Some kind of Wonderful (1987) (1 Viewer)

[The Drifter]

A while back I re-watched Some Kind of Wonderful on the DVD. Excellent & underrated film; my appreciation for the movie increases with each subsequent viewing. Would definitely like to see this on Blu.

This film is unfortunately & unfairly compared to PIP. Though the storyline is similar (with a gender change, i.e. Molly Ringwald's character is similar to the Eric Stoltz character in SKOW) I still feel SKOW film stands on it's own & is completely different in structure, characters, etc.

The scenes with Keith's father hassling him to look into colleges (since he was getting close to graduation) really hit home. I was a teen in late high school when this film came out, and I also didn't want to go to college - though my family wanted me to. I did eventually go, and now that I'm much older do appreciate the emphasis on education - it is important. So, I really felt this aspect of the film was very realistic.

The unspoken feelings that Watts had for Keith were very well-handled in the film. The sexual tension was very obvious, especially the kiss they shared in the garage - or when they were both lying on the bed in her room. It was obvious what was going on here, even though a lot was left unsaid. This is another poignant & realistic element in the film - i.e., they were friends that grew up together & Keith didn't think of her "in that way" due to the friendship.

The infamous Amanda Jones character (Lea Thompson) was also more than just a cookie-cutter pretty girl that the working-class Keith fell for. She really showed a lot of integrity & class when she wouldn't take the earrings Keith had spent a fortune on - and more importantly, when she convinced Keith to go after Watts at the very end. I.e., it took AJ to make it clear to Keith how Watts really felt about him.

And, of course, any film John Hughes is involved in always has a great soundtrack. Really enjoy all of the songs in the film, especially "I Go Crazy" by Flesh for Lulu; "Turn to the Sky" by The March Violets; and the great Elvis Presley cover of "Can't Help Falling in Love" by Lick the Tins - that played over the end credits.

 

[JQuintana]

I saw this in the theaters and I recall thinking it was a bit of a letdown compared to other John Hughes movies. But I did really dig the soundtrack..."I go crazy" was a fav of mine. I'd consider re-watching it to see if I feel differently after all these years.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I'm a big fan of this movie as I prefer it to "Pretty in Pink". We definitely need to have this on Blu-ray. Luckily for me, iTunes was running a sale and I was able to buy the HD Digital stream for a discounted price. The line that Watts says to Amanda Jones is classic. "Break his heart, I'll break your face"

 

[Bryan^H]

Pretty in Pink, and Some Kind of Wonderful being Paramount, chances are we will never see a BD, unless they loan them out to a boutique label. Two of my favorites from John Hughes (better than his Universal films)

At least we have the amazing DVD's from years ago for both with tons of juicy behind the scenes details from the stars spilling their secrets. Molly Ringwald in PIP, and Leah Thompson in SKOW.

 

[JQuintana]

Pretty in Pink is on Netflix now in HD for those who want to catch it.

 

[MarkMel]

One of my favorites. I dig chick drummers and had huge crush on Mary Stuart Masterson.

 

[Robert Crawford]

One of my favorites. I dig chick drummers and had huge crush on Mary Stuart Masterson.

I wish she became a bigger star as I always thought she gave good acting performances in all of her roles.

 

[Walter Kittel]

Yeah, I've always enjoyed this film since first seeing it theatrically. Mary Stuart Masterson had so much life and energy in this film, that I was surprised that she didn't become a bigger star. (Who knows, personal preferences, her representation? It could be for any of a variety of reasons.)

I remember Siskel and Ebert reviewing this, and the take away was that Watts (MSM) was such an engaging character, that there was no mystery who Keith (Eric Stoltz) would end up with by the conclusion of the feature. The dialog between those two characters was probably the strongest in the film.

Keith: "You can't judge a book by its cover."
Watts: "Yeah, but you can tell how much its gonna cost."

I probably prefer Some Kind of Wonderful just a little bit over Pretty In Pink. I do like PiP. Both features have great soundtracks (and one of my favorite moments in PiP is when Jon Cryer's character lip syncs Try a Little Tenderness by Otis Redding in the record store. I'm smiling as I type this.) One of the sort of weird things about PiP is that it kind of feels like it could take place in England due to the fashion, and some of the language and accents.

Wouldn't mind having both films on Bd, but I'm not holding my breath.

- Walter.

 

[The Drifter]

Thanks for all the responses to SKOW, everyone. It's interesting that this dedicated thread is getting more responses to my related PIP thread (which I also started yesterday); i.e., I don't know how you can talk about one film without at least mentioning the other - since, they've been unfairly compared over the years (and I'm even comparing them now - LOL).

IMHO PIP has gotten so much attention since it's release that not much more can be said about this. However, SKOW - being extremely underrated - is not discussed as much. I remember when SKOW came out in '87, and it unfortunately didn't make much of a splash at all. As a teen at the time, for whatever reason I wasn't a big John Hughes fan (I only saw FBDA & The Breakfast Club in the '80's, on VHS tape). So, I didn't see PIP or SKOW until the 200X's - after I got my first DVD player.

What's interesting about SKOW is that throughout the film, I definitely did feel there was chemistry between Keith & Watts, even though Keith didn't want to admit it to himself - initially. Yes, I may be biased because I'm into the whole sexy tomboy look, but I suspect most people (yes, both men & women) would agree that Watts was definitely attractive in the film, both re: her looks & personality. I definitely found Watts much more attractive & down to earth than Amanda Jones - even though Lea Thompson's Jones character was much more traditionally "feminine".

Overall, I do think SKOW is a better film - but, I'm also a huge fan of PIP.

Here's a link to "I Go Crazy" by Flesh for Lulu:

 

[albert_m2]

I never understood why this hasn't made it to blu yet, given the wide availability of the other films. I get that, it's not quite on the same tier as Pretty or 16 Candles, but still...

 

[Bryan^H]

I never understood why this hasn't made it to blu yet, given the wide availability of the other films. I get that, it's not quite on the same tier as Pretty or 16 Candles, but still...

Easy. It is Paramount. They care nothing of catalog titles on Blu-Ray anymore. Only the most popular of popular titles get released. Top Gun, Forrest Gump no problem. Everything else-nope.