie Potts]] as Iona
* [[James Spader]] as Steff McKee
* [[Andrew McCarthy]] as Blane McDonnagh
* [[Kate Vernon]] as Benny Hanson
* [[Andrew Dice Clay]] as Bouncer
* [[Kristy Swanson]] as Duckette
* [[Alexa Kenin]] as Jena Hoeman
* [[Dweezil Zappa]] as Simon
* [[Gina Gershon]] as Trombley
* [[Margaret Colin]] as English teacher
* [[Jim Haynie]] as Donnelly, School Director
* [[Maggie Roswell]] as Mrs. Dietz
{{div col end}}

[[Charlie Sheen]] was considered for the role of Blane but Ringwald convinced the film makers to cast McCarthy instead.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://abc7.com/archive/8833252/|title=OTRC: Andrew McCarthy talks 'Pretty In Pink' wig, travel writing: 9 facts|last=Heller|first=Corinne|website=[[KABC-TV]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161013154047/http://abc7.com/archive/8833252/|archive-date=13 October 2016|access-date=30 December 2017}}</ref> [[Anthony Michael Hall]] turned down the role of Duckie because he didn't want to be typecast.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.today.com/popculture/pretty-pink-turns-30-here-are-17-surprising-facts-about-t76081|title='Pretty in Pink' turns 30: Here are 17 surprising facts about the '80s classic|date=25 February 2016|access-date=19 September 2021|archive-date=19 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210919000951/https://www.today.com/today/amp/tdna76081|url-status=live}}</ref> Ringwald lobbied for [[Robert Downey Jr.]] to be cast as Duckie but agreed that Cryer made sense in light of the film's revised ending.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Molly Ringwald Fought for Robert Downey Jr. to Star in 'Pretty in Pink'|url=https://www.floor8.com/posts/molly-ringwald-fought-for-robert-downey-jr-to-star-in-pretty-in-pink-01d3pdg78ffn|access-date=2020-09-06|website=floor8.com|date=14 February 2019|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-02-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210228175119/https://www.floor8.com/posts/molly-ringwald-fought-for-robert-downey-jr-to-star-in-pretty-in-pink-01d3pdg78ffn|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Jennifer Beals]] turned down the role of Andie Walsh.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://variety.com/2021/film/news/pretty-in-pink-john-hughes-howard-deutch-molly-ringwald-some-kind-of-wonderful-1234908094/|title = 'Pretty in Pink' Director Howard Deutch on Film's Legacy and Casting Molly Ringwald|date = 15 February 2021|access-date = 9 July 2021|archive-date = 13 July 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210713111418/https://variety.com/2021/film/news/pretty-in-pink-john-hughes-howard-deutch-molly-ringwald-some-kind-of-wonderful-1234908094/|url-status = live}}</ref> [[Jodie Foster]], [[Sarah Jessica Parker]], [[Tatum O'Neal]], and [[Lori Loughlin]] were also considered.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/pretty-in-pink-original-ending-director-commentary-duckie-sexuality-molly-ringwald-222406960-015105494.html|title='Pretty in Pink' director on movie's famous lost ending and Molly Ringwald's theory that Duckie was secretly gay|date=27 February 2021|access-date=14 September 2021|archive-date=14 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210914102536/https://www.yahoo.com/amphtml/entertainment/pretty-in-pink-original-ending-director-commentary-duckie-sexuality-molly-ringwald-222406960-015105494.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Production==
===Origin===
Ringwald said that she introduced Hughes to The Psychedelic Furs song of the same name, which inspired Hughes to write the screenplay.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.vogue.com/article/molly-ringwald-pretty-in-pink-35th-anniversary | title=Molly Ringwald Looks Back on 'Pretty in Pink,' 35 Years Later | date=3 March 2021 }}</ref>

===Production===
Deutch felt there was something missing in the opening scene. Hughes later wrote the scene where Jack tells Andie maybe she could add some ruffles underneath his T-shirt.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/pretty-in-pink-john-hughes-rewrote-this-scene-for-molly-ringwald-over-the-phone.html/ | title='Pretty in Pink': John Hughes Rewrote This Scene for Molly Ringwald over the Phone | date=15 June 2020 }}</ref>

===Changed ending===
Originally, the film portrayed Andie and Duckie ending up together.<ref>[http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/80s/content/original-ending-pretty-pink-uncovered-along-other-john-hughes-scripts Original ending to 'Pretty in Pink' uncovered along with other John Hughes scripts] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516041328/http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/80s/content/original-ending-pretty-pink-uncovered-along-other-john-hughes-scripts |date=2013-05-16 }}, at the ''[[Tampa Bay Times]]''; by Steve Spears; published May 7, 2010; retrieved March 29, 2013</ref> However, [[test audience]]s booed this ending.<ref>[https://ew.com/article/2006/08/24/reminiscing-jon-cryer-about-pretty-pink/ Don't You Forget About Duckie], at ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'', by Mandi Bierly; published August 24, 2006; retrieved March 29, 2013</ref> John Hughes wrote a new five-page ending where Andie and Blane get together instead. This was shot several months after the film wrapped production, and was filmed in one day on a soundstage designed to look like the Los Angeles hotel ballroom where the first ending had been filmed.<ref name="EndingShocks2021">{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2021/02/26/pretty-pink-anniversary-35-changed-ending-andie-duckie-blane/4551885001/|title='Pretty In Pink' still shocks at 35 with changed ending: Andie chose rich Blane over poor Duckie'|last=Alexander|first=Bryan|date=February 26, 2021|website=[[USA Today]]|access-date=April 11, 2021|archive-date=December 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211228131300/https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2021/02/26/pretty-pink-anniversary-35-changed-ending-andie-duckie-blane/4551885001/|url-status=live}}</ref>  When called back to film the new scene, [[Andrew McCarthy]] was in pre-production for a stage play, and had lost weight and cut his hair for the stage role, so he was fitted with a wig for the re-shoot.<ref>[https://www.accessonline.com/articles/andrew-mccarthy-i-wore-a-wig-in-pretty-in-pinks-last-scene-123858 Andrew McCarthy:  I Wore A Wig in Pretty in Pink's Last Scene] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026021336/https://www.accessonline.com/articles/andrew-mccarthy-i-wore-a-wig-in-pretty-in-pinks-last-scene-123858 |date=2021-10-26 }}, at ''Access Online'', by Jesse Spero; published October 1, 2012; retrieved October 25, 2021</ref> Molly Ringwald had anticipated that audiences would be dissatisfied with the original ending, saying: "It didn't make sense to have the entire movie be this Cinderella story [yet] she doesn't get to end up with the guy she wants." Ringwald has said Duckie was based on her best friend, who was gay and with whom she "had an extremely nonromantic relationship".<ref name="RingwaldVogue2021">{{cite web|url=https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/molly-ringwald-interview|title='Molly Ringwald Revisits The Crazy Fashion (& Sexual Politics) Of 'Pretty In Pink', 35 Years On|last=Bell|first=Keaton|date=March 3, 2021|website=[[British Vogue|Vogue]]|access-date=April 11, 2021|archive-date=April 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411054512/https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/molly-ringwald-interview|url-status=live}}</ref>

Jon Cryer has stated that he was shocked that the test audience was unhappy about the pairing, and felt that the whole film was built around Andie and Duckie ending up together.<ref>{{cite news|first=Patrick|last=Kelleher|title=Pretty in Pink director confirms once and for all whether Duckie was gay|url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/07/18/pretty-in-pink-john-hughes-howard-deutch-jon-cryer-duckie-gay-molly-ringwald/|website=[[PinkNews]]|date=July 18, 2020|access-date=July 28, 2020|archive-date=July 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719172725/https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/07/18/pretty-in-pink-john-hughes-howard-deutch-jon-cryer-duckie-gay-molly-ringwald/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="trivia">{{cite web|url=http://www.somekindofwonderful.org/movie/trivia.html|title=Trivia|publisher=Some Kind of Wonderful|access-date=2020-07-30|archive-date=2010-11-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101129185802/http://somekindofwonderful.org/movie/trivia.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Hughes aimed "to protect Duckie's character" in the new ending by having another girl at the prom show interest in him, played by [[Kristy Swanson]] in her first theatrical film role and credited as "Duckette".<ref name="EndingShocks2021" /> Paramount executives were also apprehensive about the original ending, worried that the film might be perceived as [[classist]] and as suggesting that wealthy people and poor people should not interact. [[Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark]] had written the song "Goddess of Love" for the original ending (which they later rewrote and released on the album ''[[The Pacific Age]]'').<ref name="discog">{{cite web|url=https://www.omd.uk.com/discography/the-pacific-age/|title=''The Pacific Age''|publisher=[[Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark|OMD]]|access-date=4 October 2022|archive-date=4 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221004054054/https://www.omd.uk.com/discography/the-pacific-age/|url-status=live}}</ref> Hughes didn't consider the song a good fit for the newly re-shot Andie/Blane ending and asked the band to write something else. With only two days before going on tour, OMD wrote "[[If You Leave (song)|If You Leave]]" in less than 24 hours.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/12/magazine/omds-plot-against-rock.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0|title=The Plot Against Rock|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|first=Hugo|last=Lindgren|date=May 10, 2013|accessdate=May 10, 2013|archive-date=May 15, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515163956/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/12/magazine/omds-plot-against-rock.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0|url-status=live}}</ref> Paramount has said that they have been unable to locate the footage of the original ending.<ref name="RingwaldVogue2021" />

===Dedication===
In the closing credits, the film is dedicated to actress [[Alexa Kenin]] and set designer [[Bruce Weintraub]], both of whom died shortly after production had finished.

===Novel===
The film was adapted into a novel written by [[H. B. Gilmour]] and Randi Reisfield, released in 1986. It was published by [[Bantam Books]] ({{ISBN|0-553-25944-X}}. {{ISBN|978-0553259445}}). The book was written before the last scene was changed, so it has the original ending in which Andie ends up with Duckie instead of Blane.

==Release==
===Box office===
''Pretty in Pink'' was the top-grossing film for the week of March 12, 1986.<ref>{{cite news|title= Pink Sitting Pretty In Box Office Ranking|publisher= [[Sun Sentinel]]|url= http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1986-03-12/features/8601150479_1_box-office-million-film|access-date= 2010-12-22|archive-date= 2012-01-17|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120117061255/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1986-03-12/features/8601150479_1_box-office-million-film|url-status= dead}}</ref>  The film earned [[United States dollar|US$]]6.1 million during its opening weekend and $40.5 million during its theatrical run. It was the 22nd-highest-grossing film of 1986.<ref>{{cite web |title = Pretty in Pink (1986) |url = http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=prettyinpink.htm |publisher = IMDB |work = [[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date = December 2, 2009 |archive-date = June 18, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090618010300/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=prettyinpink.htm |url-status = live }}</ref>

===Reception===
On [[review aggregator]] [[Rotten Tomatoes]] the film holds an approval rating of 75% based on 56 reviews, with an average rating of 6.4/10. The site's consensus reads: "Molly Ringwald gives an outstanding performance in this sweet, intelligent teen comedy that takes an ancient premise and injects it with insight and wit."<ref>{{cite web |title = Pretty in Pink (1986) |url = http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pretty_in_pink/ |publisher = [[Flixster]] |work = [[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date = May 13, 2020 |archive-date = June 5, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200605003945/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pretty_in_pink |url-status = live }}</ref>

{{Metacritic film prose|56|22|ref=yes|access-date=February 7, 2024}} Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.

[[Roger Ebert]] gave the film three stars out of four, criticizing the "old, old, old" plot but praising the performances of Molly Ringwald and Annie Potts, and calling it "a heartwarming and mostly truthful movie, with some nice touches of humor."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/pretty-in-pink-1986|title=Pretty in Pink movie review & film summary (1986)|last=Ebert|first=Roger|website=rogerebert.com|language=en|access-date=December 30, 2019|archive-date=September 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190926204836/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/pretty-in-pink-1986|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Janet Maslin]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote, "Fortunately, the actors are mostly likable, and the story is told gently enough to downplay both its trendiness and its conventionality."<ref>Maslin, Janet (February 28, 1986). [https://www.nytimes.com/1986/02/28/movies/film-john-hughes-s-pretty-in-pink.html "Film: John Hughes's 'Pretty in Pink'".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230065229/https://www.nytimes.com/1986/02/28/movies/film-john-hughes-s-pretty-in-pink.html |date=2019-12-30 }} ''[[The New York Times]]''. C8.</ref>

James Harwood of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' wrote, "In his mid-30s, John Hughes' much-vaunted teen thinking now seems to be maturing a bit in ''Pretty in Pink,'' a rather intelligent (if not terribly original) look at adolescent insecurities ... Teamed with Hughes for the third time, Molly Ringwald is herself growing as an actress, lending ''Pink'' a solid emotional center that largely boils down to making the audience care about her."<ref>Harwood, James (February 12, 1986). "Film Reviews: Pretty In Pink". ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]''. 24.</ref>

[[Pauline Kael]] of ''[[The New Yorker]]'' wrote that Ringwald "carries the movie, though she has nothing particularly interesting to do or say," and called the film "slight and vapid, with the consistency of watery Jello."<ref>Kael, Pauline (April 7, 1986). "The Current Cinema". ''[[The New Yorker]]''. 91.</ref>  [[Gene Siskel]] of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' gave the film one-and-a-half stars out of four, faulting a "tired script" and Cryer's "one-note performance," though he found Ringwald "absolutely beguiling."<ref>Siskel, Gene (February 28, 1986). "The John Hughes magic missing in 'Pretty In Pink'". ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''. Section 7, Page A.</ref>

Patrick Goldstein of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' called the film "delightful," adding that "what makes ''Pretty in Pink'' such a satisfying, big-hearted film isn't its creaky story line or its somewhat unconvincing conclusion, but the way it lets us watch kids through their own eyes, exploring feelings instead of making caricatures of them. Written by Hughes and directed by newcomer Howard Deutch, the movie neatly captures the nuances of youth, reminding us how the most casual remark can unleash a flood of insecurities."<ref>Goldstein, Patrick (February 28, 1986). "Life's Not All 'Pretty In Pink'". ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. Part VI, p. 1, 17.</ref>

[[Paul Attanasio]] of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' wrote that "for the most part, ''Pretty in Pink'' works from a standard formula—rich boy, poor girl—and does little to tweak or reinvent it."<ref>Attanasio, Paul (February 28, 1986). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1986/02/28/movies/e7077fb3-ceed-4fdd-a106-ea425641b7a1/ "Romancing The Young".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190512041057/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1986/02/28/movies/e7077fb3-ceed-4fdd-a106-ea425641b7a1/ |date=2019-05-12 }} ''[[The Washington Post]]''. D1, D2.</ref>

==Legacy==
The main cast of ''Pretty in Pink'' was featured in an October 15, 2010 issue of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' that featured reunions with the casts of landmark films and television shows.<ref>{{cite magazine | url = http://www.ew.com/ew/video/0,,20433411_20433413,00.html | title = Cast Reunions Video | format = video | magazine = Entertainment Weekly | date = October 15, 2010 | access-date = October 16, 2010 | archive-date = June 2, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130602100948/http://www.ew.com/ew/video/0,,20433411_20433413,00.html | url-status = dead }}</ref>

==Soundtrack==
{{Infobox album
| name       = Pretty in Pink
| type       = soundtrack
| artist     = various artists
| cover      = Prettyinpinksoundtrack.jpeg
| alt        =
| released   = February 28, 1986
| recorded   =
| venue      =
| studio     =
| genre      = [[Post-punk]], [[New wave music|new wave]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/09/the-best-new-wave-albums.html|title=The 50 Best New Wave Albums|date=30 August 2016|website=Paste Magazine|access-date=30 December 2019|archive-date=1 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171001214341/https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/09/the-best-new-wave-albums.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
| length     = 39:35
| label      = [[A&M Records|A&M]]
| producer   = [[David Anderle]] (soundtrack executive producer)
| prev_title =
| prev_year  =
| next_title =
| next_year  =
| misc       = {{Singles
 | name        = Pretty in Pink
 | type        = soundtrack
 | single1     = [[Shellshock (song)|Shellshock]]
 | single1date = March 17, 1986
 | single2     = [[If You Leave (song)|If You Leave]]
 | single2date = April 21, 1986
 | single3     = [[Left of Center (Suzanne Vega song)|Left of Center]]
 | single3date = May 26, 1986
 | single4     = [[Pretty in Pink (song)|Pretty in Pink]]
 | single4date = October 1986
}}
}}
As with previous films by John Hughes, ''Pretty in Pink'' featured a soundtrack composed mostly of [[new wave music]]. While director Howard Deutch originally intended the film to primarily contain [[theme music]], Hughes influenced Deutch's decision to use post-punk music throughout the film. The title song by [[the Psychedelic Furs]] acted as a bit of inspiration for the film and was re-recorded specifically for the film's opening sequence in a version that was less raw than the original version that appeared on the 1981 album ''[[Talk Talk Talk]]''. "Left of Center" was remixed by [[Arthur Baker (musician)|Arthur Baker]]. The first track, "If You Leave", by [[Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark]], was written in 1985 specifically for the film. In addition to their soundtrack song "Shellshock", [[New Order (band)|New Order]] also contributed an instrumental version of  "[[Thieves Like Us (song)|Thieves Like Us]]"  and the instrumental "[[Elegia (New Order song)|Elegia]]", both of which appear in the film but not on the soundtrack.

[[The Rave-Ups]], who appear in the film performing "Positively Lost Me" and "Shut-Up" from their ''Town and Country'' album, do not have any songs on the soundtrack album. [[Nik Kershaw]]'s "[[Wouldn't It Be Good]]" appears on the soundtrack in a version by former [[Three Dog Night]] vocalist [[Danny Hutton]]'s band, Danny Hutton Hitters. [[The Smiths]]' "[[Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want]]" appears on the soundtrack and was later covered by [[the Autumns]] for the 2000 ''Isn't She Still... The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Revisited'' album. Also noteworthy is the inclusion of [[Echo & the Bunnymen]]'s "[[Bring On the Dancing Horses]]", which, according to the liner notes of the CD release of the band's compilation album ''[[Songs to Learn & Sing]]'', was recorded specifically for the film.

The film also includes [[Otis Redding]]'s "[[Try a Little Tenderness]]", to which Duckie [[Lip sync|lip-synchs]] in the film, [[the Association]]'s "[[Cherish (The Association song)|Cherish]]" and Talk Back's "Rudy". These three tracks do not appear on the official soundtrack album.

The soundtrack was released on [[Phonograph record|vinyl]] by [[A&M Records]] in February 1986, and was certified a gold record by the [[RIAA]] two months later.<ref>[https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=pretty+in+pink#search_section RIAA Gold and Platinum retrieved d June 2025]</ref> It was listed on the "Best Movie Soundtracks: The 15 Film Music Compilations That'll Change Your Life" list in ''[[The Huffington Post]]''<ref name="thp"/> and "The 25 Greatest Soundtracks of All Time" list in ''[[Rolling Stone]]''.<ref name="rs"/> [[AllMusic]] rated it four stars out of five.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/pretty-in-pink-original-soundtrack-mw0000195345 |title=Pretty in Pink (Original Soundtrack) |website=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=2013-06-21 |archive-date=2013-06-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130610174042/http://www.allmusic.com/album/pretty-in-pink-original-soundtrack-mw0000195345 |url-status=live }}</ref>
It was re-released in 2013 as a limited edition on pink-colored vinyl.

{{Track listing
| extra_column    = Performer(s)
| total_length    = 39:35
| title1          = [[If You Leave (song)|If You Leave]]
| writer1         = [[Andy McCluskey]], [[Paul Humphreys]], [[Martin Cooper (artist)|Martin Cooper]]
| extra1          = [[Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark]]
| length1         = 4:25
| title2          = [[Left of Center (Suzanne Vega song)|Left of Center]]
| writer2         = [[Suzanne Vega]]/[[Steve Addabbo]]
| extra2          = [[Suzanne Vega]] with [[Joe Jackson (musician)|Joe Jackson]]
| length2         = 3:32
| title3          = Get to Know Ya
| writer3         = Johnson
| extra3          = [[Jesse Johnson (musician)|Jesse Johnson]]
| length3         = 3:33
| title4          = Do Wot You Do
| writer4         = [[Andrew Farriss]], [[Michael Hutchence]]
| extra4          = [[INXS]]
| length4         = 3:17
| title5          = [[Pretty in Pink (song)|Pretty in Pink]]
| writer5         = [[John Ashton (musician)|John Ashton]], [[Tim Butler]], [[Richard Butler (singer)|Richard Butler]], Vince Ely, Duncan Kilburn, Roger Morris
| extra5          = [[The Psychedelic Furs]]
| length5         = 4:40
| title6          = [[Shellshock (song)|Shellshock]]
| writer6         = New Order, [[John Robie]]
| extra6          = [[New Order (band)|New Order]]
| length6         = 6:04
| title7          = Round, Round
| writer7         = [[Belouis Some]]
| extra7          = [[Belouis Some]]
| length7         = 4:06
| title8          = [[Wouldn't It Be Good]]
| writer8         = [[Nik Kershaw]]
| extra8          = [[Danny Hutton|Danny Hutton Hitters]]
| length8         = 3:43
| title9          = [[Bring On the Dancing Horses]]
| writer9         = [[Will Sergeant]], [[Ian McCulloch (singer)|Ian McCulloch]], [[Les Pattinson]], [[Pete de Freitas]]
| extra9          = [[Echo & the Bunnymen]]
| length9         = 3:59
| title10          = [[Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want]]
| writer10         = [[Johnny Marr]], [[Morrissey]]
| extra10          = [[The Smiths]]
| length10         = 1:50
}}

===Charts===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Weekly chart performance for ''Pretty in Pink''
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (1986)
! scope="col"| Peak<br/>position
|-
! scope="row"| Australian Albums ([[Kent Music Report]])<ref>{{harvnb|Kent|1993|p=284}}</ref>
| 6
|-
{{album chart|Canada|6|chartid=0688|rowheader=true|access-date=April 16, 2025}}
|-
{{album chart|New Zealand|5|artist=Soundtrack|album=Pretty in Pink|rowheader=true|access-date=December 19, 2021}}
|-
{{album chart|Billboard200|5|artist=Soundtrack|rowheader=true|access-date=December 19, 2021}}
|}
{{col-2}}

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Year-end chart performance for ''Pretty in Pink''
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (1986)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)<ref>{{harvnb|Kent|1993|p=438}}</ref>
| 45
|-
{{album chart|Canada|30|chartid=8824|rowheader=true|access-date=April 16, 2025|refname=CA_YE}}
|-
! scope="row"| US ''Billboard'' 200<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1986/top-billboard-200-albums |title=Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1986 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=December 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308021745/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1986/top-billboard-200-albums |archive-date=March 8, 2021}}</ref>
| 50
|-
! scope="row"| US Soundtrack Albums (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1986/top-soundtracks-albums |title=Soundtracks – Year-End 1986 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=December 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210904055946/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1986/top-soundtracks-albums |archive-date=September 4, 2021}}</ref>
| 3
|}
{{col-end}}

===Singles released===
{| class="wikitable" style=text-align:center;
!rowspan=2|Year
!rowspan=2|Title
!rowspan=2|Artist
!colspan=8|Chart positions
|-style="font-size:smaller;"
!width="30"|[[Billboard Hot 100|US Hot 100]]
!width="30"|[[Hot Dance Club Play|US D/P]]
!width="30"|[[Dance/Electronic Singles Sales|US D/S]]
!width="30"|[[ARIA Charts|AUS]]
!width="30"| [[RPM (magazine)|CA]]
!width="30"|[[Irish Singles Chart|IE]]
!width="30"|[[Recording Industry Association of New Zealand|NZ]]
!width="30"|[[UK Singles Chart|UK]]
|-
|rowspan=5|1986
|align=left|"[[Shellshock (song)|Shellshock]]"
*Released: March 17, 1986
|align=left|[[New Order (band)|New Order]]
| –
| 14
| 26
| 23
| –
| 18
| 8
| 28
|-
|align=left| "[[If You Leave (song)|If You Leave]]"
*Released: {{start date|1986|4|21}}
|align=left|[[Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark]]
| 4
| –
| 31
| 15
| 5
| –
| 5
| 48
|-
|align=left|"[[Left of Center (Suzanne Vega song)|Left of Center]]"
*Released: May 26, 1986
|align=left|[[Suzanne Vega]] and [[Joe Jackson (musician)|Joe Jackson]]
| –
| –
| –
| 35
| –
| 28
| –
| 32
|-
|align=left|"[[Pretty in Pink (song)|Pretty in Pink]]"
*Released: October 1986
|align=left|[[The Psychedelic Furs]]
| 41
| –
| –
| –
| 61
| –
| –
| 18
|-
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book |last=Kent |first=David |author-link=David Kent (historian) |title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 |edition=illustrated |location=St Ives, N.S.W. |publisher=Australian Chart Book |year=1993 |isbn=0-646-11917-6}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0091790}}
* {{cite web |title=Pretty in Pink (1986) Filming Locations |url=https://www.themoviedistrict.com/pretty-in-pink |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180313052202/http://www.themoviedistrict.com/pretty-in-pink/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=March 13, 2018 |website=The Movie District}}

{{Howard Deutch}}
{{John Hughes}}
{{Portal bar|United States|Film|1980s|Comedy}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pretty in Pink}}
[[Category:1986 films]]
[[Category:1986 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:1980s coming-of-age comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:1980s high school films]]
[[Category:1986 romantic comedy films]]
[[Category:1980s romantic comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:1980s teen comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:1980s teen romance films]]
[[Category:American coming-of-age comedy films]]
[[Category:American high school films]]
[[Category:American romantic comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:Films about proms]]
[[Category:American teen comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:American teen romance films]]
[[Category:Coming-of-age romance films]]
[[Category:1980s English-language films]]
[[Category:Films about interclass romance]]
[[Category:Films directed by Howard Deutch]]
[[Category:Films produced by Lauren Shuler Donner]]
[[Category:Films shot in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by John Hughes (filmmaker)]]
[[Category:Films about father–daughter relationships]]
[[Category:1980s American films]]
[[Category:English-language romantic comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:Paramount Pictures films]]