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4[[quoteright:299:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/prettyinpink2.jpg]]
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6A 1986 romantic teen dramedy film written by Creator/JohnHughes and marks the directorial debut of Howard Deutch.
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8Creator/MollyRingwald stars as Andie Walsh, a teenager with a crush on an upper-class boy, Blaine [=McDonough=] (Creator/AndrewMcCarthy). When he turns out to reciprocate her feelings and they pursue a relationship, their respective social circles show some resistance.
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10Andie lives on the WrongSideOfTheTracks with her unemployed, divorced father (played by Creator/HarryDeanStanton), for whom she cares almost as a mother would. Her best friend Duckie (Creator/JonCryer) is in love with her, but plays it off as a joke to maintain their friendship. The two of them are harrassed by the "richie" kids, Steff (Creator/JamesSpader), and Benny (Creator/KateVernon). Andie works for her older friend Iona (Creator/AnniePotts) at TRAX, a New Wave music store in Chinatown. Iona urges her to go to the prom.
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12One of the Creator/BratPack movies. Hughes and Deutch would collaborate again the following year on ''Film/SomeKindOfWonderful'', which is in many ways a {{Gender Flip}}ped version of the same story.
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15!!This film provides examples of:
16* EightiesHair: Kristy Swanson's character sports a big puffy ''Series/{{Dynasty|1981}}''-style 'do in her brief scene near the end. All the girls in gym class have sprayed and teased do's, and Andie herself, while her hair is shorter, has to artfully feather and spray.
17* ActorAllusion: Annie Potts' character answers the phone at the record store, "TRAX, what do you want?" similar to how she did in ''Film/Ghostbusters1984''.
18* AdultsAreUseless:
19** Andie's unemployed father is too immersed in his grief over his divorce to be much of a father to her.
20** The well-meaning gym teacher just makes things worse when she tries to punish the rich bitches bullying Andie. She also doesn't seem to notice Andie's friend smoking in the gym; likewise, Steff openly smokes in the school hallway and no one seems to notice or care.
21** Steff's parents seem to be entirely absent, and he seems to be rebelling by trashing the house without consequence. And Steff mentions Blaine's parents, alluding to the possibility they might be abusive.
22%%* BettyAndVeronica: Ducky is the Betty and Blaine is the Veronica to Andie's Archie.
23* BreakingTheFourthWall : When he meets "Duckette," Ducky looks directly at the camera for a moment, as if to say "You see her too, right?" It's brief, but it looks deliberate.
24* CampStraight: Ducky dresses as extravagantly as Andie.
25* ColorMotifs: Pink, right down to the name; this even extends to Creator/AAndMRecords' release of the soundtrack, LP copies of which featured a pink gradient on the label instead of the typical silver.
26* CringeComedy: Much of the drama involving Ducky's unrequited affection steers eerily close to this.
27%%* CleaningUpRomanticLooseEnds: One of the more JustForFun/{{egregious}} examples.
28%%* DoggedNiceGuy: Ducky, to Andie.
29* ExtremeDoormat: Seems to be Blaine's biggest problem when it comes to his friends and his relationships. [[spoiler: Nicely averted at the end.]]
30* FieryRedhead: Andie who has ''no'' problem standing up for herself.
31* ICantBelieveAGuyLikeYouWouldNoticeMe: Outsider Andie is surprised that popular Blaine would be interested in her.
32* ImprobableAge : Ilona keeps saying she's old enough to be the younger cast's mother, but there's about a 15 year age difference. Of course, given it's Creator/AnniePotts, she doesn't look much older than her co-stars, and was 34 when the film was released.
33* InformedAbility: Andie's sewing skills and fashion sense. Come on, that prom dress is hideous! And the fuchsia tights and baby pink shoes...Even in TheEighties that was a fashion "don't."
34** Every outfit is terrible. She dresses like an old lady's couch.
35* InformedPoverty: Andie is stated to be poor, but lives in a nice house and even has her own (pink!) car. Of course, both are quite shabby compared to the mansions and expensive sports cars the other students have.
36* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: Steff is probably one of Hughes's biggest ones, if not his biggest asshole character put to film. He's crass, rude, treats his girlfriend like shit, and smokes pot.
37* LipstickAndLoadMontage: Andie in the opening credits.
38* ManipulativeBastard: Pretty much everyone in Blaine's circle of friends, especially Steff.
39* ManlyTears: Blaine cries a few.
40* MissingMom: Andie's mom left her dad sometime prior to the start of the film.
41* MythologyGag: One of the soundtrack's songs, "Shellshock" by Music/NewOrder, reprises the melody and structure of their earlier single "Confusion"; the re-recording of "Confusion" included on the band's 1987 compilation ''Music/{{Substance|NewOrderAlbum}}'' would in turn borrow sonic elements from "Shellshock".
42* ParentalSubstitute: Iona serves as a friendly yet maternal figure to Andie, especially since the girl's father is depressed and not at all there and her mother left.
43* PinkGirlBlueBoy: At the prom, Andie wears a pink dress and Ducky wears a blue suit.
44* PinkMeansFeminine: Andie's trademark prom dress.
45* PrecisionFStrike: When Blaine cancels his prom date with Andie, saying that he already asked someone else and forgot about it, she calls him a "filthy, fucking, no-good liar". This is the only time the word is used in the film.
46* SealedWithAKiss: The film ends with Andie and Blaine making out in the parking lot.
47* StalkerWithACrush: Ducky, who is even told off by the bouncer at the club that won't let him in.
48%%* UpperclassTwit: Several, but Steff in particular.
49%%* UptownGirl: Gender-reversed with Andie and Blaine.
50* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Andie's rebellious friend Jena shows up in a few scenes early in the film (including a memorable bit of snark and attitude in a gym class scene) but vanishes without a trace half way through leaving Andie with just Iona as a female confidante.
51* WondrousLadiesRoom: After being shoved into the girls bathroom, Duckie goes on about how the girls have a "candy machine" and doors on the stalls in their bathroom, some things that the boys lack in their bathroom.
52%%* WrongSideOfTheTracks: Literally.
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