Cry-baby. Universal Studios, 1990.Cast: Johnny Depp, Ricki Lake, Amy Locane, Susan Tyrrell, Polly Bergen.
Director: John Waters.
Rating: PG-13.
Length: 85 minutes.
ASIN: B0009IOR6Q
Plot:
In 1954 Baltimore, the town is divided between the Squares and the Drapes. The Drapes are led by Wade “Cry-Baby” Walker, named for his ability to shed a single tear. One day after school, Cry-Baby is approached by Allison, a Square who is tired of being good. He comes by her house to take her to Turkey Point, the hangout for the Drapes, which is owned by Cry-Baby’s grandmother. Despite her disapproval, Allison’s grandmother allows her to go. While there, Allison gets a “bad girl” makeover by Cry-Baby’s friends. While Cry-Baby and Allison are kissing, Allison’s jealous boyfriend, Baldwin, and his friends attack Turkey Point and the police break everything up, arresting Allison and the Drapes. Allison is released, but Cry-Baby is sent to juvenile hall. Allison swears to be loyal to him, but changes her mind after Lenore, a Drape with a crush on Cry-Baby, claims to be pregnant with his child. Allison then goes back to Baldwin, while Lenore decides to claim that she is a Square, as well. Her grandmother and the Drapes convince Allison that Cry-Baby is really the boy for her and they all set out to convince the judge to release him from juvenile hall.
Critical Evaluation:
John Waters created a cult classic with Cry-baby. This hilarious tongue-in-cheek musical good-naturedly mocks more traditional films such as Grease, West Side Story, and The Outsiders. The story is a familiar one, that of the good girl falling for the bad boy and both of them being redeemed in the process, but with an irreverent take on everything from their relationship to the reaction of the town. The characters are caricatures with often ridiculous dialogue, but they never fail to entertain. The movie invites the viewer to laugh along with it as it makes fun of the genre, the time period, the storyline, and even itself. It’s evident that the cast is having fun with the performance, but they’re still taking their parts seriously. Johnny Depp and Amy Locane manage to take what could have been over-the-top characters and play them with a sincerity that balances the humor perfectly.
Though the music could have easily been overshadowed by the story, the songs stand on their own. They’re catchy, fun, and advance the plot rather than distracting from it. The combination of rockabilly, doo-wop, and 50s pop leave the viewer wanting to sing and dance along. Johnny Depp’s dancing and James Intveld’s singing are reminiscent of Elvis and offer another throwback to the 50s. This parody of typical teen musicals is something teens will definitely appreciate.
Annotation:
Allison, a Square is tired of being good when she meets and falls in love with Wade “Cry-baby” Walker, a Drape from the wrong side of town.
Director Information:
John waters was born April 22, 1946 in Baltimore, Maryland. As a child, he saw the movie Lili, which spawned his interest in puppets. Growing up, he also loved violent and gory movies and would often watch adult-only movies playing at the drive-in by using binoculars. Both of these had a large effect on his film-making as an adult. He attended NYU for film-making, but was unsatisfied with the program and quickly left.
He made his first film at the age of 18. He would go on to write 16 more films and direct 15 of those. His films are almost always set in his hometown of Baltimore and often are cast with the same core group of actors, including his childhood friend, the drag queen Divine. Another childhood friend, Mary Vivian Pearce, has appeared in every one of his movies. His core group of actors is referred to as Dreamlanders, named after his production company Dreamland Productions.
Genre:
Movie: Musical Comedy
Curriculum Ties:
Music: 1950s Music
Theater: Musicals
Movie Talking Ideas:
- Describe the Squares and the Drapes.
- Compare Cry-baby to Baldwin.
- Discuss the evolution of Allison's character.
- Focus on its satirization traditional teen musicals.
Interest Age:
13 and older
Challenge Issues:
Teen pregnancy
Tobacco use
Delinquency
Casting of Traci Lords
Challenge Defense Ideas:
- Require the challenger to fill out a written challenge form with clear reasons stated and examples given.
- If not already familiar with the content, become familiar.
- Refer the challenger to the library's collection policy.
- Refer the challenger to reputable reviews of the books, as well as reviews by those in the book's target audience.
Reasons for Selection:
This movie was first shown to me when I was 17 and I've loved it ever since. It remains one of my favorite films from my teen years.
