Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)
Growing up I wasn’t exactly the most popular kid in school, so I often found myself home on Friday and Saturday nights with my parents. The rental process was always the same — crappy rom com for mom, blood and guys action flick for me and dad. I’ve literally seen hundreds of bad rom coms and romantic dramas in my life, but it’s the first one I can actually remember seeing that I love the most. And yes, it’s cheesy as all hell.
The movie is Some Kind of Wonderful and I saw it on HBO about a million times growing up. My mom loved it (or she was bored and just always put it on) and I couldn’t help but being drawn in. The plot revolves around blue collar high school mechanic Keith Nelson (Eric Stoltz) who’s in love with the pretty rich girl (Leah Thompson). His tough, blue collar dad (John Ashton) is riding Keith to save his money and go to college, but all Keith wants to do is use the money to buy the rich girl an expensive pair of earrings and squire her about town. Which is pretty stupid when you think about it – but damn it you still side with him. Keith enlists the help of his tomboy (yet adorable) BFF, a drummer named Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson) and his motley crew of roughneck friends (including Elias Koteas) to help him out. Of course standing in Keith’s way is the rich variety athlete Hardy (Craig Sheffer). Now, we all know what’s going to happen here, you guessed it, ‘some kind of wonderful’ and that wonderful is — Keith realizes who he REALLY loves. I’ll let you figure out who that is.
The movie is classic ’80s Brat Pack material — outlandish clothing, a killer soundtrack and the same kind of starstruck teen love story seen in countless John Hughes movies. Yet, it’s the chemistry between Stoltz and Masterson that carries the film. It’s the relationship you root for to happen. In a supporting role, Elias Koteas steals the show as a skinhead punker who seems like he hates the world, but has a real soft spot for Stoltz’s character and becomes his best bud. He also becomes his bodyguard anytime Hardy’s friends try and threaten Keith.
The film is predictable, but it’s so charming and fun. You really root for these characters and fall in love with them a little bit. I cannot stop watching this movie when it’s on — and I’ve been watching it for over 25 years. –Bill Bodkin
http://youtu.be/xlUkeCN3Eu4
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