Cry-Baby
Tags: cult, satire

Plot synopsis:
In the school gym, students file in two lines for Polio vaccines. It is here that the audience is introduced to the main cast. The Drapes: Lenora Frigid (Kim Webb), Drape hussy with a manipulative streak and her eyes set on Cry-Baby, Mona "Hatchet-Face" Malnorowski (Kim McGuire), tough as nails, with a face that could shatter glass; Wanda Woodward (Traci Lords), obviously the school siren in tight clothes and too much make-up; Milton Hackett (Darren E. Burrows), Hatchet-Face's boyfriend, a light-hearted guy with a ever-present smile and a constant joke-maker; Pepper Walker (Ricki Lake), a teenage mother of two and pregnant, rough and tough and loyal; and Wade "Cry-Baby" Walker (Johnny Depp), the drape heartthrob that was raised a gentleman by delinquents like himself. His manners and politeness are a step above that of the average Drape; however, he loves his gang and his culture. They're Drapes, and they're proud.Here, we also meet the two main Squares: Allison Vernon-Williams (Amy Locane), a Square with a rebellious side that's 'tired of being good', who, after one moment of eye contact has stolen Cry-Baby's heart, and her Square boyfriend Baldwin (Stephen Mailer), who is jealous and territorial and has two dreams in life: wife-ing up Allison and taking down Cry-Baby and his gang.After the vaccines are administered, the students are released. We meet Wanda's mother and father (Patricia Hearst and David Nelson), the school crossing guard and bus driver, respectively. They're both blissfully ignorant and extremely uncool. Allison introduces herself to Cry-Baby and his friends and Cry-Baby invites Allison to hang out with the Drapes. Allison's grandmother, Mrs. Vernon-Williams (Polly Bergen) and Baldwin show up with the same message for Cry-Baby: stay away from Allison.Though Cry-Baby, born and raised an outlaw, has trouble with listening, and he and his friends tail Allison and her grandmother on the street, driving up beside them and serenading Allison, complete with a blown kiss.After the Vernon-Williams' and Baldwin arrive at the RSVP Charm school, the academy run by Mrs. Vernon-Williams, Baldwin and his Whiffles (Drew Ebersole, Kenny Curtis and Scott Neilson) perform their act in the annual RSVP Talent Show, a lame Doo-Wop song {Sh-Boom}. Afterwards, Allison performs her own song {A Teenage Prayer}. This is where we see her and Baldwin's differing goals in life; while Baldwin watches Allison and imagines her in a wedding dress complete with bouquet and veil, Allison's imagination turns Baldwin and each of the Whiffles into Cry-Baby.Meanwhile, at Turkey Point, the Drape swimming hole (which Mrs. Vernon-Williams ungraciously calls the 'Redneck Riviera'), we meet Milton's parents (Joe Dallesandro and Joey Heatherton), a devout religious couple preaching to the delinquents to repent and accept Jesus into their hearts. As Cry-Baby's gang walks through Turkey Point greeting all their friends, Lenora once again tries to sink her claws into Cry-Baby with a 'CB' burned into her thigh via stickers and sun-bathing. She tells him that she needs a date for that night's Jukebox Jamboree, but Cry-Baby (and his gang) tells her that it's NOT gonna happen.After Cry-Baby's uncle Belvedere (Iggy Pop) and Grandmother Ramona (Susan Tyrrell) gift him with a brand new motorcycle, he travels to the RSVP talent show, politely asking Mrs. Vernon-Williams if Allison can join him at the Jukebox Jamboree at Turkey Point. Mrs. Vernon-Williams reluctantly allows when Cry-Baby shows his poise after Baldwin attacks him.At the Jukebox Jamboree, Pepper, Wanda and Hatchet-Face give Allison a 'bad girl beauty make-over', exchanging her elegant white gown for leather pants and a halter top, complete with a new hairstyle and a face full of make-up. Allison joins Belvedere and Ramona in the audience as Milton, Wanda, Pepper, and Hatchet-Face (as the Cry-Baby Combo) back Cry-Baby for his performance {King Cry-Baby}. Lenora, in true groupie fashion throws her panties at Cry-Baby as he sings, glaring at Allison as she does so. Cry-Baby, however, just kicks them aside before bringing Allison onstage to song with him. Allison sings a line as her 'good girl', and then exchanges it for roaring her second line, bringing her Drape side full circle.After the performance, Allison and Cry-Baby find a spot in a field where Cry-Baby confesses his love for Allison, and give her her first French kiss. Allison talks about her parents' death, telling Cry-Baby she's an orphan. Cry-Baby reveals that his father was The Alphabet Bomber, famous for setting off bombs in alphabetical order (airport, barbershop, car wash, etc.), and that he and Cry-Baby's mother both died in the electric chair.As Cry-Baby and Allison share their family pasts, Baldwin and a group of vengeful Squares sneak into Turkey Point to vandalize the Drapes' cars, Cry-Baby's motorcycle, eventually incite an all-out brawl with the Drapes.Lenora lies to Allison, telling her that she's pregnant with Cry-Baby's child, and Baldwin tells her that the Drapes started everything.All the Drapes, including Allison are arrested and brought to court, where Milton, Hatchet-Face and Wanda are released to their parents and Allison to her grandmother, Ramona and Belvedere are fined $1000 apiece, Peppers kids, Snare-Drum and Susie-Q (Jonathan Benya and Scout Raskin) are put in an orphanage, and Cry-Baby is sentenced to the Maryland Training School for Boys until his 21st birthday.Cry-Baby sings out his longing for Allison on his first night {Teardrops Are Falling}, while Lenora manipulates a clip of Cry-Baby admitting his happiness and pride at being a juvenile delinquent into his pride of being a soon-to-be father by telling the reporters that she's pregnant.Allison hears this on the radio and gives up her Drape style for a floral dress and her Square life once again. Baldwin convinces her to return to him (in the form of a serenade in the director's cut {The Naughty Lady Of Shady Lane}) and Allison says live to reporters that she wants nothing to do with Cry-Baby anymore. Cry-Baby hears this on the radio and gets so angry that he breaks into spontaneous song and dance {Doin' Time For Bein' Young}, which lands him The Hole with his fellow Drape friend, Dupree (Robert Tyree), who gives Cry-Baby a teardrop tattoo for Allison. Cry-Baby uses the sewer in the room to try to escape, unknowingly passing right past Hatchet and Milton, who have stolen a helicopter to break Cry-Baby out, unsuccessfully. Cry-Baby eventually takes a wrong turn that leads him straight to the barbershop of the prison, and straight into the hands of a dozen guards.Meanwhile, Wanda runs away from home after her parents reveal that they've signed her up for an exchange program and she's scheduled to leave for Sweden that afternoon. Pepper, Ramona and Belvedere break all the children out of the inhumane Chatterbox Orphanage and head to the opening of the Enchanted Forest, Maryland's first theme park, and where Baldwin, the Whiffles and Allison are performing {Mr. Sandman}. Allison sees Lenora (now in Square fashion) blow a kiss to Baldwin and smacks him before being told by Cry-Baby's gang that 'she sung with the Squares, now sing with the Drapes'. Baldwin insists that he loves her; Lenora announces that she's now a Square, and Mrs. Vernon-Williams (now warmed up to Cry-Baby and his gang and even sporting a skull and crossbones pin) tells Allison to 'pick the man that loves her the most'.We cut immediately to Cry-Baby's gang and Mrs. Vernon-Williams outside the prison with Allison singing on a hot rod hood in a sexy red dress {Please, Mr. Jailer} vying for Cry-Baby's release from the Judge (Robert Walsh).Cry-Baby is summoned to the visitation room in the nick of time, right before his hair is shaved off. Allison dances for him and they sing to each other, Cry-Baby's need for Allison driving him to shatter the glass separating them, just as the Judge runs in to release him from his sentence.At Cry-Baby's formal release, the Drapes (complete with Mrs. Vernon-Williams) arrive to celebrate and the Squares (complete with Lenora on Baldwin's arm) arrive to jeer.Baldwin reveals that his grandfather was a prison guard, and the one that flipped the switch and electrocuted Cry-Baby's parents.Cry-Baby challenges Baldwin to a game of Chicken with a twist; he and Baldwin on top of the car. Baldwin agrees, and Allison and the Drapes perform a soundtrack to the game {High School Hellcats}.Baldwin chickens out and Cry-Baby wins. Everyone sheds a single tear, except for Cry-Baby, who has finally let go and is able to cry from both eyes.

Review: There seem to be two types of folks who detest "Cry-Baby;"  those who think Waters sold out by making anything that cost more than $500 and didn't include coprophagy,  and those who insist that all movies be Art with a capital A.I was well into my 20's when the movie first came out, not a fan of 21 Jump Street, and no stranger to movies, including masterpieces and early John Waters, but I LOVED it, and have caught the uncut version on USA network quite a few times.Cry-Baby is no Citizen Kane, and it's no Pink Flamingos, but, at risk of being pretentious, I will say that its full of something that makes art: Truth.
John Waters' love for the fun parts of the 50's, (and hatred of the status quo that obviously made his teen years a living hell) is all over this film.Yes, scenes such as the orphanage are silly, but the cynicism of the orphanage workers and the angst of the mother are as real as can be.
The silliness works because the John Waters BELIEVES in what he is saying, and makes damn sure that his actors are with him!All of the actors, from Johnny Depp who (as with all of his roles) *becomes* the character to Joe Dallesandro who barely can get his lines out, believe in their characters."Cry-Baby" parodies 50's "Teen Rebel" musicals such as "Rock Around the Clock" and "Don't Knock the Rock", but with obvious affection.Yes, it's a musical.
They're not diaries, they're not reality, they're MOVIES!"Cry-Baby" is a lot of fun, and the soundtrack is terrific (and "Hairspray"'s is even better!).If you liked "Cry-Baby", I recommend "Hairspray" (not quite so silly, just as sweet.) and "But I'm A Cheerleader," which is definitely Waters-inspired, from its use of pink to its incredibly true emotions within very silly situations.If you didn't like Cry-Baby, how sad.
It's a good natured, never mean musical based in a world where a song can make jail prisoners dance and riot or make someone fall in love with you despite being from different worlds.
Wade "Cry baby" Walker (Johnny Depp) is considered a drape and a juvenile delinquent, and Alison (Amy Locane) is considered a square and a perfect angel.
Don't expect to watch a movie in the style of "Grease" when you watch "Cry-Baby." This is a John Waters musical-comedy, and it's full of his style and humor.
The dialogue and acting are usually out of the mainstream norm, and viewers who are not familiar with John Waters may not enjoy his films unless they open their minds to possibilities of silly, ridiculous, vulgar, and campy humor.
Ricki Lake returns in her second John Waters movie as Cry-Baby's pregnant sister.
"Cry-Baby" was a lot of fun to watch on the big screen, and I'm again enjoying it since it's been released on DVD (with added scenes that were cut for its theatrical release.) "Cry-Baby" is a snazzy and fun musical-comedy that seems to be pleasing people who are not regular John Waters fans!
John Waters' movies are perhaps acquired taste (read: first class TRASH!), but "Cry-Baby" is a fairly accessible and comical romp, complete with great music, very likable performances and a moody 50's atmosphere.
Obviously mocking "Grease", the story is set in a Baltimore high school where teen idol Johnny Depp leads the "Drapes" thug gang versus the chic and fancy "Squares".
Johnny Depp once again shows himself to be possibly the greatest actor of his generation as Wade "Cry-Baby" Walker, a "drape" who falls for "square" Allison Vernon-Williams (Amy Locane).
Naturally, her conservative family and acquaintances don't approve of this one bit, so trouble ensues.Probably the funniest scenes in the movie are as follows: an air-head mother (Patty Hearst) tells her daughter to stop and look both ways before crossing the street - this to a girl who prefers to hang out with the "drapes"; at a "square" party, some boys sing the most mind-numbing, idiotic song imaginable (it just goes to show what dorks they are); and the scene in jail, where a cop (Willem Dafoe) makes everyone repeat "God bless Dwight Eisenhower!
It's a brilliant send-up of the Grease story and Johnny Depp is perfectly cast in the James Dean-type role as a juvinile dilinquent who falls for a square.
After i saw this movie i said i love Johnny Depp and now i know everything about him .
When i first saw the movie i had to take three looks before i realized that cry-baby walker was Johnny Depp the first two words out of my mouth were HE'S HOT.
When I see a film like John Waters' Cry-Baby it almost whispers to me that there should be no such thing as a "parody movie." There should only be homages to clichés, genres, and eras.
It's a film that follows the rebellious rocker Wade "Cry-Baby" Walker, played fantastically by Johnny Depp, who occupies a strange ability to cry one single tear from his left eye.This ability woos all the girls, including Alison Vernon-Williams (Locane), a good girl who finally wants to cut loose and shy away from her cutesy image.
Especially Depp who basically tells us "whatever I act in you'll have to accept." Cry-Baby floats in a sea of innocence and isn't at all cocky with its material like some films are in the same genre.
It simply wants to show us the paradox of generations, a well done character study on multiple different people, a mixture of Elvis films, Grease, and others of the leather jacket-generation, and just a fun musical as well.
Its campy style will be disliked by some, questioned by many, but loved by the true cult-cravers.Starring: Johnny Depp, Amy Locane, Susan Tyrrell, Polly Bergen, Iggy Pop, Ricki Lake, Traci Lords, Kim McGuire, Darren E.
If you've never seen any of the old movies it's making fun of...or if you just don't get satire...then you may not like Cry Baby.
Even the choreographed, production numbers (which is something I'd normally hate) are extremely enjoyable because they're such obvious jabs at Elvis movie song sequences.The cast of this film is just amazing.
I know this movie isn't supposed to be taken seriously, but it goes far beyond being just good farcical fun and ends up being a dreadful waste of film.
Johnny Depp, in his first starring role in a motion picture, plays "Cry Baby", a young teen delinquent who's a cross between Elvis and James Dean and every other tough guy that came out of the 50s.
This film both made me laugh and swoon(of course) over Johnny's interpretation of a troubled teen-idol.This movie was full of so much enthusaism and great acting that I have been trying to find it on DVD.
With interesting dual performances byIggy-Pop and Ricki Lake as the hilarious Pepper, This movie got a "10" from me.If you are looking for a more light-hearted and clever film starring Johnny Depp, rent Cry-baby today!.
A good girl (Amy Locane) struggling with his primary roots and these juvenile teenagers (She's fascinated by them) but she's falls in love with "Cry-Baby" and then trouble follows them.Written and Directed by John Waters (Hairspary, Pecker, Serial Mom) made an amusing parody of the 1950's lifestyle.
This has to be the funniest send up of those teen musicals that could only come from the imagination of writer/director John Waters (Hairspray, Pecker).Starring Johnny Depp and Amy Locane (Blue Sky, Going All the Way) with a supporting cast that is familiar and fun: Polly Bergen ("Desperate Housewives"), Iggy Pop, Ricki Lake (both Hairsprays), porn queen Traci Lords, Troy Donahue, Willem Dafoe, and many more' with fantastic singing by James Intveld and Rachel Sweet (I have to get this soundtrack!).If you like John Waters and the music of the 50s, then this is a movie that you will not want to miss.
Anyway about the movie it is a great story about love and the life or a teenage boy named Wade or Cry-Baby Walker.
It is John Waters Best film (well in my opinion, you might not think its was his best, but I do maybe its just me)!!!!Sarah---loves Johnny Depp.
I expected it to be just as weird as it turned out to be (as all of Johnny Depp's movies tend to be, which is why I love them!), and I enjoyed it immensely.
John Waters is known for camp and although I personally am not a fan of his other movies he won me over with Cry Baby.
I first saw cry baby when I was about 14.Up until this point I was fairly satisfied to watch john Hughes teen movies.
Watching cry baby is watch so much better very kitsch cool clothes bizarre but strangely familiar people.All my friends wanted to be Alison and be with Johnny depp.he has never looked so pleasing!
Johnny Depp, of course, didn't become a marquee name until some time after this came out -- he was previously best known for his role on the TV show "21 Jump Street" and had also played Nancy's boyfriend in "A Nightmare on Elm Street" -- but afterwards he exploded, and I wonder if it's partly because of his role in this movie.
He's so successful here I wish he'd do a reunion movie with Waters as the two go together so well."Cry-Baby" takes place in Baltimore during the 50s and concerns itself with two opposing segments of society: the squares, who are the clean-cut types, and the drapes, who are juvenile delinquent types.
All of this leads to a great courtroom scene that helps set up the central conflict of the third act, with Allison not sure which path she wants to go down, and Cry-Baby locked up in reform school.The cast is hilarious.
Also watch out for Patricia Hearst and David Nelson (Ozzie's son) as Wanda's straight-laced, square-like parents (the courtroom scene involving Wanda and her parents is the funniest scene in the movie), Troy Donahue and Mink Stole(who, like Hearst, is a Waters regular) as Hatchet-Face's parents, Joey Heatherton and Joe Dallesandro as Milton's bible-thumping parents, and Willem Dafoe as a guard at the reform school.What will happen to Cry-Baby and his gang?
The first time I saw this movie, I didn't realize that this was Johnny Depp's first starring role.
The TV was created for entertainment - if a person were to watch Cry Baby with an over analytical mind set they would be sadly disappointed, but if you enjoy the greaser-square feuds or people bursting into song - then this the perfect movie to watch.
The songs are just great, the plot is silly, with an obvious happy end, everybody are happy, and i want to get to the fifties immediately because i was born too late and have a very vague idea about this time - based mainly on films like this one...
I loved how off beat and strange it was at time, and yet Johnny Depp was awesome as cry baby.
I also enjoyed the singin jailbirds scene.Most of I enjoy all of Depps films, he has great choice is style as well.Tracy Lords also I enjoyed she reminds me of all the wannabes nowadays trying so hard to look like her and be retro and the Betty Page wannabes..
Absolutely fabulous, i am a great fan of johnny depp i love all of his movies he is just a brilliant actor, and i am a great fan of musicals, its not the best film in the world but its a great laugh and i had a very entertaining time watching it!.
i am sure that anyone who enjoys romances, comedies and musicals (a.k.a the average woman) will absolutely love it and get a hysterically great time out of watching it.
One of John Waters' finest, Cry Baby is a hilarious film with some great songs.
This movie represents his crude sense of humor with his childhood yearning to be a "drape." I recommend this film to anyone who wants a musical that is ACTUALLY good..
I thought Cry-Baby was such a dumb movie, the plot anyway, but the singing and Johnny Depp and the comedy was great!!
But I would recommend that you see it with a group of friends or family...it's that kind of movie!Cry-Baby has a lot of familiar people like Ricki Lake (has her own show) Johnny Depp (obvious) Iggy Pop (band member) and Traci Lords (porn star).
I must say that up until this movie, I didn't like Johnny Depp.
That's why the plot looks a lot like 'Grease' - rebel teenager falls in love with a 'square' girl.
I would watch the movie again on mute just to see him, but unfortunately the tracking on the tape I rented is so bad that I can't.) It's fun to see Johnny so young and so long ago, and it's kind of amusing to see Ricki Lake pregnant as Cry-Baby's sister Pepper.
"Cry-Baby" is comedy musical that parodies movies about juvenile delinquency and teens in the fifties, like "Grease" or "Rebel Without a Cause".
It has an entertaining story, great music, and choreography, and well-developed characters, played by charismatic actors, among which are Johnny Depp, Iggy Pop, Tracy Lords, and Willem Dafoe.
Some examples that I liked about the movie were when Johnny Depp and his gang get out of their car and just get rough and tough with the squares.
This is one of the oddest high school musical comedy films you'll ever see - even stranger than the Grease movies.Johnny Depp is Cry-baby.
Her (ex)-boyfriend does not like the idea and seeks revenge on Cry-baby.Quite a bit of comedy - some sexy scenes - lots of musical numbers keep this film as a fan favorite.6/10.
Trouble brews in a small Baltimore town when pretty 'square' Alison (Amy Locane) falls for bad-boy 'drape' Cry-Baby (Johnny Depp), so called because of the single tear he sheds every time he does something rotten.Following the success of Hairspray (1988), cult director John Waters continues to flirt with mainstream movie-making with this trailer-trash musical, a gloriously campy effort inspired by '50s rock 'n' roll movies that boasts an extremely colourful cast, including rocker Iggy Pop, ex-porn-star Traci Lords, Waters regular Mink Stole, notorious kidnap victim Patricia Hearst, Warhol acolyte Joe Dallesandro, future chat-show host Ricki Lake, and '50s heart-throb Troy Donahue, plus a small but memorable role for Willem Dafoe.It kinda goes without saying that the film is just as kooky as its collection of off-beat performers suggests, with lots of crazy comedy, a touching love story, and plenty of well-executed musical numbers (Depp and Locane lip-synch—probably not a bad thing—but the songs are great).
Cult wizard John Waters' first major studio film at the heels of the moderate success of HAIRSPRAY (1988), CRY-BABY is Johnny Depp's springboard from small screen to silver screen in his salad days.It is 1954 in Baltimore, Wade Walker, aka, Cry-Baby (Depp) is the leader of the "drapes" gang, a group of delinquents including the core five, Cry-Baby, his litter sister Pepper (Lake), a chubby teenage mother of two and expecting a third, "bad girl" Wanda (the pornography actress Lords), the facially disfigured Gothic-looking Hatchet Face (McGuire) and her boyfriend Milton (Burrows).
I've gotta admit I was always skipping this film because it doesn't really sound like a great movie and stuff but when I gave it a try it wasn't bad as I thought it was although I feel awkward watching it like I can't help myself but hit the pause button for every single time and just recover myself from the awkwardness, I don't know Johnny Depp is kind of a bit wild and weird in this movie -in all of his movies this one is the weirdest if everyone thinks he is weird for portraying Edward Scissorhands, the mad hatter or jack sparrow then they probably have not seen this movie yet because it is the weirdest movies he had.
The movie is a parody of 50's teen rebel films and it spoofs musicals like Grease.
It's Johnny Depp who carries the film with his charm and good looks making fun of our conception of the cool rebel character, which in a way is the way audiences conceive the actor in real life.
In 1954 Baltimore bad boy Cry Baby (Johnny Depp) falls for sweet and innocent Allison Vernon-Williams (Amy Locane).
She also falls for him to the horror of her mother (Polly Bergen perfectly cast) and her boyfriend who will do anything to get her back.This movie was obviously made to recreate the success of John Waters' earlier film "Hairspray" which was a huge hit.
Depp is fun in his first movie; Locane is very sexy; Ricki Lake is having a great time; Traci Lords wisely kids her porn star image.
Moreover he assembles a splendid cast that includes Johnny Depp, a very young Amy Locane, Susan Tyrrell, Polly Bergen, Iggy Pop, Ricki Lake, Traci Lords, Kim McGuire, Darren Burrows and Stephen Mailer.
If you are someone who is a big John Waters fan or has a unique and really good sense of humor, this will be a movie you'll love.
I watched "Cry-Baby" for two reasons: it was Johnny Depp's breakthrough role, his first lead after the TV series he did; and after watching (and thoroughly enjoying) "Serial Mom," I wanted to see what else John Waters had to offer.
Johnny Depp gives a great performance as a 'juvenile delinquent' falling for a good girl.
I love other Waters movies (Polyester is hilarious) but Cry-Baby is my favourite.
As with a typical John Waters' movie, it has a satirical edge and somewhat exaggerated characters, but is all good fun.
Slightly funny and musically entertaining movie that has Johnny Depp (not that well known then) as a delinquent who falls in love with a girl who wants to be bad.
that should be me hes kissing)if your a huge johnny Depp fan just like me u will love this film !