Some Kind of Wonderful

Plot synopsis:
The film is set against the strict social hierarchy of an American public high school. Blue collar mechanic Keith Nelson (Eric Stoltz) and his tomboyish friend Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson) aspire to improve their social standing. When Keith asks out the most popular and attractive girl in school, Amanda Jones (Lea Thompson), Watts realizes her feelings for him are much deeper. Watts tells Keith that Amanda will appreciate a good kisser, and shows Keith how to kiss, whereupon Keith is confused by his romantic feelings for both girls. He later uses his college fund, with Watts in tow, and selects a pair of earrings for Amanda.
Meanwhile, Hardy Jenns (Craig Sheffer), Amanda's ex-boyfriend from a wealthy neighborhood, plots trouble for Keith by inviting him and Amanda to a party after their date. Hardy jealously plans to have Keith beaten up. 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. At Jenns's party, the timely arrival of other "misfits" saves Keith from taking a beating. They attempt to turn the tables and beat Jenns instead. Keith tells Jenns he is "over" her and Amanda slaps Jenns's face.
In the end, Amanda decides that she needs to learn to stand on her own, find out who she is and make real friends. She returns the earrings that Keith gave to her. Keith, pleased with the result, and realizing that he is in love with his best friend, bids Amanda goodbye with a kiss on the cheek, after she urges him to go after Watts. Keith catches up to Watts and they kiss, whereupon Keith confesses to Watts that he had no idea how she really felt about him. Keith then gives Watts the earrings after she admitted that she wanted them the whole time, and Keith jokes that Watts knew she was going to get them, and she says that she hoped but that she didn't know. Watts asks Keith how they look, and he replies, "You look good wearing my future."

Tags: romantic

Review:
Mary Stuart's kissing scene is one of the most wonderfully romantic and intense kissing scenes on film that I've seen, yet it has an innocent quality that makes it all the more special.Eric Stoltz and Lea Thompson give excellent performances as well, with good acting and both are able to highlight dialogue with subtle nuances.
It came out at a time when there were a lot of teen movies (Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club, etc.), but this is a story that never grows old and is a pleasure to watch again..
Hughes decides to leave his Brat Packers behind and went with great choices in Eric Stoltz (who could've gave John Cusack a run for his money in the Teen Angst movie department), Lea Thompson and Mary Stewart Masterson, who steals the show as Watts.
By switching the sexes- Eric Stoltz as Molly Ringwald, and Mary Stuart Masterson as Jon Cryer- of "Pretty in Pink", the film delves deeper than "The Breakfast Club"- almost accidentally.
Guess the first time I seen this movie, I liked it just because it was SUCH a good movie but a few years later seeing it, it really hit me in the face and to this day I always watch it whenever I get the chance and remember my friend....
The main characters, especially Watts (a very young Mary Stuart Masterson), turn in superb performances, and lift this way above the ordinary.Good comic-relief from the support cast - watch especially for the scenes with Keith's sister Laura, and the one between Watts and her admirer - which is a real hoot!For sheer romantic escapism, this film is close enough to perfect.
Mary stuart Masterson plays a girl who has a crush on Eric Stoltz who has been friends with her for a long time but she never has told her feelings.
Howard Deutch pulled together some really remarkable actors and actresses for the roles of this movie.Lets start with Lea Thompson playing the popular girl, Amanda Jones.
Yes, it's predictable, and uses the time-honored romantic comedy formula of the friend who was there under one's nose all along being the 'true love' in the end (that's hardly a spoiler folks), but it's very well done, and I've always loved it.Mary Stuart Masterson and Eric Stoltz turn in sweet performances as non-conformist high school kids (her a tomboy, him an artist, both mechanics) trying to find not only love but also their paths in life.
Lea Thompson is the popular girl Stoltz falls for and pursues, and turns in a strong performance as well – if you get a chance, watch her facial expressions in the scene where she slaps her rich boyfriend, played well by Craig Sheffer.
But Masterson is the one to watch here: tough, funny, and incredibly pretty.John Hughes had a quite a run in the mid-late 80's, and in producing/writing this film, I consider it among his best work.
He had his own way of working that made me uncomfortable." "I know, he wanted to be called by his character name." "Mary Stuart had a tough day that day, look at her." "I know, she took it so seriously" THEY WERE THE BEST THINGS IN THE MOVIE, YOU DOPES!!!
His best friend is the tomboy Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson) and the girl of his dreams is the popular Amanda (Lea Thompson).
But that doesn't mean they're not great movies of their kind.Eric Stoltz is kinda cool as Keith but Mary Stuart Masterson steals the show as tomboy Watts.
Soundtrack is great, I love the song "Always I want to be with you."Supporting character Amanda Jones played well by Lea Thompson this is probably my favorite role from her.
I like that she doesn't play some stereotypical popular rich girl, in fact the interesting thing about her is that she's really in the same working class boat as Keith, Watts, and Duncan she just dresses up and makes herself seem like a upper class person just to get in with the in crowd.What I like is that you really feel for her character deep down she's really a lost person, we see her become disillusioned with the lifestyle from how her rich ex boyfriend Hardy mistreats her whom is a character I just want to punch.
One scene for me that was a highlight was seeing Duncan and his friends save Keith in the party which is something real friends do.But of course the film is really driven by both the characters Keith (Eric Stolz) and Watts (Mary Stuart Matherson).
This just all the more makes us want her to do what she has to do and possibly win because it's the only way, not saying anything is even more painful.I really like how Keith is slowly discovering it, in his mind he thinks that Amanda could be the one; but we see slowly he's changing his mind a little and is starting to look at Watts differently.It has some great themes which are common in most of Hughes films like the importance of opening up to someone about how you feel, becoming more, our perception on people and how their not always what they seem, and believing in yourself.Sometimes the one we truly love is closer then we think.Rating: 4 stars.
now that i watch other films of john Hughes, i absolutely love the breakfast club, but compared to this, pretty in pink is just not good enough.
I can totally relate to the character of Watts and have feelings for my best friend whom we watched the movie together and he detected.We are now kind of taking it one day at a time and seeing if our ending turns out like Watts and Keith-keep your fingers crossed for SomeKind of Wonderful for us!!
Enjoy-the ending is the best!!!Of all John Hughes films this is the most enjoyable, as I'm sure everyone can relate to the characters and having feelings for your best guy friend.The whole movie is just like the story of our friendship we've known each other since high school and now into our adult hood (not giving up the age-lol) but I'm glad to have him in my life as a friend or more and hope our ending turns out as good as Watts and Kieth's!Now go see this wonderful movie!.
If the original script had been followed where Keith turns to Watts and says: 'You look wonderful wearing my future' it would have been the best movie in its genre, hands down, no matter the decade.
i remember when i first saw the teaser for this movie, like a year before it came out, just a clip of Mary Stuart Masterson playing the drums, but it just showed the drum kit and her hands with i'm sure some great music playing.
This was one of the best from the whole John Hughes 80's film collection...It was among Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, etc..but this far exceeds...Mary Stuart Masterson is awesome in this film...Not only is she the most beautiful TomBoy i have ever seen, but she was a drummer to top it off...Characters like Duncan and Watts showed us the 80's anarchy side of life to some of us who don't remember that side of the 80's.
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).
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.
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.
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.
Meanwhile, his best friend is the tomboyish Watts who finds out she has feelings for Keith after he asks Amanda out.The acting is very good and believable.
Mary Stuart Masterson does a solid job as Watts and this is probably her best role.Overall, Some Kind of Wonderful is an 80's teen film that will keep you engaged.
Keith is infatuated by popular girl Amanda Jones (Lea Thompson) and he invites her on a date, she accepts and Keith along with help from his best friend, a tomboy called Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson), plan the most amazing date.The cast including Eric Stoltz, Mary Stuart Masterson, Lea Thompson, Craig Sheffer, John Ashton & Elias Koteas is great and all bring something great to each character.
It was.The movie tracks a high school student, Keith (Eric Stoltz) during his most difficult experience in his life thus far: falling for popular girl, Amanda Jones (Lea Thompson).Stoltz, who was well into his mid-20s at the time of the movie, displayed the teenage emotions and their intensities so well that the viewer is shocked to hear of his actual age.
You can totally relate to the characters and they are played extremely well by Eric Stoltz, Mary Stuart Masterson and Lea Thompson.
Eric Stolz was great as Keith and Elias Koteas was equally good as Duncan (a very underrated actor) but this movie belonged to Mary Stuart Masterson.It was refreshing to see that the character of Amanda was a nice person - you wanted to hate her because she wanted to be like her rich snobby friends but you couldn't because she had genuine feelings for Keith (even though in the beginning it was used as a way to make Hardy jealous)and in the lead up to the end scenes the audience were shown what exactly Amanda really felt about her life and her "friends" that you couldn't help but feel sorry for her.I didn't like the way Keith's sister Laura was portrayed.
Instead of casting Molly or the other "brat pack" members it was refreshing to see Eric and Lea (the only two well known young actors) and people like Mary and Elias (who I think is one of the best actors today - has anyone see Fallen??)I definitely recommend this movie - no matter how many times you see it you always enjoy it..
Eric Stoltz plays Keith, a working-class guy who has a crush on a popular girl in school, Amanda Jones, played by Lea Thompson.
His best friend Watts is a drummer/tomboy, played Mary Stuart Masterson, who secretly falls in love with Keith.The acting was good and there were some cute scenes.
It recycles a lot of Hughes's previous storylines/characters: working-class guy, best friend in love, antagonizing parents/teachers/siblings, high school hierarchy, smarmy rich boyfriend, rich vs.
It's funny, but I thought Watts and Keith were better off as friends, but that's just my opinion.While I definitely enjoyed "Pretty In Pink" more, despite being disappointed by that film as well, SKOW is worth watching if you are a John Hughes fan, but it wasn't one of my favorites..
Director Howard Deutch and John Hughes reunited one year after their previous joint venture "Pretty In Pink" to make "Some Kind Of Wonderful", which is essentially the same movie as the Molly Ringwald vehicle.
"Some Kind of Wonderful" can be placed next to John Hughes' other successful films that have wowed the general public, such as "The Breakfast Club", "Pretty in Pink" etc.
This is a debate I have had many times when drunk with fellow film nuts and I can honestly say, hand on heart, that I do not think anyone has ever created a better character than that of Duncan, so wonderfully played by Elias Koteas.The scene where he etches a carving into the desktop then proclaims to Keith "this is what my girlfriend would look like without skin" still kills me, even after nearly 20 years of knowing that line is coming.Just wondered what you lot think?
In my opinion, "Some Kind of Wonderful" is John Hughes' best 80's teen movie by far.
In Pretty in Pink it was Jon Cryer's performance as Molly Ringwalds hopelessly infatuated friend Duckie, in Some Kind of Wonderful it is Mary Stuart Masterson's portrayal of Watt's, the tough, tomboy best-friend and secret admirer of our main character Keith.
In the end of our film Keith comes to a crossroads, stay with Amanda, the girl he has pawned after for his entire high school career, or be with Watt's, his best friend since grade school?
Eric Stoltz plays Keith Nelson, a high school student and mechanic who asks a popular student named Amanda Jones (Lea Thompson) out on a date.
Unbeknownst to Keith, his tomboy friend Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson), the subject of lesbian rumors in high school, has feelings for him.Many romantic movies of this ilk tend to provide the question of if the boy will get the girl.
As with any Hughes film the music equally plays its part to good effect as well.I know that 'Breakfast Club' is the best known of Hughes' 80's comedies, with 'Pretty in Pink' also having a strong following, but for me there are so many lovely moments within this film that it's stuck with me the more times I see it.I can only recommend you take a look at it yourself..
Keith Nelson (Eric Stoltz), Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson) and Amanda Jones (Lea Thompson) are all from the wrong side of the tracks.
Definitely check this out if you like John Hughes, love stories, teen dramas, 80's era stuff, or if you just like straight up good movies!.
The movie truly belongs to Mary Stuart Masterson, she plays Stolz's best friend and confidant, and yes like Jon Cryer's character (duckie) in Pretty in Pink, she is in love with her best friend.She plays the character with the right mix of attitude and sensibility.
One of her first real breaks, she plays the tom-boyish friend of Eric Stoltz, which she has a crush on, however, he has a crush on the most popular girl in school, played by Lea Thompson(sounds oddly familiar to another Hughes film...Sixteen Candles ring any bells?).
I wish I looked just like Mary Stuart Masterson.This movie is my favorite movie of all time.Keith and Watts were really made for eachother.Amanda Jones is a self-centered,stuck up teenage girl who thinks she is better than other people.I think the music in this movie sucked.They could have used better songs.But the movie itself was awesome!!!On a scale from 1-10 I would give this movie a 9.The reason I would give it a 9 is because the music sucked big time.I even own the soundtrack for some odd reason.It is a must see movie.I don't think this movie was very popular to people because u would hear about it more..
Stoltz is lovely, Masterson is SO believable as the hard-done-by friend, and Thompson is great as the girl you feel you should hate, but just can't.The plot is similar to that of many of Hughes' work, you know, boy from wrong side of tracks in love with beautiful girl he 'could never score in a million years', but guess what - he does!!Many times I have wanted to have the friendship that Watts and Keith have, (with the inevitable ending of course), yet unfortunately, so far, these things seem to be confined to the screen!!
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.
John Hughes certainly knew how to get into the heart of an 80's American teenager.I could relate so much with Eric Stoltz's character (Keith Nelson) and with Mary Stuart Masterson's character (Watts).
The 80s had so many teen comedies, and I say "Some Kind of Wonderful" was among one of the best along with "Fast Time at Ridgemont High", "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", and "Say Anything..." Not that it was a great comedy, per se, but it was a very in depth look of teenager trying to understand themselves.Eric Stolze played an ordinary teenager, Keith of a middle class family who wanted to go after one of the most beautiful girl, played by Lea Thompson, in school.