On Feb. 28, 1986, the film Pretty In Pink was released in theaters across the U.S. The romantic-comedy-drama starred Molly Ringwald, Andrew McCarthy, Jon Cryer and James Spader.
The story centers around Andie Walsh (played by Ringwald, who was best known for starring in Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club), a high school senior, who lives on the wrong side of the tracks. She falls for Blane McDonough (portrayed by Andrew McCarthy from Mannequin and St. Elmo’s Fire fame), a rich kid from the right side of the tracks. Andie’s good friend Phil ‘Duckie’ Dale (played by Jon Cryer from TV’s Two And A Half Men) has a one-sided crush on Andie and plays it off as a joke in front of her. The relationship between Andie and Blane is a difficult one because both are getting harassed by Blane’s rich circle of friends, including his best friend Steff McKee (played by James Spader from the films Mannequin and Less Than Zero), who has taken an interest in Andie, who thinks Steff is repulsive.
Pretty In Pink has a great soundtrack. The Psychedelic Furs sang the film’s title song, “Pretty In Pink,” followed by Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark’s (OMD) “If You Leave,” Nik Kershaw’s “Wouldn’t It Be Good,” New Order’s “Shellshock” and many more.
The film was directed by Howard Deutch and was written by John Hughes, whose notable credits include Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Uncle Buck and Home Alone.