Some Kind of Wonderful

PG-13

1987

1h 34m

Romance

Drama

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List

76%

45 Reviews

Tomatometer

80%

25,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Keith Nelson (Eric Stoltz), an artsy high school outcast, tries to land a date with popular girl Amanda Jones (Lea Thompson) with some help from his tomboy best friend, Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson). However, his advances draw the ire of Amanda's snobby ex-boyfriend, Hardy Jenns (Craig Sheffer), who makes plans to get even. Matters are further complicated when Watts realizes she likes Keith as more than just a friend and tries to convince him to stop pursuing Amanda.

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Critics Consensus

Some Kind of Wonderful is above-average '80s teen fare for people who need as much John Hughes in their lives as possible.

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Mel N

This is definitely one of the best 80's coming of age movies! It has a very touching story and features values that we need to come back in style.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/25/24

Full Review

Rachel S

Love this movie!! Its one of my guilty pleasures.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/21/24

Full Review

Audience Member

The late John Hughes bringing us a kind of wonderful is always appreciated particularly in our teen years It stinks this only made $19 million at the box office but it was received well critically, one of the higher rated teen flicks of the 80's Keith is a mechanic in high school, has a family, a very expecting father who dreams of him going to college, a tomboy girl named Watts who isn't afraid to speak her truth, and he's in love with Amanda, the popular girl who has a knucklehead boyfriend He tries his hardest to ask her out believing she's this rich, elite and sophisticated individual Watts objects to this pursuit with Keith unaware that his best friend is actually in love with him Keith does all he can to gain her affection but her boyfriend, the social class, and even his ignorance get in the way Turns out he and Amanda find out more about themselves in the process trying so hard to please others and trusting themselves to be open about what's going on inside This is an enjoyable dramadey with this love triangle and John Hughes still has that knack for writing dialogue and real dilemmas for teenagers Sure they're only 18 but they still have the rest of their lives to live freely and happily Keith's family particularly his sister are very likable This definitely embraced the Los Angeles setting Love the movie having a light touch, a disarming cast, a well-developed sense of humor and a lot of charm with big romance too It also shows off, even better than the earlier films have, Hughes' keen understanding of the world his young characters inhabit and the ways in which they might behave It's okay to be with someone for the wrong reasons to find out we are wrong, we can all stand on our own, you don't need friends who get everything you don't have, we can misjudge others so easily, we decide when we get to be ourselves, our reputations have to be risked to really live our best lives This was also John Hughes' final teen movie; he shifted his focus to more autobiographical stories of adulthood before scripting several children's films in the '90s But his stamp on the genre remains ever so beloved with this, 'Pretty in Pink' and 'Breakfast Club' actually digging into the psychology and emotions of youths most overlook Plenty of fine characterizations and lucid dialogue 'Some Kind of Wonderful' successfully adheres to universal feelings concerning crushes and maturity, parenthood and personal responsibility I enjoyed this the first time and still do today

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/28/24

Full Review

Jeff M

Somehow I missed this John Hughes 80s movie throughout the years, so when it popped up on Amazon Prime, I decided to end my Sunday film festival with an overdue viewing. I suppose for me it lands in the upper middle range of Hughes films - not as good as THE BREAKFAST CLUB but leagues ahead of the vastly overrated SIXTEEN CANDLES. The story is beyond predictable - I had everything figured out at the 12 minute mark. Although I think she overplays the tough girl spunk just a bit, Masterson is the obvious MVP actor here, and she is blessed with the film's best role. Masterson is one of my favorite actresses of this period, and no one can equal her ability to portray outward toughness and inner vulnerability. I had issues with Stoltz and Thompson. Stoltz is almost androgynously handsome but isn't the most charismatic actor in the picnic basket. Thompson gives a good performance and shines brightly at the end, but her Amanda Jones is a poorly written role and the film does not treat her well. Craig Sheffer is insufferable as Thompson's snobby boyfriend, and Elias Koteas has to be the oldest looking high school student in cinema history. As in other films from the Hughes oeuvre, there's not an adult here written or acted interestingly. I was on the fence, but there was enough to like to warrant a modest recommendation.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/11/24

Full Review

Jerod S

Maybe not a stand out of 80s teen angst movies, but definitely worth the watch. Stoltz is a serious lover of art that has his eyes set on the girl out of his league, when its the tom boy that he really loves.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/18/23

Full Review

S R

The teen themes resonate, despite the cliche and ridiculousness. I don't think I want to see it again though. Saw it on HBO.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

07/08/23

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Howard Deutch

Director

Eric Stoltz

Keith Nelson

Mary Stuart Masterson

Watts

Lea Thompson

Amanda Jones

Craig Sheffer

Hardy Jenns

John Ashton

Cliff Nelson

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Some Kind of Wonderful: Official Clip - I Always Knew You Were Stupid

1:41

Some Kind of Wonderful: Official Clip - Getting Into Amanda Jones

1:13

Some Kind of Wonderful: Official Clip - Hardy is Over

0:41

Some Kind of Wonderful: Official Clip - She Doesn't Love You

1:20

Some Kind of Wonderful: Official Clip - Radiating Sexual Vibes

0:44

Some Kind of Wonderful: Official Clip - Duncan Crashes the Party

0:59

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Some Kind of Wonderful: Trailer 1

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Dave Kehr

Chicago Tribune

''Some Kind of Wonderful'' is a slight and forgettable film, but Hughes still has an eye for young acting talent.

Rated: 2/4

Jun 17, 2020

Full Review

Sheila Benson

Los Angeles Times

Hughes has absolutely nothing new to report--no fresh perspectives, no gratefully received maturity, nothing added or deepened. Or speeded up, from the feel of it.

Jun 17, 2020

Full Review

Pat Graham

Chicago Reader

Assembly-line feature from the John Hughes teen factory.

Jul 24, 2007

Full Review

Erik Childress

The Friendship Dilemma Podcast

John Hughes’ more fully-realized version of Pretty In Pink that truly gets the hopeless outsider’s view of romance without love and not gracefully understanding their pursuit of it.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jul 25, 2022

Full Review

Brian Orndorf

Blu-ray.com

It remains attentive to universal feelings concerning crushes and maturity, parenthood and personal responsibility, ultimately achieving just a bit more cohesiveness and liveliness than "Pretty in Pink."

Rated: A-

Sep 6, 2021

Full Review

Christopher Lloyd

The Film Yap

Essentially a remake of Pretty in Pink but with John Hughes' preferred ending, Some Kind of Wonderful revisits the teen love triangle with some interesting notes but less energy.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jul 26, 2021

Full Review

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Synopsis

Keith Nelson (Eric Stoltz), an artsy high school outcast, tries to land a date with popular girl Amanda Jones (Lea Thompson) with some help from his tomboy best friend, Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson). However, his advances draw the ire of Amanda's snobby ex-boyfriend, Hardy Jenns (Craig Sheffer), who makes plans to get even. Matters are further complicated when Watts realizes she likes Keith as more than just a friend and tries to convince him to stop pursuing Amanda.

Director: Howard Deutch
Producer: Michael Chinich, Ronald Colby
Screenwriter: John Hughes
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 5, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $17.1M
Runtime: 1h 34m
Sound Mix: Surround
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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