Cry Baby

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Cry Baby

PG-13

Released Apr 6, 1990

1h 25m

Musical

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

73%

Tomatometer

62 Reviews

77%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

A prim and proper schoolgirl goes against her mother's wishes when she dates a motorcycle-riding juvenile delinquent.

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Critics Consensus

John Waters' musical ode to the teen rebel genre is infectious and gleefully camp, providing star Johnny Depp with the perfect vehicle in which to lampoon his pin-up image.

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Neil Jillett

The Age (Australia)

It would be excessively generous to call Cry-Baby a satire, but its parody of what enchanted and excited teenagers more than 30 years ago is energetically delivered by Waters and the enthusiastic cast.

Dec 13, 2024

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Budd Wilkins

Slant Magazine

Packed with catchy musical numbers, John Waters’s Cry-Baby is a riotous satire of ’50s teen idol and JD films that still has something to say about class in America.

Jun 7, 2024

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Henry Sheehan

Chicago Reader

In fact, the movie is so good- humored that it stands in marked contrast to almost every other mainstream American film out now...

Rated: 3/4

May 12, 2022

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James Kendrick

Q Network Film Desk

The overall tone may be comedic, but Waters wants the romance to be real, which is ultimately what makes Cry-Baby work so well.

Rated: 3.5/4

Sep 3, 2024

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

As usual, Waters turns his nose (and middle finger) up at decent, square society, preferring instead to frolic with the freaks, geeks, and outcasts.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jun 9, 2024

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

The lite teen comedy was too silly, too mild, and too trivial to make an impact.

Rated: C+

Jun 3, 2024

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helder f

A lot of singing in a movie that’s not to be taken seriously. A sort of a parody of musicals from the 50s, it has a few entertaining scenes but it overall falls flat.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

12/03/24

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Judyann V

My favorite movie for many years but the drinking of the tears will always make me gag.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/15/24

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Joel H

When I was growing up, my older sister had the Cry-Baby poster on her wall. She'd never seen the movie, she just had a crush on Johnny Depp. Now that I've watched it, I must say that the poster is the only good thing about this movie. It's awful. Since John Waters was the director, I expected some camp, but I had to rough it through the entire runtime. The plot is pointless, the acting is horribly hammy, the music is forgettable, and the humor is bizarre & unfunny. I feel embarrassed for everyone in this movie. Cry-Baby has the look of a fun 50s parody, but it feels amateurish and oddly grotesque.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

11/07/23

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Michael M

I love this over the top comedy.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/08/23

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Trey W

It's like Footloose and the Outsiders had a kid. It's got the man Johnny D though so it's a bangin movie.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/24/23

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StephenPaul C

LOL, the funniest 01 hour: and 25 minutes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/05/23

Full Review

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John Waters

Director

Johnny Depp

Wade 'Cry-Baby' Walker

Amy Locane

Allison Vernon-Williams

Susan Tyrrell

Ramona Rickettes

Polly Bergen

Mrs. Vernon-Williams, Allison's Grandmother

Iggy Pop

Uncle Belvedere Rickettes

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Cry-Baby: Official Clip - High School Hellcats

2:49

Cry-Baby: Official Clip - Orphans

2:09

Cry-Baby: Official Clip - How to French Kiss

1:37

Cry-Baby: Official Clip - Cry-Baby's New Motorcycle

1:13

Cry-Baby: Official Clip - Doin' Time for Bein' Young

2:23

Cry-Baby: Official Clip - King Cry-Baby

3:04

Cry-Baby: Official Clip - Turkey Point is Open for Business

2:46

Cry-Baby: Official Clip - Teardrops Are Falling

2:09

Cry-Baby: Official Clip - Squares, Drapes and Scrapes

2:55

Cry-Baby: Official Clip - Picking Up Allison

2:11

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Synopsis

A prim and proper schoolgirl goes against her mother's wishes when she dates a motorcycle-riding juvenile delinquent.

Director: John Waters
Producer: Rachel Talalay
Screenwriter: John Waters
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Imagine Entertainment, Universal Pictures
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Musical, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 6, 1990, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 19, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $7.5M
Runtime: 1h 25m
Sound Mix: Surround

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