Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)

Directed by Howard Deutch. Starring Eric Stoltz, Mary Stuart Masterson, Lea Thompson, Craig Sheffer, John Ashton, Maddie Corman, Elias Koteas, Molly Hagan. [PG-13]

Rarely has John Hughes’ tendency to recycle his teen movie material been as obvious as it is here: a gender-swap rewrite of Pretty in Pink that lets the misfit get the girl this time (er, boy). The boy in question is a sensitive soul with axle grease under his fingernails pining for popular redhead Thompson, oblivious to the affections of his tomboyish best pal Masterson (she has short hair and wears boys’ underwear, so she must be rumored to be gay, see?). Gets credit for not making Thompson a stuck-up obstacle waiting to be revealed for her shortcomings, but that only makes the climactic transition tougher to swallow. Genuine, understated Masterson almost saves the thing by herself, but there’s no escaping the realization that these teen-scenes are just awkward, reheated leftovers, seasoned with a touch more maturity than average but less to say overall. Solid soundtrack, even though the tunes rarely get preferential treatment in the sound mix, and there’s absurdly no Grand Funk Railroad in sight (or the Drifters, for that matter). Fans of TV’s “Full House” and pop group Wilson Phillips should look for future stars in small roles.

55/100