The opening bars of the Psychedelic Furs' song are probably all that really lingers in the memory from this teenage romance; that and the cracking rendition of "Try a Little Tenderness" by the star of the film Jon Cryer's lovelorn "Duckie". The thrust of the plot revolves around the eccentric outsider "Andie" (Molly Ringwald) and her burgeoning romance with posh boy "Blane" (Andrew McCarthy) much to the chagrin of his odious pal "Steff" (James Spader). Now the latter man tried it on with her, but was given short shrift and so is now pretty disdainful of her to the rather drippy and spineless "Blane". Will they manage to get it all sorted out before prom (where we hear what has to be the 24" version of OMD's "If You Leave" accompanied by some dancing that, well, just doesn't work!)? Cryer steals the film really, and along with the soundtrack of predominately British hits from the 1980s helps to deliver an amiable degree of nostalgia. It's still worth a watch, but it really has lost much of it's lustre now and shows just how little actual acting talent was around at the time - very much style and songs over substance
