7 Surprising 'Pretty in Pink' Facts You Might Not Have Ever Known
Pretty in Pink, released in 1986, is yet another classic teen rom-com from director John Hughes, starring multiple members of The Brat Pack, among them Molly Ringwald and Andrew McCarthy. The storyline of an outcast girl and a popular boy falling for each other has kept audiences engaged for decades, but audiences loved it — though even the biggest fans might not be aware of these Pretty in Pink facts.
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From the cast that almost was to its stellar soundtrack, Pretty in Pink was a smashing success. As for whether Andie should have ended up with Duckie or Blane, well that's for you to determine. But in the meantime, here are some Pretty in Pink facts that are sure to boggle your mind.
1. The part of Andie was written specifically for Molly Ringwald
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Hughes and Ringwald worked together a number of times, including Sixteen Candles (1984) and The Breakfast Club (1985). After the director and actress worked together on the former, Hughes decided to write the part of Andie in Pretty in Pink specifically for the actress.
2. Another actress was almost cast in her place: Pretty in Pink facts
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That being said, Paramount Pictures had other ideas: The studio decided they wanted to cast an actress with a bigger name than Ringwald. They first offered the part to Jennifer Beals, star of Flashdance, but the actress turned it down. Luckily, they went back to the original choice of Ringwald.
3. The ending was almost completely different
We all know and love the ending of the film, where Blane choose Andie over his friends and the couple ends up together, but did you know that wasn’t the original conclusion to the movie? Pretty in Pink initially ended with Blane ditching Andie and not showing up to the prom. In this ending, Andie and Duckie dance together to David Bowie’s “Heroes."
But when that ending was shown to a group of teenagers, they booed, so the scene was reshot. It was Hughes’ idea to have Blane show up to the prom alone to meet Andie, thus making for a sweet ending to this classic romance.
4. The film was a success from the very beginning: Pretty in Pink facts
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Although many cult classics start out with a very small following, only to grow with time, that was not the case with Pretty in Pink. The film was successful from the get-go, pulling in $40 million against a budget of only $9 million. The film was also critically acclaimed.
5. It was the last film with Alexa Kenin (Andie’s gym buddy)
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Remember Andie’s best friend, Jenna? Sadly, this was the last film for the actress, as she was found dead in her apartment prior to the film’s release. According to her New York Times obituary, “the cause of death was not immediately known.”
6. The film’s soundtrack was successful on its own: Pretty in Pink facts
The soundtrack for Pretty in Pink features hits like “If You Leave,” “Pretty in Pink” and “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want.” Each of these songs, along with the other seven tracks, became a rather successful compilation. The soundtrack peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Albums chart and was certified gold.
7. The movie was inspired by this song
Yes, you guessed it: The title for the movie was inspired by the song “Pretty in Pink,” which was written and recorded by the Psychedelic Furs. Ringwald shared in an interview that Hughes, “often used song titles for his projects, since most of what he wrote was inspired by music.” She also confirmed that Hughes based the film loosely on the song.
The Psychedelic Furs re-recorded their hit for the film’s opening sequence, this version being a bit sleeker than the original. The movie take became a smashing success and one of the band’s biggest hits.
