I Used to Like This Film...

Have you ever revisited a film that from your youth and shudder at the thought that one time you LOVED this movie? I’m not talking about cartoons or the like, but films that when you watch them today, you think, “Really? I liked this??”

The other night I was channel-chasing and landed on “Pretty in Pink,” the 1986 John Hughes hit about teen angst in suburban Chicago (as was the topic of all of his films). I remember watching this story of the pretty, artistic girl from the wrong side of the tracks, Andie, falling for cute, richie Blaine, and all of the peer pressure ugliness they faced. As teenagers, didn’t we all see them as star-crossed lovers? I still like“Duckie," and that was probably the height of James Spader’s attractiveness. It’s hard to believe he’s now Robert California on “The Office.”

Anyhoo, back to the movie. Fast forward 26 years (yes, that’s right) to 2012. I’m now watching this as a 38-year old mom and I happen to catch the scene where she shows up at the prom alone, but Duckie appears and escorts her inside. There’s Blaine, sitting alone in his dinner jacket, and suddenly he sees her. He walks over and tells her that he always believed in her, she just didn’t believe in him. Then he says he’ll always love her.

Okay, what the hell? What do you mean you always believed in her? Dude, the minute your rich friends started to dis you for hanging out with the poor, indie girl, you stopped calling her, wouldn’t return her calls and backed out of prom. Yeah, you always believed in her.

In a few years, I may watch this with my daughter. And, what am I going to say?

“You see that girl, Andie? She’s really smart and talented, yet comes from a poor family, so to help make ends meet, she works part-time in a record store.”

To which my daughter will ask, “What's a record store?”

After I explain that, I’ll continue my lecture thoughts on Andie. “You see that guy with a weak chin and no upper lip? That’s rich guy, Blaine, who has a super-creepy friend, Steff. Should Andie spend day and night obsessing over Blaine and letting his friends make her feel like trash? Hell-to-the-no. Andie, study hard, get that scholarship to art school and get the heck out of Chicago.”

To which my daughter will respond, "You are so right, Mom. I will always do as you say and never question you or your authority!"

Of course, I’ll always love Hughes’ “The Breakfast Club,” and perhaps "Sixteen Candles" for it's absolute silliness...

...and because of Jake Ryan. Sigh.

So, I guess I’ve not matured as much as I thought I had.

Do you feel this way about any films from your youth?
Images from IMBD