Customer Reviews

Some Kind of Wonderful (Widescreen)

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I related to Watts character as a tomboy, but wasn't heart sick over anyone. At the time, I had the guy I wanted. My first love. Will always have a fondness for him forever! It's true what they say about your first love. You never forget them.

1987's Some Kind Of Wonderful is a gender-revised version of 1986's Pretty In Pink. Eric Stoltz takes the place of Molly Ringwald and Lea Thompson & Mary Stuart Masterson do the same for Andrew McCarthy & Jon Cryer. Mr. Stoltz plays Keith a loner, artistic type who works at a garage and whose best friend is a tom girl, drummer Watts played by Ms. Masterson. Keith pines after Amanda Jones (Ms. Thompson), one of the most popular girls in school. Amanda dates the spoiled rich boy Hardy Jenns (Craig Sheffer) and after they fight, Keith swoops in and asks Amanda for a date, to which she agrees. Keith finds out that the whole date is just a setup to get him to Jenns' house so he can beat him up, he still continues with the date. He sets an elaborate evening, dinner at a fancy restaurant, art museum after hours and a set of diamond earrings. It turns out that Amanda isn't some spoiled rich girl, but a girl from the wrong side of the tracks who sold herself out for popularity. All the while, Watts is secretly in love with Keith and in the end after a showdown at Jenns' house where he is exposed as a chicken and fraud, Keith realizes his true feelings for Watts and they kiss. The movie is filled with nice performances by the three leads, but it is the supporting players that give the best performances. John Ashton is perfectly gruff and pushing as Keith's dad, Maddie Corman is the classic, annoying younger sister, but Elias Koteas steals the show as Duncan, the school thug who befriends Keith. Mr. Koteas throws out some classic lines. This was the last film John Hughes would write or director in the classic 80's teen angst vein. The soundtrack to the film is excellent, featuring no name bands like Flesh For Lulu, The Licking Tins and Furniture and it captures the essence of the films.

The saving grace to SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL are the performances by the three lead actors: Eric Stolz, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Lea Thompson, especially Masterson. There isn't much in this script that hasn't been done before, and yet these three very young performers really pulled something out of it. Otherwise, this is another typical Hughes film filled with teenagers who are vain and self-important until something that SEEMS significant enters their lives. I know I'm in the minority here, and I'm probably just too old, but I would feel so insulted if I were a teenager watching any of Hughes' films. (Go ahead, let me have all your "Not Helpful" votes)

What is it that makes the 80's so special? It is almost like these beautiful years are the ultimate result of youth fighting through a rapidly changing world where things speed up, and where fighting for independance, emotions and love has become an art. Nothing captures this art better than movies. And there are few who can do this as great as John Hughes.
Yes, ofcourse the 80's are my youthful years and everyone romances his youth, but I am certain that the 60's, 70's were great years, and the 80's is the sum of all that.
Some kind of wonderful takes you right into the 80's rollercoaster with the cool drum scene opening of Mary Steward Masterson , the typical interactions between the teenagers and the punk and wave influences apparent in the clothing. Also the social groups becom clear. The punk-wave guy, the pretty popular girl, the alternative girl, the average normal neighbour boy (Stolz), the spoiled popular macho bratt, etc.
This combination was even enlarged in the best 80's picture ever, the breakfast club. It beautifully captures the different social groups on a highschool.
Some kind of wonderful, makes you happy, gives you that warm, first love feeling in which you would wrap yourself in as in a warm blanket. Just like the breakfast club, secret admirer, pretty in pink or st. Elmo's fire....it's makes you feel young....like the teenager you are of the 80's

'Some Kind Of Wonderful' is one of those films that stays with you for life. Ever sine I can remember this film has always been a favourite of mine and my sister. This has always been our film that we've treasured all our lives and can continually watch it. All the actors are fantastic, especially the main four-Eric Stoltz,Lea Thompson, Mary Stuart Masterson and Craig Sheffer.I LOVE this film.
by justine ryan

OMG! this movie was filmed at my high school! Its so trippy. San Pedro High. Its a nice good movie. A girls night movie

Very cute movie by eighties teen film master, John Hughes, has a young Eric Stoltz as the poor kid trying to land a date with Lea Thompson, playing the rich girl, even though Mary Stuart Masterson, Stoltz's tomboy best friend, is really in love with him. I really liked this one, I can't imagine why it's the only one of Hughe's teen flicks that never got alot of attention considering it's up there with Ferris Bueller and Sweet Sixteen. Perhaps cinema audiences were getting tired of the formula at the time but in retrospect it's a sweet, funny little drama with the goofy late-Eighties settings and costumes we all know and love.

I absolutely love this movie! It's a classic 80's film...with humor, romance, and a couple of twists...not to mention a great cast, including: Eric Stoltz, Lea Thompson, & Mary Stuart Masterson. It's a story we've all heard before: the beautiful, popular girl in high school falls for the charm of the romantic outcast...with a little help from his female friend. But it doesn't end there! You'll have to watch the movie, to find out what happens in the end...but I highly recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys the 80's genre of films. If you enjoyed "Can't Buy Me Love" and "Pretty In Pink"...then chances are that you'll enjoy this movie, as well. :)

John Hughes is the master. There is no equal. He is truly in touch with the teenager inside, and let's face it, folks... that teenager still exists within us all. The teenager that STILL wishes he could get the beautiful, popular girl. The teenager that so desparately wants acceptance. The teenager that cries out for justice against the Clinque Nation.

I disagree with viewers who say that Pretty in Pink should have had this ending. Pah! I say. Pretty in Pink was a different film and Ducky and Molly Ringwald had no freaking chemistry! She and Andrew McCarthy were to end up together. She had no hidden feelings for Ducky... Be serious.

Also, I take issue with the reviewer who states that Hughes was targeting a narcissistic market... White suburbia who wanted to see themselves star in a morality play. Hello, buddy. Welcome to reality... The majority of America's teenagers ARE white suburbia in a morality play. Hughes was RECOGNIZING a market.

At any rate, This movie... Some Kind of Wonderful was nicely done. Well played by its actors; nice storyline. Just a solid film.

But something strange about the DVD. The video is really soft. The picture is like it's been through a haze/fog filter. Not quite as bad as VHS but not as good as most DVDs. The colors are all washed out. It's not horrible but is disappointing for such a classic film. I'd give the movie 4 stars & the DVD 3 stars. But I have to round up because of the rating system here. It's a C+ disc.