A young tomboy, Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson), finds her feelings for her best friend, Keith (Eric Stoltz), run deeper than just friendship when he gets a date with the most popular girl in school, Amanda, (Lea Thompson). Unfortunately, the girl’s old boyfriend, Hardy (Craig Scheffer), who is from the rich section of town, is unable to let go of her, and plans to get back at Keith.After dominating the teen-movie genre for the bulk of the 1980s, writer-producer (and sometimes director) John Hughes proved that he had at least one good movie left in him before squandering his talent on lame comedies throughout the 1990s. Like The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink, Some Kind of Wonderful treated its teenaged characters like real people with real feelings, hopes, fears, and desire. Mary Stuart Masterson gives a great performance as a tomboy drummer named Watts who’s secretly in love with her best friend, Keith (Eric Stoltz), an aspiring artist who is oblivious to her affection because he’s got a crush on Amanda (Lea Thompson), the popular high school beauty. Watts will even go so far as to chauffeur a date for Keith and Amanda, if only to prove–after a lot of patient, emotional anguish–that she’s better for Keith than Amanda could ever be. The movie’s drama comes from Keith’s gradual realization that there’s more to love than surface attraction, and Hughes gets extra mileage out of the romantic confusion by allowing Thompson’s character to be more than a shallow campus cutie. All three of the leads are good fits in their roles, and this was one of the few teen films of the ’80s to add genuine depth to its mainstream appeal. It’s one of the few John Hughes movies to stand the test of time. –Jeff Shannon
Rating: 
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October 13, 2010
#1
Review by Kevinduran
Rating:
This 80′s John Hughes gem wasn’t as popular as some of his other movies (Sixteen Candles, Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Pretty In Pink), which is a shame because it’s every bit as good as those flicks, if not better. The plot of Pretty In Pink is sort of rehashed here: a teen from the poor side of town (Eric Stoltz subbing for Molly Ringwald), has got eyes for a popular teen (Lea Thompson subbing for Andrew McCarthy), and has a free-thinkin’, seemingly gay best friend of the opposite gender (Mary Stuart Masterson subbing for Jon Cryer) that winds up being the person they should end up with. There’s even the token jerk that causes problems for everyone (Craig Sheffer subbing for James Spader.) The original ending of Pretty In Pink was changed after test audiences said they would rather Molly Ringwald’s character end up with Andrew McCarthy’s, instead of Jon Cryer’s. (Wrong! At least in my opinion.) They got it right in “Some Kind Of Wonderful.” What a great 80′s teen flick this is! Not too sappy, not too dramatic- everything gets balanced out with little drops of humor here and there. Candace Cameron is hilarious in every one of her scenes (check her out as Eric Stoltz’s younger sister before she wound up on TV’s migraine headache inducing “Full House”); so is Maddie Corman who plays the middle sister. (She later ended up on Margaret Cho’s short lived “All American Girl” sitcom and was in another GREAT 80′s teen flick called “Seven Minutes in Heaven” which also starred Jennifer Connelly.) If you love this movie, or are a fan of the John Hughes genre, you should also check out the “Some Kind Of Wonderful” soundtrack. It’s every bit as GREAT as the “Pretty In Pink” soundtrack. The opening credits sequence music from “Some Kind Of Wonderful” (“Abuse” by Propaganda) is not on the cd, but is available on Propaganda’s “Wishful Thinking” cd. The only issue I have with this DVD is the same issue I have with a lot of other Paramount DVD’s: no extra goodies. No trailer, no outtakes, no deleted scenes, no commentary. That is disappointing, but it’s still great to have this on DVD finally.
October 13, 2010
#2
Review by Thomas Magnum
Rating:
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.
October 13, 2010
#3
Review by M. R. Estante
Rating:
This was the most memorable line in the whole movie… when the tom girl in love with her best guy friend tells the popular girl to watch out! Hmmm… this should have been a signal that she was a keeper. The 80′s was really captured in this movie and it signals the genres theme of teenage turmoil in a greedy decade. I’m glad the best friends ended up together. Sometimes it’s true that our feelings run deep and we have no idea until a rival comes along.
October 13, 2010
#4
Review by Sophie DeBouvier
Rating:
I first saw this movie on TV as a college student. I loved it so much that an old boyfriend went out and bought it for me on VHS tape. I have watched this movie so many times I’m surprised the VHS tape is still working!
The actors are perfectly cast in the leads. They are so believeable in their portrayals that I could have gone to high school with them. The kissing scene is HOT. Clothes don’t need to come off for you to feel the hot wind of chemistry and passion that blows off that first kiss scene.
The characters are not glossy, and that is what I love about John Hughes. He portrays coming-of-age in all its naked and truest glory, not the perfect airbrushed schlock that has come out in later years.
If you’re looking to see character development and great plot set to a great soundtrack, this is your type of movie.
October 13, 2010
#5
Review by R. Gawlitta
Rating:
John Hughes (here as producer) has always put together some films about teenagers that made them filled with interesting traits, true feelings and genuine situations. Though this film is a bit far-fetched, it has the best characters (tomboy, skinhead, nerd, popular girl in school, rich fool). I’ve loved Mary Stuart Masterson since this film, and have made an attempt to see everything she’s done since. Lea Thompson had the hardest part, trying to be cool and “real” at the same time. Eric Stoltz was never better looking, truly handsome, belying his previous role in “Mask” and future independent film projects, as well as carrying the lead role with genuine confidence. Elias Koteas is a real delight as Duncan, the skinhead; later he was in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” as a romantic lead, and the great Terrence Malick used him to excellent advantage in “The Thin Red Line”. This film really marks the beginning of many fine film careers. The use of current popular music in all of Hughes’ films has always added to their appeal, as well as good writing. This was a little more brutal than “16 Candles”, but it hit all the right nerves. Also, as a middle-aged baby boomer, the emotions involved, I must say, are as relevent now as then. It was also a pleasure to see John Ashton (“Beverly Hills Cop”) as the dad; he plays the bewildered authority figure very well. The DVD release offers an excellent transfer of the film (1.85:1 LBX) as well as great sound. A true feel-good film, this is real entertainment and I wish there were more like it.