mark.waltz Other than Eric Stoltz, I found the teen characters here completely unrealistic, some of them of late college age, and others either totally unlikable, badly acted, or empty inside where it counts. At times I thought Mary Stuart Masterson came off zombie like, and other times, completely out of character for what she was playing when fully at attention in the part. She's an outsider, hating the A group (can't blame her for that...) and at times to only want friendship with Stoltz then staring at him strangely. A girl's locker room sequence is completely uncomfortable to watch as she looks on at the basically nice Lea Thompson with a combination of lust and loathing. Camera shots going down Thompson's panty clad body is severely gratuitous. Then there's Stoltz's family: a father who interferes in his desires for his own future, completely obnoxious and despicable; the mother who seemingly ignores her daughter's out of preference for her son; and the two younger sisters, one just absolutely unlikable and self centered, and the baby just longing for some kind of attention and getting none. The only thing about that family I liked was seeing one of my all time favorite soap divas (Jane Elliott) playing a far cry from Tracy Quartermain as a working class mother. The situation of Thompson apparently using Stoltz to get back at old boyfriend Craig Scheffer was absurd, cliched and boring, presenting an obnoxious story that shows a generation who would now be parents of post college age adults acting just as badly as the young generation today. No wonder adults ignored my generation when I was a teen, and no wonder why my generation ignores high school age kids today!

gavin6942 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. Unfortunately, the girl's old boyfriend, who is from the rich section of town, is unable to let go of her, and plans to get back at Keith.When you ask people to list the John Hughes films, chances are they will get three or four almost immediately, maybe struggle with one or two, and then forget about a handful. This is definitely part of that handful. Despite some good casting (Lea Thompson!), this is nothing more than a second-rate Hughes film. No Molly Ringwald, and sort of a rehash of the friend-who-likes-a-friend theme he had already done.Worth seeing? Of course. But this should not be on anyone's top five Hughes movie lists. (No doubt it is, but those people are wrong.)

jcbutthead86 Some Kind Of Wonderful is an excellent,underrated Teen classic that combines great direction,a wonderful cast,a fantastic script and a memorable score and soundtrack. All of those elements make Some Kind Of Wonderful a great film that is John Hughes at his best.Some Kind Of Wonderful tells the story of Keith(Eric Stolz),a High School teenager who is a gas station employee and painter and has romantic feelings for Amanda Jones(Lea Thompson),a popular girl who goes out with her rich boyfriend Hardy Jenns(Craig Sheffer). With courage by his side Keith asks Amanda out on a date which doesn't sit well with Keith's tomboy best friend Watts(Mary Stuart Masterson)who starts to have feelings for Keith. Now,Keith has to deal with his friendship with Watts and his attraction to Amanda.Released in 1987,Some Kind Of Wonderful is a terrific and memorable Teen movie that was writer John Hughes' final film in the Teen/High School/Coming Of Age genre and maybe his most overlooked of the Teen movies he did from 1984 to 87 and is a movie that came out towards the end of the teen movie boom of the 1980s because by 1987 the Teen genre by 1987 and John Hughes' association with the genre had hit it's creative peak. Often seen as a gender reversed remake of earlier Teen classic Pretty In Pink(1986)and some will admit there is similarities between the two films(the same director and writer,love triangle,soundtracks and even the movie posters). At the same time there are minor differences between the two movies. And while Pretty In Pink is a great movie and a more iconic and well-known film I always preferred Some Kind Of Wonderful a movie that may not be very original but is one of the best Teen films of the 80s. Some Kind Of Wonderful is in my opinion not only a John Hughes classic but a Teen classic as well but unfortunately is often underrated and overlooked in comparison to The Breakfast Club,Ferris Bueller's Day Off,Sixteen Candles,Pretty In Pink and Weird Science which is a shame because SKOW has all of the trademarks of those other films:memorable characters,great soundtrack and good dialog where everything just works. While none of the John Hughes regulars such as Molly Ringwald or Anthony Michael Hall appear in SKOW the Hughes style is still in effect with this movie. In SKOW we get some romance,drama and a little humor in the way Hughes did so well and the movie keeps your attention. The whole movie is basically a build-up to the last half hour of the film when Keith and Amanda go out on their date and what happens before that examining the relationships of the three main characters Keith,Watts and Amanda who in true John Hughes fashion are three dimensional characters and have depth. With Keith,Watts and Amanda we as a viewer have a connection with all of them as the three of them have to deal with love,relationships and dealing with their peers and classmates. As Hughes did with The Breakfast Club and Pretty In Pink SKOW deals with timeless themes and issues such as identity,different social groups as well as class struggle with rich vs poor among teenagers. The screenplay by John Hughes is terrific with memorable dialog that is strong,amazing and just makes the characters real and unforgettable. The ending of Some Kind Of Wonderful is amazing and classic John Hughes and is a truly effective and romantic and will viewers cheering at the screen. A fantastic ending.The cast is great. Eric Stolz is excellent as Keith,with Stolz bringing an emotional weight and depth to the role. Mary Stuart Masterson is brilliant,beautiful and gives the film's best performance as Watts,with Masterson being powerful and stealing every scene she's in. Lea Thompson is terrific and beautiful as Amanda,with Thompson being dramatic in the right places. Craig Sheffer is great as Hardy Jenns,Amanda's rich jerk boyfriend. John Ashton is wonderful as Cliff Nelson,Keith's Father. Elias Koteas is fantastic and funny as Duncan,a teenage punk. Maddie Corman(Laura Nelson),Molly Hagan(Shayne),Scott Coffey(Ray)and Lee Garlington(Gym Instructor)give good performances as well.The direction by Howard Deutch is simple,but great and effective,with Deutch sometimes moving the camera and bringing a nice pace and style to the film. Fine direction,Deutch.The score by Stephen Hague and John Musser is impressive,great and fits with the tone of the movie. Good score,Hague and Musser. There is also a soundtrack with some fantastic Pop/Rock songs that add to the film. A great soundtrack.In final word,if you love John Hughes or Teen Films,I highly suggest you see Some Kind Of Wonderful,an excellent,underrated Teen classic that is John Hughes at his best. Highly Recommended. 10/10.

Dianna Scantlebury This film was a sleeper from the 80s that didn't get enough recognition. What makes this film so great is the combination of non-glossy actors, perfectly timed non-mainstream rock/pop music, and a grittiness that wasn't often seen in 80s romance teen films. Eric Stoltz portrays an A-typical male lead role, Keith, who was more cerebral than heartthrob. Mary Stuart Masterson stole the entire film with her brilliant portrayal of the tough, Tomboy best friend, Watts, who is actually very vulnerable and loving. Elias Koteas is particularly great as the juvenile delinquent who makes the end of the movie absolutely epic! I have to say that the music is just brilliantly done in this film, enhancing and complementing every single scene and eliciting the appropriate mood. Lastly, this film boasts what I believe to be the VERY BEST ON-SCREEN KISS EVER! Never before have I seen a more complex kiss; it manages to be awkward, romantic, and arousing all at the same time.