History Trivia / PrettyInPink

* WordOfGay: Creator/MollyRingwald told ''Time Out'' in 2009 that Duckie was gay:
-->Duckie doesn't know he's gay. I think he loves Andie in the way that [my gay best friend] always loved me. That ending fell so flat - it bombed at all the screenings. I didn't realize it then - I just knew that my character shouldn't end up with him, because we didn't have that sort of chemistry. If John was here now, and I could talk to him, I think that he would completely acknowledge that.

* PlayingGertrude: Somewhat. Creator/AnniePotts was 33 when she made this movie, yet the way her character goes on about how "old" she is and the fact that she’s a ParentalSubstitute towards the 18 year old Andy, you would be forgiven for thinking her character is much older. In one scene she even passes herself off as Ducky's mother! Ducky being played by a 20 year old Jon Cryer, so yeah…

** Creator/AnthonyMichaelHall and Creator/RobertDowneyJr were considered for Duckie before Creator/JonCryer was cast. Hall turned down the offer due to his fears of being [[{{Typecasting}} typecast]] as the geeky best friend.

*** Creator/JenniferBeals, Creator/DianeLane, Creator/SarahJessicaParker and Creator/BrookeShields were also considered for the role of Andie before the casting of Ringwald.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: Even by 1980s teen dramedy standards, this is pretty damn 80s. So much that if people showed up dressed like these people in a movie today, the audience would assume the characters were satirizing the 80s. There's also a lot of Duckie's dialogue (such as him saying "bogus" unironically).

*** Creator/JenniferBeals, Creator/DianeLane, Creator/SarahJessicaParker, Creator/BrookeShields were also considered for the role of Andie before the casting of Ringwald.

*** Creator/DianeLane, Creator/SarahJessicaParker, Creator/BrookeShields were also considered for the role of Andie before the casting of Ringwald.

** "Shellshock" by Music/NewOrder was a considerable success even without the connection to ''Pretty in Pink'', in part because it was treated as a standard non-album single by the band rather than tying it specifically to the film (though the fact that it appears on the film's soundtrack album means that it isn't regarded as a ''true'' non-album release). Hell, the single's UK packaging provides zero indication that it was written for the ''Pretty In Pink'' soundtrack, likewise with ''[[Music/SubstanceNewOrderAlbum Substance]]'' and other compilations that include the song.

** "Shellshock" by Music/NewOrder was a considerable success even without the connection to ''Pretty in Pink'', in part because it was treated as a standard non-album single by the band rather than tying it specifically to the film. Hell, the single's UK packaging provides zero indication that it was written for the ''Pretty In Pink'' soundtrack, likewise with ''[[Music/SubstanceNewOrderAlbum Substance]]'' and other compilations that include the song.

* ThoseTwoActors: Creator/JamesSpader and Creator/AndrewMcCarthy would work together the following year in ''Film/LessThanZero'' and ''Film/{{Mannequin}}''.

* DawsonCasting: Averted. Creator/MollyRingwald was seventeen, and turned eighteen when the film was released. Jon Cryer however was twenty, Creator/JamesSpader twenty-five, Kate Vernon twenty-four, Andrew [=McCarthy=] and Alexa Kenin twenty-three. Creator/KristySwanson however was a teenager.

*** Creator/SarahJessicaParker, Creator/BrookeShields, Creator/DianeLane, [[Film/PaperMoon Tatum O'Neal]], [[Series/FullHouse Lori Loughlin]], and [[Film/{{Flashdance}} Jennifer Beals]] were also considered for the role of Andie before the casting of Ringwald.
** Creator/CharlieSheen auditioned for the part of Blaine before the casting of [[Film/StElmosFire Andrew McCarthy]].
** Creator/AnthonyMichaelHall and Creator/RobertDowneyJr were considered for Duckie before Creator/JonCryer was cast. Hall turned down the offer due to his fears of being [[Main/TypeCasting typecast]] as the geeky best friend.

* ThoseTwoActors: Creator/JamesSpader and AndrewMcCarthy would work together the following year in ''Film/LessThanZero'' and ''Film/{{Mannequin}}''.

** Creator/JodieFoster was the first choice for the part of Andie before Creator/MollyRingwald was cast, but turned it down due to scheduling conflicts. Creator/SarahJessicaParker, Creator/BrookeShields and Creator/DianeLane were also considered for the role before the casting of Ringwald.
** Creator/CharlieSheen auditioned for the part of Blaine before the casting of Creator/AndrewMcCarthy.
** Creator/AnthonyMichaelHall and Creator/RobertDowneyJr were considered for Duckie before Creator/JonCryer was cast. Hall turned down the offer due to his fears of being [[TypeCasting typecast]] as the geeky best friend.

* AbilityOverAppearance: Blane was written to be a {{Hunk}} with a HeroicBuild. Creator/MollyRingwald however had a say in the casting and picked Andrew [=McCarthy=] due to his attitude - claiming he's the type of guy she would fall in love with.

* HostilityOnTheSet: In spite of their chemistry on-screen, Jon Cryer has stated that both Creator/MollyRingwald and Andrew [=McCarthy=] found him "irritating" from day one. Cryer, who describes himself as a "very outgoing person" believes his attitude was the reason he never got along with the very reserved Ringwald and [=McCarthy=].

* RealitySubtext: Jon Cryer claims that he didn't get along with Andrew [=McCarthy=] or Molly Ringwald, lending subtext to his conflict over their relationship.
* RealLifeWritesTheHairstyle: When the ending was re-shot, all of the principal cast members had to be called back. Andrew [=McCarthy=] had already lost a substantial amount of weight and shaved his head for a new role in a New York City play called ''The Boys of Winter''. Although he wore an auburn wig, he's noticeably more gaunt in the re-shot scenes.

* StarMakingRole: For Creator/JamesSpader, and Jon Cryer.
* ThoseTwoActors: Creator/JamesSpader and Andrew [=McCarthy=] would work together the following year in ''Film/LessThanZero'' and ''Film/{{Mannequin}}''.

** Creator/JodieFoster was the first choice for the part of Andie before Creator/MollyRingwald was cast, but turned it down due to scheduling conflicts.
*** Creator/SarahJessicaParker, Creator/BrookeShields, Creator/DianeLane, [[Film/PaperMoon Tatum O'Neal]], [[Series/FullHouse Lori Loughlin]], and [[Film/{{Flashdance}} Jennifer Beals]] were also considered for the role of Andie before the casting of Ringwald.
** Creator/CharlieSheen auditioned for the part of Blaine before the casting of [[Film/StElmosFire Andrew McCarthy]].
** Creator/AnthonyMichaelHall and Creator/RobertDowneyJr were considered for Duckie before Creator/JonCryer was cast. Hall turned down the offer due to his fears of being [[Main/TypeCasting typecast]] as the geeky best friend.

** Creator/JodieFoster was the first choice for Andie before Creator/MollyRingwald was cast, but turned it down due to scheduling conflicts.

** Creator/AnthonyMichaelHall and Creator/RobertDowneyJr were considered for the role of Duckie before Creator/JonCryer was cast. Hall turned down the offer due to his fears of being [[Main/TypeCasting typecast]] as the geeky best friend.

* InspirationForTheWork: The genesis of this project emerged when Creator/MollyRingwald asked Creator/JohnHughes to write a movie based on Music/ThePsychedelicFurs song "Pretty in Pink", which was her favorite song at the time.

** Creator/JodieFoster turned down the role of Andie. Creator/DianeLane, Creator/SarahJessicaParker and Creator/BrookeShields were also considered.
** Creator/AnjelicaHuston and Creator/TraceyUllman were both considered for Iona.
** Although John Hughes wrote the role of Andie for Molly Ringwald, she and Hughes had a temporary falling out around the time the movie was being cast, and the studio very nearly replaced her with Creator/JenniferBeals. In the end, director Howard Deutch vetoed the idea.
** Creator/AnthonyMichaelHall turned down the role of Duckie, as he didn't want to get typecast. He also felt that the film was rehashing ''Film/SixteenCandles''.
** Creator/CharlieSheen auditioned for Blane. About two decades later he and Cryer would [[Series/TwoAndAHalfMen co-star as brothers]].
** Creator/RobertDowneyJr. was almost cast as Duckie when the ending had Andie getting together with Duckie. Per Creator/MollyRingwald, this ending may have stuck if Downey won the role because he didn't give her the "brother vibe" Jon Cryer did.

* InMemoriam: The movie is dedicated to Alexa Kenin and Bruce Weintraub. Kenin, who played Jena, was murdered in New York just before the movie was released. Set decorator/production designer Weintraub died of AIDS at age 33.

** Although John Hughes wrote the role of Andie for Molly Ringwald, she and Hughes had a temporary falling out around the time the movie was being cast, and the studio very nearly replaced her with Jennifer Beals. In the end, director Howard Deutch vetoed the idea.

* RomanceOnTheSet: Creator/MollyRingwald was dating Dweezil Zappa, who plays Simon.

** Creator/CharlieSheen auditioned for Blane. About two decades later he and Cryer would [[Series/TwoAndAHalfMen|co-star as brothers]].

** Creator/CharlieSheen auditioned for Blane. About two decades later he and Cryer would [[TwoAndAHalfMen (series)|co-star as brothers]].

** Creator/CharlieSheen auditioned for Blane. About two decades later he and Cryer would [[TwoAndAHalfMen/co-star as brothers]].

** Creator/CharlieSheen auditioned for Blane. About two decades later he and Cryer would [[co-star as brothers|Two and a Half Men]].

** Creator/CharlieSheen auditioned for Blane.

** In a podcast interview, Creator/MollyRingwald revealed that Jennifer Beals was set to replace her in the lead unless she didn't accept, but the director Howard Deutch eventually vetoed the idea.