Deutch offered Thompson the role of Amanda, but she initially turned him down after the Thompson-starring Howard the Duck flopped at the box office, Thompson accepted the second offer to take the role. Fox in the lead, but Fox turned down the role. Hughes fired original cast members Kim Delaney, Kyle MacLachlan, and director Coolidge, and hired Deutch to direct. Īt this point, Pretty in Pink was released and became a big hit. In addition to Masterson, Coolidge cast Eric Stoltz as Keith and Craig Sheffer as Hardy. The role instead went to Mary Stuart Masterson. Hughes took this refusal personally and this led to the end of Hughes and Ringwald's working relationship. Hughes wanted Molly Ringwald to play the female lead role of Watts, but she declined in order to pursue more adult roles. Martha Coolidge was signed to direct Some Kind of Wonderful. Hughes named the three main protagonists-Keith, Watts, and Amanda Jones-as an inside-joke tribute to the Rolling Stones ( Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, and the Stones' song "Miss Amanda Jones", respectively). With Some Kind of Wonderful, Hughes decided to re-tell the story, but with the genders of the main characters switched. Hughes was always unhappy with this version, which led to a falling out with Pink's director, Howard Deutch. Test audiences disliked that ending, however, so a new ending was shot where Andy wound up with Blane ( Andrew McCarthy). Hughes was personally not happy with the ending of his previous film Pretty in Pink (1986) in the script and the original cut of the film Andy ( Molly Ringwald) wound up with her best friend Duckie ( Jon Cryer).
She puts them on and asks Keith how they look, and he replies, "You look good wearing my future." He then gives the earrings to a delighted Watts, who admits she always wanted them. He catches up to Watts and they kiss, whereupon Keith confesses to Watts that he had no idea how she really felt about him. Keith, realizing that he is in love with his best friend, bids Amanda goodbye with a kiss on the cheek. She returns the earrings and urges him to go after Watts. Duncan tells Keith he'll stay at the party in order to bring it "to a nice, respectable level".Īfter leaving the party, Amanda suddenly realizes that Keith and Watts have feelings for one another and that, instead of her earlier selfishness, she wants to do the "right" thing. Amused, Keith tells Hardy he is "over," after which Amanda slaps Hardy.
Suddenly fearing for his safety, Hardy tries to talk his way out of his predicament. At Hardy's party, the timely arrival of Duncan and the other "misfits" saves Keith from taking a beating. Through his sister Laura, Keith finds out about the plot, believing Amanda to be part of it, but goes ahead with the date anyway, spending the rest of his college money on an expensive dinner and roping in Watts (as chauffeur) to help make the date special. Meanwhile, Hardy plots trouble for Keith by inviting him and Amanda to a party after their date, where he plans to have Keith beaten up. When Keith's father discovers the college fund has been emptied, he is livid, but Keith ultimately convinces his father to respect his right to make his own decisions. He later uses his college fund, with Watts in tow, and selects a pair of earrings for Amanda. He is oblivious to Watts' attraction to him.
LEA THOMPSON SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL HOW TO
Watts tells him that she will appreciate a good kisser, and shows Keith how to kiss. With Watts' help, he sets out trying to plan the perfect date to prove he is worthy of Amanda. Watts enlists the help of another boy, trying to make Keith jealous, but he barely notices. Meanwhile, seeing her best friend with Amanda makes Watts realize her feelings for him are much deeper. Taking it as a chance to prove to Hardy that she does not need him, Amanda accepts. When Amanda breaks up with Hardy outside their school, Keith seizes the opportunity to ask her out. Unbeknownst to him, she has talked her way out of detention, and he is stuck with the school misfits, eventually making friends with troublemaker Duncan. Hearing that Amanda will be in detention, Keith gets himself in trouble in order to spend time with her. He treats Amanda as his "property" and is seen fooling around with another girl. She is dating Hardy Jenns ( Craig Sheffer), a self-absorbed boy from a wealthy neighborhood who thinks Keith is beneath him. Keith is enamored with Amanda Jones ( Lea Thompson), the most popular girl in school. Keith's blue-collar father is obsessed with sending him to college for business, as he would be the first in their family to go. Blue-collar mechanic and aspiring artist Keith Nelson ( Eric Stoltz) and his tomboyish friend Watts ( Mary Stuart Masterson), who has been subjected to rumors that she is a lesbian, aspire to improve their social standing. The film is set against the strict social hierarchy of an American public high school in suburban LA.