Some Kind of Wonderful

It's not a great movie. It progresses slowly at times and it uses some fairly standard characters. But it is not about whether the hero will get the girl. It is about whether the hero should get the girl, and when was the last time you saw a movie that even knew that could be the question?

—Roger Ebert's review

Some Kind of Wonderful is an 1987 teen film, written by John Hughes. Though it was directed by Howard Deutch, it's viewed as a Hughes film.

The protagonist, Keith (Eric Stoltz) is a working-class student, who's in love with popular, rich girl Amanda Jones (Lea Thompson). Meanwhile, his tomboyish best friend, Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson) is in love with him, but Keith doesn't notice that. Keith eventually asks Amanda out, right after she broke up with her jerk of a boyfriend, so, mainly out of spite, she says yes. Watts's jealousy causes conflict between her and Keith, but they reconcile, and Watts chauffeurs Keith to his date. At first, Keith and Amanda hit it off, but Keith realizes that he loves Watts. Amanda tells him to go to her, and they get together.

The film is similar to Hughes and Deutch's previous collaboration Pretty in Pink, with genders switched and the ending changed. Some Kind of Wonderful had a surprisingly good (but hard-to-find) young-adult Novelization that really fleshed out the characters.

Tropes used in Some Kind of Wonderful include:
  • The Alleged Car: Watts' Mini. Keith is humiliated when he borrows it to give Amanda a ride home, and it won't start.
  • All There in the Manual: According to the first draft of the script and the young-adult novelization, Watts's first name is Susan. Also, her parents are both dead and she lives with two neglectful older brothers.
    • One annoying plot hole is also filled in by the novelization: In the movie, we have no idea why Keith is waiting at a club in the hopes that Amanda will show up. In the book, it's explained that she told him she was a big fan of the band who was playing.
  • Alpha Bitch: Subverted with Amanda; she is rich and popular, and Watts tries to stop Keith from dating her because she thinks Amanda is the Alpha Bitch, but she's actually a very nice girl.
  • Annoying Younger Sibling: Keith's sister, Laura.
  • Bifauxnen: Watts in the last act.
  • Badass Boast: Duncan, Keith's skinhead delinquent friend, to Jerk Jock Hardy:

Duncan: I'm here to kick your ass, and you know it, and everybody here knows it, and above all, you deserve it. In fact, I think it's safe to say that this party is about to become a historical fact.

Duncan: (to Keith, as Keith is leaving with Amanda) "We're gonna bring this party up to a nice respectable level. Don't worry, we're not gonna hurt anyone. We're not even gonna touch 'em. We're just gonna make 'em cry a little... just by lookin' at 'em."

Ray: If you wanted to, you could be a girl...like that!
Watts: Ray, this is 1987. Did you know that a girl can be whatever she wants to be?
Ray: I know, my mom's a plumber.
Watts: That explains a lot about you, Ray.

Watts: She'll probably do this. (puts her arms around Keith's shoulders)
Keith: How do you know all this?
Watts: (getting annoyed) ... I watch a lot of TV.

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