PRETTY IN PINK ANALYSIS: Steff isn't the bad guy, & Blane isn't the good guy.

[@itsreelydalin]

Also fun fact - in the novel version, the house that Andie dreams of living in (that she speaks about with Duckie) is the same one that Blaine takes her to for the party..... WHICH IS STEFF'S HOUSE!! Meaning that Andie basically was secretly fantasizing about this dream life... and Steff was the dream boy inside the dream house. Destiny? Perhaps.

[@natyrombr21]

I always thought the house she admires in the beginning was Steff’s house! At the party scene, his house looked like the same one.

[@bawoman]

Its the same in the movie I think

[@grahamfay2473]

Yes I thought the house was Steffs.

[@champslim]

We don't see enough of how Steff treated everyone over the course of 4 years for Andie to turn him down. I need like a limited series to see more.

[@MsEdgely]

Same here! I would love that. I wonder if it was just the case of him dating girls like Benny that put her off him.

[@mylesmarkson1686]

He was clearly a player. When Blane says "Don't you think there's anything there?", and he says "No", then he's either lying his ass off or he just thinks of her as another potential conquest. I think he's telling the truth in this case because Blane knows him too well to let him get away with that blatant of a lie.

[@makeupandtheology1821]

Im 6 years late, lol, but so glad I found this review! I literally felt guilty about not liking Andi, so glad (again) that im not the only one.

[@grahamfay2473]

Saw this film way back in the 80s/90s and I remember when I saw James Spader's acting as Steff all the other characters faded into the background. He's an awesome actor who over the years has proved his brilliance with some if the most iconic characters in film.

[@grahamfay2473]

And TV also.

[@PaulPlisiewicz]

Agreed. Spader rocks!

[@sarasunshinemt4444]

30:00 The scene in Steff's bedroom really came off like A) Blane knew that either Steff would be there, or that it would be OK for him to use the room to loosen up his date whether or not it was occupied. B) Benny MUST have known about Steff's interest in Andi, which would explain her cattiness towards her in class & at the interruption of her post-sex interlude with Steff (who, we must remember, is hot, rich and popular, which means she would protect her "place" with him.) C) Blane doesn't stick up for Andi when Benny sinks her claws in. He makes a half-hearted attempt to defuse the situation but Steff steps in, calls out her behavior & then hustles her out of there, all while still trying to make sure Andi & Blane's date isn't ruined. D) Blane repeatedly either ignored or was oblivious to Andi's EXTREME discomfort for the location & situation. If he was wanting to get to know her, tossing her into the polar opposite social circle was the stupidest thing he could have done. Like you had said, he put NO thought into the date. I think the director was trying portray Blane as being "blind" to the social castes that exists in real life, thus making him "good" or altruistic when in fact he just looks self absorbed and ignorant (which Steff points out to him later, and Blane dumps Andi when he's confronted with the realities of their different economical and social circles).

[@jodiehardy7220]

I agree

[@LadyGreyBlack]

The one thing I don't understand-why did Steff give Andi a sympathetic look before she confronts Blaine, when Steff was the one egging Blaine to dump her?

[@sarasunshinemt4444]

@@LadyGreyBlack Because he knew that Blane was weak and wouldn't "man up". He forced Blane into making a decision, since he knew he would hide from it as long as possible. But he didn't relish that Blane's weakness would hurt Andi. Steff was selfish, true, but he didn't ever want to cause her unneeded distress.

[@allyrene359]

blane didnt defend her against benny but defended her against duckie bc duckie is his competition… only wants to defend her when it could affect his chance with her.

[@MsEdgely]

​​​​@@LadyGreyBlackI think it's the same reason that Steff shook his head when he was watching Andie tear into Blaine. I honestly think that Steff was shaking his head at Blaine's actions, because even though he egged his friend on, he himself wouldn't have done that to her.

[@sobasically1819]

Everyone talking about Steff and I’m here like, WHAT ABOUT DUCKIE?!!!???

[@MsEdgely]

Duckie was stuck in the friend zone.

[@corneliusdenise]

You both touched upon my biggest issues with the film. I too had trouble believing that Blaine did not know of his friend's interest in Andie. However Pretty in Pink is based on a book and a lot these questions are answered in it. Blaine does not know. He is actually surprised that the two know each other. He legitimately likes Andie in the book and so does Steff. I think the main issue of this film it is not put together well. We are told but not shown a lot of Andie's strive and we are reliant on her to sell it as a character and it really does not happen here. I will point out that if you are in an extremely wealthy area, Andie might be considered to be poor by comparison. It probably bothers her that she lives there and has to make her own clothes. Her embarrassment is probably the only relatable part of her character. The fact that we as audience have to speculate is further proof the film isn't put together well. I am surprised no one mentioned Duckie's behavior in the film as in he's annoying and obsessive. He claims to want to be Andie's friend but feels entitled to more. Probably my only disagreement with your assessment is that Andie doesn't owe Duckie an explanation on who she dates.

[@Tomes23]

I agree. I had a best friend who I thought had feelings for me. I was not interested so I did everything I could to discourage this.

[@sarasunshinemt4444]

Yeah. He clearly couldn't tell the difference between friend and potential lover.

[@zabrinagreen]

The book was written on John Hughes screen play. The screen play was written for Molly Ringwald after they did 16 candles together

[@MsSONYA888]

i am a bigggggg Steff fan.

[@mylesmarkson1686]

If you've got a hard-on for trash, don't bring it around here!

[@Starbits7]

I agree with everything you said. As someone who grew up in the 80's, it's all spot on. From Andie not being likeable to the horrendous fashion choices lol Personally I found Steff more interesting than anyone else here despite him being a jerk. But it did make me wonder what he went through, how his parents are, how Andie might have treated him before etc

[@lenoraGrayce]

Ok, so this comment is 3 years late and perhaps will never be read, but I’ll have to say that I respectfully disagree with 80% of this review and think you are peppering it with a lot of assumptions through Spader-colored glasses. Now - I was 14 when this came, have seen it numerous times and I totally relate to this movie as it reflected a lot of my life. What I do agree with: James Spader brought a lot more depth and dimension to a pretty basic, 80s trope of a character, and was 100x more interesting than Milktoast Blane AND that Andie and Blane were definitely absent of ANY chemistry. I do DISAGREE with your assessment of Andie. She’s not a bully…she’s just honest and doesn’t take BS or let others condescend to her (Plus, other than her Granny outfit, which I agree was bad, she had great vintage style!). As a teen in a similar situation I often wished I could have had her boldness and self confidence! Also, you seem to be Steff apologists. She may have been rude to him at the beginning of the movie…but she’s known this guy for FOUR years, and it seems apparent from his own admission that he’s a player who probably sees Andie as one conquest he hasn’t been able to nail down (literally). Even if he has feelings for her (which I do believe he does) he can’t get over his arrogance and snobbery to act like a decent person and this is what she’s reacting to. Not to mention, all the friends in his clique treat her like trash (she says so to the Principal). If you’ve never been in the situation where the rich and popular kids of the school look down on you…consider yourself lucky! Also, you assume that she should go to a party with people she knows dislike her and find her an oddity and just get drunk. And also that she definitely had sex with Blane. There are actually kids in high school who want to succeed, get into a good college and get out of there lower class situation. I felt like this was Andie, as she’s an A student, and I doubt she wanted to loosen up with a beer or lose her V-card to “Lame” … then again, now these are MY assumptions. I agree with your ending that she very well COULD have met a less douchey Steff in the future and that the Duckman scored big with Buffy. BUT, to me this was a great 80s movie …but not for the Andie/Blane romance. But for it’s story of friendship between Duckie and Andie, and that a true friend will stand by you no matter what. I’m glad it had that cliche ending, if only to show how loyal Duckie was and to show that if you truly love someone, you’ll let them go. In my fan-fic ending, Andie breaks up with B’lame” just weeks after Prom after realizing what a spineless weakling he is. But her and the Duckman remain lifelong pals and have summer vacations and family picnics together with their separate significant others.

[@amethyst1267]

i love this comment, you totally get it

[@PaulPlisiewicz]

I didn't do the math, but you hit it on the head: 80% misguided feels about right. You inspired me to weigh in!

[@kandymahernand]

Kinda like Broadcast News- Holly Hunter and Albert Brooks who had a crush on her are friends years in the future and « flat » William Hurt is not even remembered much by Holly

[@kandymahernand]

I agree. I figure these ladies are not « my people « and have a different view . Thank you for your comments

[@sarasunshinemt4444]

32:02 Yup, I think you nailed it. Andi shouldn't have been upset about Steff's behavior if she didn't find it "insulting" the he wasn't "waiting" for her.

[@MsEdgely]

I agree with that theory too, it could also add to why she was glaring at him when she passed him in the car park.

[@mylesmarkson1686]

@@MsEdgely She glared at him because Creepy McCreeperson was stalking her (his favorite pastime for the past 4 years). Anyone would have glared at that.

[@kimmy7643]

I loved all of Duckie’s outfits.

[@LadyGreyBlack]

So did I-I loved Duckie as much as I loved Rik Mayall's Rick the People's Poet from "The Young Ones".

[@chloejanelle9412]

Girl 1: STEFF IS THE MOST INTERESTING Girl 2: I LIKE DUCKIE Both: NOBODY LIKES BLANE Me: i like blane☹️

[@mylesmarkson1686]

I'm not that big of a Blane-fan either, but where's all this love for Steff coming from? Could they have made a more-repulsive character? Every word out of his mouth is as bottom-of-the-barrel as you can get. I've always wondered who the types are that fall in love with the serial-killers in prison, and now I'm starting to get an idea.

[@kandymahernand]

Depends on their backgrounds. Most of my friends are team Duckie and think Steff is a great villain. I’ve never heard the point of view these ladies have. It’s interesting as I just saw the movie again recently. Now I want to ré-watch it to see if I get what these ladies say. This movie made me not like Molly Ringwald. Her character was wooden

[@LuluAndMidnight]

What a fantastic channel! I can't believe I missed this for years and I'm amazed Megan came to the same conclusion I did about Steff. I thought I was totally alone in that same conclusion. For some reason, I nurse this pet cause for this character because I feel like a trope staple in an entire genre of teen movie was destroyed with Spader's incredible acting in "Pretty in Pink." He's complex, you see an inner wrestle with emotions he can't control, even if he wanted to. I got some underlying conflict with his parents, some kind of richie world neglect. However, I was a bit more kind to Andie but you're right; despite this being a movie that allegedly touches upon class snobbery, she's the biggest snob of them all, yet she doesn't see it. She nastily dumps on Steff, despite his obviously not being ashamed to be seen with her and he's not predatory in his interactions with her, his body language is playful but subtle. Like you both mentioned so skillfully, if he's been pursuing her for so long, that she's now exhausted and irritated by it, there's no way the whole school didn't know about that teen drama, let alone his best friend having any excuse for not knowing of it. Even if Steff covered the deeper nature of his fixation for years by telling his friend he was just craving "trash", wouldn't Blane assume his suddenly pursuing Andie would be seen as a competition for that conquest? If he was so concerned for keeping his friendship that he wouldn't risk continuing to see Andie to save it, wouldn't he have thought of that ahead of time, finally asking his best friend in private to fess-up to his true feelings about her? And as Steff's best friend, he should have sensed that the out-of-character behavior of normally blase Steff, his hissing response to Blane's subtle hint that he wanted to pursue Andie (mentioned while they were alone in the study and no one else was around to judge either of them for their interest, no less!) should have sent the signal that this girl was more than just a notch on the bedpost to him. Blane is his best friend, after all, and Steff seemed patient and generous with him in every, other scene. Steff also pursued Andie out in the open, no shame over it, in front of everyone, so the "low grade a**" comment should have been the red flag that made Steff's protest seem unbelievable to Blane; Steff had no qualms about pursuing the same and in front of everyone so why would he care if Blane did? Even if it was about humiliation, why wouldn't he agree with him that it would be a jerk thing for him to do to his best friend and he'd understand why Steff would be embarrassed if Blane got the lay over Steff? Yet Blane has the audacity to lecture Steff on his character, at the end of the film. Blane comes across as a terrible friend in this movie, despite it seeming like Steff opens his home and life up to him at the drop of a hat and that they're quite close. This is the moment where the "Steff is the villian" direction completely falls apart and it also happens at the very moment we're supposed to believe he is at his most villainous. Blane should have had enough empathy to see that if Steff cared this much about his not seeing Andie, obviously, his friend had pretty strong feelings for her. And unless he'd been wearing headphones for four years straight, he'd HAD to have heard at least the RUMORS at that point that Steff carrying a torch for her, defying even the mocking of his class peers (allegedly) to do so. Even if Blane had been oblivious to a goofy level, at that point, he should have figured-out that they were true. And he should have shown compassion for his best friend and not contempt, been delicate about the whole thing, even if he was madly infatuated enough with Andie to pursue her, anyway. In the end, Blane "gets the girl" that Steff has been head over heels over for years and all Blane can say to Steff is a self-grandiose run down of why HE thinks Steff wasn't worthy of being chosen over him -- and within earshot of their entire class. Ouch. Great "best friend." No one explains how Steff is such a bad guy and we're given nothing to go on except that he's rich and he's a teenage boy, willing to have casual sex with a female friend who will give it to him without strings attached. Even then, it's like Benny is a concerned friend who is just helping him pacify himself while dealing with something obviously troubling him. They don't even seem like an official item in his room but like world-weary friends who bond over similar family and class problems. So, I had the same takeaway: Andie's best fashion strategy seemed to be the selling her own hype. Maybe she would be a fashion queen, afterall. Duckie is utterly lovable. Blane might be a psychopath. And James Spader is an utterly brilliant actor. Wish I'd found this site, sooner!

[@unropednope4644]

Awesome take. Steff literally shakes his head no during the locker breakup when andie implies that Blaines friends wouldn't be accepting of her.

[@holiday197]

One other reason why I did not like that Andie and Blane ended up together at the movie’s end is because this may have been a factor in why Oil and Vinegar never got made. If they had gone with the original ending where Andie and Duckie end up together then John Hughes would have not needed to write and do Some Kind Of Wonderful (although SKOW is a great movie and is better than Pretty In Pink in my view). Around the same time that SKOW was being made, John Hughes wrote a script for another potential movie called Oil and Vinegar. It was supposedly about a young man (Matthew Broderick) driving in his car during the night on the way to his wedding. He ends up spotting and picking up a Rock’n Roll Hitchhiker (Molly Ringwald) and the two discuss their lives and their fears for entering into adulthood. The two then stop at a motel later during the night and seemingly continue to talk. I imagine that Molly would have been more of a spontaneous, rebel character with an attitude and Matthew would have played a straight-laced, conservative guy who played finely within the rules. Those who have read the script say that it beared the most familiarity to The Breakfast Club and was the best script that Hughes ever wrote. It seems like it would have been a tantalising film with interesting discussions about two polar opposite views about life. It probably would have taken a more sombre mood than Hughes’s other films and probably would have been a moodier film. I think Molly would have had it in her to play her role in that movie very well and Matthew would have suited his role to a tee. John Hughes wanted to direct Oil and Vinegar but eventually passed the torch onto the director (Howard Deutch) of Some Kind Of Wonderful. However, Deutch passed on Oil and Vinegar (after SKOW) because he was exhausted from working and did not want to overwork himself. If SKOW was never made because the original ending was kept for Pretty In Pink then Deutch probably would have directed Oil and Vinegar. It would have been released around the same time that SKOW was released (early 1987) or if not then mid 1987. So the movie could have been made if SKOW was never made because there would have been space in Deutch’s and Hughes’s production schedules. I think Oil and Vinegar could have potentially been a classic movie if it had been made and I will always wonder what could have been. Apologies for the very detailed post.

[@truffleflowers]

“She has a horrible fashion sense.” Andie’s fashion is not mainstream. That’s the point. She’s unique and owns what she wears. She’s not sporting the “hot” styles you could easily pick up at malls.

[@mylesmarkson1686]

Yeah, nobody seems to get that. They just want to hate on Andie so bad that her peculiar fashion-sense is one more thing to attack.

[@itsreelydalin]

I tend to think Andie has great style - aside from the AWFUL dress and the weird granny hat and glasses combo. Guess you ladies would think I'm not too fashionable :P

[@kandymahernand]

I agree. The hat though was bad. I liked her date dress and have eventually come to like her prom dress because it was different from a « normal « prom dress.

[@PaulPlisiewicz]

I didn't do the math, but @lenoraGrayce a couple years ago hits it on the head: 80% misguided reading of this movie feels about right. That being said, I enjoyed this and think these two ladies are great and lots of fun. But, with nearly every scene they discuss, they gloss over or simply omit a detail or bit of dialogue that dispels their reading of the scene. They are right about Spader (Full disclosure: I'm a huge Spader fan!); he always steals the show and somehow offers the critical perspective (not necessarily the moral center, but pointing us in that direction) in everything he's in. Consider how his drug-dealing, prostitute-running Rip in Less than Zero boils that film down in one line: "Everyone is accountable." That applies here as well. They're all a little bit wrong about who they are and what life is really like and how to get along with others. As the principal says, “If you’re going to send out signals that you’re different, people are going to treat you that way.” They only know their own worlds; that's why the date takes us to Steff's party and the underground club. They could have gone to Chez Qui for dinner, but then they would have run into Ferris and his friends and it would have been a different movie. It's not a perfect film, but most of what they identify as "a problem" with PIP actually makes it above average. Steff is a bit too dynamic to be just the high school jerk; Blane is too weak to know himself and be the obvious choice to get the girl; Andie's too opinionated (evidence of both her strength and her vulnerability) for her own good, which makes her less endearing than the stock "girl who everyone ought to notice and like"; Duckie is naive enough to think he's in romantic love with her, but is probably more a brother than friend even, which he starts to figure out by the end (Kristy Swanson helps, to be sure); etc. I’m assuming Andie’s dad did have a full-time job at some point before his wife walked out on him and their daughter, throwing him into a depression. That’s where the (modest) house came from. And, no, they’re not living on the streets without a shred of clothing, but high schoolers tend to be jealous of those from affluent neighborhoods and they feel a bit ashamed of their own. Public school districts, even the suburban ones, can encompass an array of different socio-economic classes and the kids know this. It's a contributing factor for cliques. I do wonder, though, why Steff, Blane and others are not at private school? Maybe they aren't all that they think they are either? Our Two Nutty Professors seem to want the stock characters and cliches, and this informs most of the commentary. They want Steff to really "like" Andie, when she is obviously a conquest that has eluded him (there's something about her that he doesn't have; so, he "likes" her in that regard). Of course he's never said to Blane, "Hey, Buddy, I have real feelings for that weird Andie girl," because he doesn’t have real feelings for her. They even get the "terrible" line wrong (I think), and the error betrays their bias. I believe Blane says, "I always believed in you; I just didn't believe in me", not "you didn't believe in me", which would be completely unwarranted. He's realizing and coming to terms with his weaknesses. Say what we want about Andie (and/or Ringwald’s portrayal), but she does believe in herself. That may be what catches Steff’s eye and what we see in the look he throws her just before the confrontation scene. But again, I thoroughly enjoyed these two and wish they had more stuff I could agree or disagree with.

[@laminage]

Steff was a Grade A Bully, and Blane was a Puppet. As for Molly Ringwald she's a very godo actress but keep in mind she didn't have the problems that fellow Brat Packers had. The Poor Kids have to be tough because they are bullied over and over whether it's in History Class, Blane not standing up for her, Steff treating her like trash, and as for her Fashion Sense, not all of them were born with a Silver Spoon in their mouth. If you're not born with Bank, A Visible Minority it's easy to be picked on but you have to stand up for herself. How would you feel if a bunch of Fly Girls picked on you, would you take it.

[@LaineyBug2020]

I always thought Blain knew Steff liked Andy because of how he tried to retreat when they came into the bedroom in the party scene!

[@LaineyBug2020]

I always hate watched this hoping against hope that this time she would pick Steff... I think it's time for a reboot. Maybe with Austin Butler as Steff. I think he could pull off Prime James Spader...It's time for Steff & Andy to have their time!

[@novembermiss]

Not sure if either of you will see this comment, but just wanted to let you know this analysis was spot on, very funny, and I really enjoyed the way you two delved into the movie without, as you mentioned, 80s nostalgia goggles. I too am in the Steff with Andie camp--at the very least, those two could have had some spectacular hate sex during the winter or summer break after their first year in college. And yes, Andie was not portrayed as the most sympathetic of characters.

[@MrCabo-hz3xf]

So i watched this movie for the first time about a week ago and wanted to see if people thought similarly as i did when it came to some of the aspects of the movie and in the first 7mins i knew i picked the right vid... i didn't feel it accurately portrayed why the "richies" were so bad... i know they usually are the antagonists in movies, but they didn't establish why they were necessarily "bad" people when we really only meet like 3 of them outside the party and i had to remember that they are kids and that's why stuff was hitting so hard for them with what people thought of the things they did cause them going to bars threw me off to that they were still so young. Also for a "poor" girl they had a rather nice place and how much had her father saved up if he had been unemployed for however long he was supposedly without a job... its possible blaine didn't know about steff having a crush on Andi, you can tell by how he tells blaine that she doesn't really fit in with them and is ruining the friendship... those are probably the things he told himself would happen if he confessed or decided to date her so he kept it all a secrect from everyone else

[@catgirl6377]

I grew up in the 80's and watched this movie in the theatre when I was 14 years old. This is my favorite movie and I've seen it so many times. I never felt that Andy was supposed to be very poor she lives in a working class neighborhood and attends a snobby rich high school. As evidenced by her conversation with the principal was she says I'm getting a better education than I deserve and I'm grateful to the good people in the community who allow me to attend this school. I agree that some of her fashion makes her look like a grandma bag lady but this was actually supposed to be an artsy look then and she was supposed to be kind of stylish. I also didn't think the red hair was great with pink clothes. I think her comment to stef "that she has some taste" although rude sets up what she's knows about him after 4 years. Throughout the movie it shows he's slime. He has some kind of conflict with parents and trashes their house. Just sleeps with girls in the class, telling Benny you really are trash. He rolls joints while talking to Blane and brings a flask of alcohol to high school prom. He's a spoil rich kid with indications that he already is or will become an alcoholic/addict. Andy does come off as defensive but this may be how she's feeling with these snobby classmates after 4 years. The example the PE scene where her friend makes an obnoxious comment to the popular girl. The teacher asks if she shares her friends opinion and she says no until the girl tells her to eat shit and Andy raises her hand to agree. The movie is supposed to indicate that Andy is fashionable and able design her own clothes and has a bright future maybe in fashion. Yes, I think the dress is unusual. As for Andy ending up with Blane it was an audience of 80's teenage girls who decided Andy should end up with the cute guy not the geek. Many girls I knew thought Andrew McCarthy was cute.

[@mylesmarkson1686]

You nailed it CatGirl. I'm really amazed at how many people come on these message-boards and try to defend Steff when he was clearly slime from start to finish. I WISH they'd given that character an ounce of humanity so that we can feel at least a little-bit bad for the guy. But apparently that doesn't matter because many viewers refuse to see any bad in him at all. What in the world??? I'm all for taking whatever you want from movies and seeing them how you want to see them, but come on--That character is pure trash! And your assessment of Andie is spot-on--another character that people get all wrong on these boards. Yeah, she has a chip on her shoulder and can be a little rude at times, but society has made her that way. 1) She doesn't have a mom around. 2) She has to beg her dad to go look for work. 3) Her only friend in school stalks and obsesses over her. 4) She gets ridiculed constantly for not wearing the hip clothes that everybody else is wearing. 5) She's got a rich stuck-up playboy dying to get in her pants and refusing to take "no" for an answer. 6) She finally gets to date her crush only for him to immediately turn on her for no good reason. All of this baggage would put a big chip on anybody's shoulder. She has to fight just to survive. Why is this so hard to see in this simple easy-to-understand teen flick? At least CatGirl has a brain that functions. You have restored my hope in mankind. Thank you CatGirl!

[@kandymahernand]

I was in my 20’s when this came out and totally enamoured with Andrew Mc Carthy and her style which is why I saw the movie. Became enamoured of Duckie after seeing it

[@LaineyBug2020]

I don't think Andy was unlikable because of Molly Ringwald's performance, I think the character was written badly.

[@Stephanie-rg5ln]

cool vid! make me laugh a lot of reminisce the times when this movie was everything to me hahah, you need to make more vids!

[@xx1derqueeniexx]

I agree. I also like to think andie * even though she doesn't deserve him * ends up with steff.

[@sarasunshinemt4444]

I watched this with my 16 yr old daughter recently and she asked why Andi ended up with the gay guy who obviously had a crush on his asshole best friend lol She thought Duckie was annoying and couldn't take a hint with how Andi treated him. She kept waiting for him to grow a backbone. Seriously, she started yelling at the TV! And yes, she asked me what the hell was up with 80's clothes when she saw the awful pink dress.

[@eepyeepers]

my daughter is 15, and felt pretty much the same way!

[@bawoman]

I agree with all you pretty much (and kudos for voicing what is a pretty un pc opinion). I try to cut Andie some slack and chalk it up to her being not only lower class and probably teased her whole life for it but also having a chip on her shoulder because of her mom's abandonment, but yeah, she could have been more sympathetic (the way she responded to Steff is her least biggest problem though, lets talk about how she treats Duckie, her supposed best friend, like an annoying kid brother who she strings along and half the time see*ms annoyed by, how she judges the higher class herself, how clingy she is and how bat shit insane she got after Blane rebuffed her after one and a half dates) Or, they should have addressed her resentment, her defects and made her a more nuanced, realistic character. Except we were obviously meant to think Andie was right in everything, likeable about everything. I think Hughes depended too much on Ringwald, America's sweetheart playing Andie and automatically assumed she would be liked because of her and didn't write for it. Hence, we have mostly unlikeable heroine. As far as Steff, its funny because he is Andie's exact opposite as a character. Despicable on paper yet in performance, for the most part, at the very least charismatic and entertaining, to the point that he is, if not rootable, at least weirdly likeable. I do agree that he really doesn't do anything too terrible in the film to Andie, calls her a bitch because she was a bitch to him, he even tries to de escalate an argument with her and Bennie by leaving the bedroom in the party scene. The only one thing that I would say is pretty despicable is what he says about her to Blaine (piece of low grade ass? yikes), though granted we know it's meant to deter Blaine and scare him off and not something he really means, still it's pretty sociopathic. But he does seem secretly tormented by Andie's rejection and Spader's acting is so great here that it hints at more than just petty jealousy because she's the one thing he cant have. That look they share while in the parking lot says it all) So yeah if this was me and I had these characters I would for sure center it around Steff and Andie, with a few tiny tweeks here and there. Just watching the film now and not even thinking about it, there really seemed to be something pretty strong between them, almost like a past history we never learned about. And they were both complicated assholes with strong personalities and chips on their shoulders....together they could have been straight up FIRE. And wouldn't it be ironic if Andie did get her dream house in the end?*

[@wendeln92]

Really a silly TEEN movie which I saw years ago, BUT - Andie and her father are not supposed to be down and out poor. The Father is still grieving over the fact that his wife left (I think). SO we must assume that there was a normal life before that event - i.e. Husband and wife in normal relationship and they have daughter living in the suburbs of Chicago. For some reason wife is out of the picture, dad falls into a deep depression. If their financial situation was good enough for them to obtain the house, then it is reasonable to think they could still have the house. The father is a good guy, he just needs to get his shit together and start living his life again and help his daughter the rest of the way to adulthood.

[@jodiehardy7220]

Your completely right

[@lochofmceo]

woooooow Duckie is soooo RDJ in the 80's

[@holiday197]

I just rewatched this film today and I agree that Andie is a bland character. She treats Duckie terribly for someone who is supposed to be her best friend from childhood. She didn’t even ring Duckie (or let him know otherwise) to tell him that she was going on a date which I presume would have been her first date ever. Instead she intended to go on the date with Blaine without telling Duckie because she didn’t expect Duckie to turn up at the record store and yet she would have clearly had known that Duckie had feelings for her with the way he threw himself at her. It seems to me that Andie probably didn’t tell Duckie about the date because she knew he would not react favourably but chose to chicken out and not say anything. Or she is self-absorbed and didn’t even consider telling Duckie. I do have my own theory that Andie and Duckie are geniuses (or at least academically gifted) because Andie hints at it herself. She tells the principal when she got in trouble that she is lucky to be going to a good school and be getting a good education. Assuming the school is in an affluent area because the parents of the rich kids like Steff and Blaine would not be sending their kids to a school with a bad academic reputation. So maybe the school recruits kids from nearby areas who get good grades so that it makes their academic stats look better. And I’d say Andie’s friend Jenna may be a good academic student but she could care less about the school’s politics and grading system so she feigns disinterest even though she may be intellectually capable of excelling just like Andie (the principal even hints Andie is doing very well with her subjects and is on the path to a scholarship for a good college). Anyway some really good points that you both raised in the video especially about Steff, Blaine and Andie. You can tell watching the move that Steff was hurt by Andie’s rejection whereas if he had been a total scumbag who only wanted to get laid, he would have moved on and conversed with Andie with less trepidation and a less awkward demeanour. One other theory is that Andie’s dad was a gambler because how else did he suddenly have the money to pay for a pink dress to give to Andie for prom when he still had not found a job? I think he gambled a bit of money and walked away with a decent chunk that he used to pay for the dress and his gambling habit and his drinking problems were big reasons why Andie’s mum left him (although it casts Andie’s mum as a worse mother because she left Andie with a guy who had these habits. Who knows maybe Andie’s mum cheated on her husband because she was fed up with her husband’s behaviour and that’s why she left Andie because she reminded her of her husband and her guilt would have built). The more I think about this film, the more theories I develop. Also I would have liked to have seen Andie choose Duckie at the ending of the film only for Duckie to realise that he deserves better and rejects Andie. At least it would have been a more compelling and less predictable ending.

[@LewyLewy2008]

I really enjoyed your insightful analysis of the film here! I hadn’t thought of most of your points when I saw Pretty in Pink back in the 80s, but hearing you say them they seem so on point. Very fascinating review! The only point that I take issue with is your critique of men not wearing socks! 😆 much can be said of 80s men’s fashion, but Don Johnson not showing socks with loafers has actually stuck (and men have been wearing “no-show socks“ that are cut low so foot odor is not an issue!!) 😅

[@heartsbooklover1699]

Blane actually means bland steff is my favorite

[@jayeyesacks1604]

One of the more salient things mentioned here was Hughes' background. Having lived in Chicago my entire life, I've always thought his perception of "urban" teens was myopic, which is probably a result of his not having lived in the city himself. His cool edgy teen characters were the stuff of a suburban kid's fantasies. With respect to Steff, his character is every bit as authentic as Andie and Duckie, while Blaine is a very middle of the road character with no clear sense of himself whose vulnerability is repellent. His cowering paleness throughout most of the film stands in sharp contrast to every other character in this film, but bookends with Andie's father's frailty, which is perhaps a point of attraction for her initially, but like her father, becomes a source of pain and frustration, at least temporarily. I just watched Pretty in Pink today, and then found a recent interview with Andrew McCarthy on YT, in which he mentioned that the original ending brought Andie and Duckie together as a couple, but that this didn't "test well" with sample audiences. To my mind, this ending would've supported Hughes' class based thesis in the film-- the notion that people tend to stay with their own kind. Of course, Andie and Duckie being a couple would've mirrored reality a bit too closely, and most viewers prefer escapism to discomforting truth. I wonder how many films have been ruined by this inane process of audience surveying. On a side note, the actor John Kapelos lived in an apartment above a friend of mine's family when we were in high school in the mid 80s. Occasionally, John would chat with us when he found us sitting in the hallway, and he wasn't altogether different from his character Carl in the Breakfast Club. The sweet surreality of youth......

[@josie_the_valkyrie]

Totally agree with all of this!

[@amethyst1267]

Okay, I have always liked Steff but let's be real, he was a jerk. Andie Knew Steff was a player and how many times did he call her trash and say horrible things about her. I would love to see how it would have been if she did choose Steff because she could have helped him become a better person and you could tell he's in love with her, he was way too hurt about Blaine being with her. Also, I liked her clothes but to each is own. P.S. if someone was really pushy towards you and you've said no multiple times and you don't feel that way about that guy, I mean how would you feel? see what I mean?

[@malindaegdorf8861]

Um what movie did you watch? Clearly other than the " Blain may have known Steff was after Andie" theory, you were both WAY off!

[@mylesmarkson1686]

Yeah, it's definitely one of those "Let's flip the plot completely upside down and see how much attention we can get" click-bait types of videos. They can't be for real. Just look at the title... "Steff isn't the bad guy"? So I watched the whole thing waiting to hear even one redeeming quality from this obvious scum-bag, and they never provided a single one.

[@kandymahernand]

I feel like these ladies were like the popular girls in the movie and are seeing the movie with those eyes. I myself am more of an Andi, was poor , smart though not rude. This is first I heard of this point of view and makes me want to see the movie again ( like I don’t watch it several times a year already)

[@aoden3692]

I love your analyses. But I have to say, I watched it again and Steph is a jerk. Sure he asked Andie out, but it was the way he did it. Her response was warranted.

[@amethyst1267]

right?

[@bawoman]

I feel the "I have some taste" thing was extra bitchy and uncalled for....especially when he JUST told her he liked her 4 years....he deserved to be rebuffed and ignored, but that was unnecessary bitchy imo

[@mylesmarkson1686]

I wonder how much these ladies would like it if I called them "bitches"?

[@HauntedandStunning]

Do u guys have a podcast??

[@megankolsen7245]

I wish we did, but I moved last year, so we're unable to do anything else together. We had fun making this video though. :)

[@shankaroonx9642]

MeganKOlsen Can you start film reviews on your own because I like your ideas

[@sgtjoe2008]

a successful film in the 80's, and still talked about decades later, you have those team duckie, team blake, team steff discussions. if you just seen it in the past few years, with your modern day sensibilities then the characters, outfits, storytelling... would look wrong. not fair to the gen x people who were young in the 80's who saw it in a different light and loved it.

[@MsEdgely]

Blaine should never have been the love interest. The writer really screwed that up.

[@LadyGreyBlack]

I'm starting to think I was an Andi in high school-too uptight and independent for my own good.

[@mylesmarkson1686]

I knew A LOT of Andies in high school.

[@j.rising7286]

Jon Cryer came off as gay in the film. No shade. But he wasn’t the kind of guy a girl would see in a sexual way. IJS🤷🏾‍♀️ They should have cast Downey, Jr.

[@mylesmarkson1686]

He did seem to enjoy himself a bit too much when he jumped Steff.

[@harrycallahan692]

Terrific analysis of a classic movie.

[@suyeon7036]

Are you guys planning to post any time soon?

[@megankolsen7245]

Unfortunately, I moved last year, and we're no longer able to get together to do any more videos. Our channel was really short-lived, but it was fun while it lasted. :)

[@JozelleWhitmire-u2v]

Duckie was written for Anthony Michael Hall, not Robert Downey Jr. Hall turned down the role.

[@debbiemcnamara7059]

I only like James Spaders character. I agree! I hate her character.

[@mylesmarkson1686]

Who? Benny? Yeah, I didn't like her much either. That would've been cool had they shriveled up and fell off!

[@stunningrichardson8351]

Why the dudes have girl names and the girls have dude names

[@mylesmarkson1686]

I once had a class with a "Corby", but I had no idea who that was, so I said "Who's Corby?" (thinking it had to be a dude). SHE turned out to be the hottest chick in the class!

[@peterriehl603]

Good review of the movie, definitely probably my favorite 80s movie although I never admit it to anyone. I think you wayyyyy over-thought the storyline though. It wasn't meant to be that complicated but I guess after 35+ years it makes the movie worth watching. Andie was jaded and was just trying to make a life for yourself in a busy high school divided by a ridiculous class structure. Steph was absolutely not a nice guy, I agree he probably did like Andie but he conducted himself as a prick, no guy ever puts conditions on a friendship with another guy over dating a certain girl. Blane was a decent guy who meant well and was tolerant, he has a couple of moments that were not so nice but he redeemed himself in the end. Duckie was the classic friend-zoned guy who really liked the girl but would never end up with her, it happens, deal with it and move on. Great movie though!

[@debbiemcnamara7059]

Ducky is weird. So is Annie.

[@tricorntom2254]

Ladies.... LADIES! You're expecting fillet mignon from a bag of Cheetos? You are expecting depth, and growth in the characters???? Pretty in Pink is THE quintessential "Brat Pack" movie. Shallow, bratty Eighties actors playing shallow bratty characters in an ultra-bratty materialistic decade.... The big house that Andi longs for turns out to be Steph's house where she is later abused at Steph's party. At the club, Andi asks her other guy friend what he would do if his dad came home a rich man, and the guy says "kiss his ass" and Andi immediately approves of it. The bratty actress Molly Ringwald (along with the film's producer) rejected the original ending where Andi dumps Blane and winds up with Duckie. Which I believe is more true to her character. Besides being a gold-digger, Andi had long ago imprisoned Duckie in the "Friend Zone" and no way he was going to break out of it. Interesting that actor Andrew McCarthy had shot the original ending and had moved onto another film where he played a POW, so in the final Hollywood ending of Pretty in PInk, he's suddenly bone thin and wearing a cheap wig. Too Funny! Anyway, the last thing anyone should do with a John Hughes film is take it seriously.... That bag of Cheetos is never going to turn into steak!

[@mylesmarkson1686]

My favorite is how they claim that James Spader gave his Steff-character all of this depth and nuance, and then they don't provide any examples of that. I love James Spader, but this script didn't give him anything to work with. It's a one-dimensional a-hole role, and yeah, he played it well, but it's definitely not a challenging role for someone of his caliber.

[@davidhaight5147]

Are you two serious, you’re talking about bad fashion and you’re wearing a Def Leppard shirt, and blue streaks in your hair