January 29, 1986 (Mann's Chinese Theatre)
February 28, 1986 (United States)
Pretty in Pink is a 1986 American teenromantic comedy-drama film about love and social cliques in American high schools in the 1980s. The film stars Molly Ringwald and Harry Dean Stanton alongside Jon Cryer, Annie Potts, James Spader, and Andrew McCarthy. A cult classic, 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, who also served as co-executive producer. The film was named after a song by the Psychedelic Furs, and the film's soundtrack, which has been acclaimed as "among the most brilliant in modern cinema", features a re-recorded version of the song. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark's "If You Leave" became an international hit and charted at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100 in May 1986.
Pretty in Pink premiered at 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.
Storyline
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 "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.