Some Kind of Wonderful

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Some Kind of Wonderful

PG-13

1987

1h 34m

Romance

Drama

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Popcornmeter

74%

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43 Reviews

80%

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25,000+ Ratings

Keith Nelson (Eric Stoltz), an artsy high school outcast, tries to land a date with popular girl Amanda Jones (Lea Thompson) with some help from his tomboy best friend, Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson). However, his advances draw the ire of Amanda's snobby ex-boyfriend, Hardy Jenns (Craig Sheffer), who makes plans to get even. Matters are further complicated when Watts realizes she likes Keith as more than just a friend and tries to convince him to stop pursuing Amanda.

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Critics Consensus

Some Kind of Wonderful is above-average '80s teen fare for people who need as much John Hughes in their lives as possible.

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Dave Kehr

Chicago Tribune

Jun 17, 2020

2/4

''Some Kind of Wonderful'' is a slight and forgettable film, but Hughes still has an eye for young acting talent.

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Sheila Benson

Los Angeles Times

Jun 17, 2020

Hughes has absolutely nothing new to report--no fresh perspectives, no gratefully received maturity, nothing added or deepened. Or speeded up, from the feel of it.

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Pat Graham

Chicago Reader

Jul 24, 2007

Assembly-line feature from the John Hughes teen factory.

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Erik Childress

The Friendship Dilemma Podcast

Jul 25, 2022

3.5/4

John Hughes’ more fully-realized version of Pretty In Pink that truly gets the hopeless outsider’s view of romance without love and not gracefully understanding their pursuit of it.

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Brian Orndorf

Blu-ray.com

Sep 6, 2021

A-

It remains attentive to universal feelings concerning crushes and maturity, parenthood and personal responsibility, ultimately achieving just a bit more cohesiveness and liveliness than "Pretty in Pink."

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Christopher Lloyd

The Film Yap

Jul 26, 2021

3.5/5

Essentially a remake of Pretty in Pink but with John Hughes' preferred ending, Some Kind of Wonderful revisits the teen love triangle with some interesting notes but less energy.

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Le S

@RT67114437 Sep 12, 2026

Not a bad movie. The reason this movie is not in the upper echelon of 80s teen movies is the ending. It's completely ridiculous.

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Farah R

@Farah Aug 22, 2026

Not as memorable as John Hughs’ other teen films. This one feels too basic, offering a formulaic story of family drama and teen angst. It’s also far too predictable to enjoy. The performances were good thought.

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James K

@Jamesdkman Feb 15, 2026

I'll admit that nostalgia drives this review, but I will commit to being an honest critic about a film I like. After recently rewatching this movie - I still love it! I think the characters really work for the time. I think the story plot is in the realm of reason, but I've always questioned Keith's plan to stand up for himself, more so than I do with his extravagant date with a girl that... I'm not sure what the ultimate goal was in that. It was a feel good movie, one where the right people got together, and it stayed away from the typical 80's plot within the popular teen gets with the nerd, the reject, or the rebel. Yet, I can see this movie not aging well. Watts might be the only character that ages gracefully in this film, as Masterson's portrayal of her was flawless. Keith's behavior would have him behind bars today, but I guess it was cute in the 80's to be kind of a stalker? Most of the characters are kind of terrible humans, even the ones you root for. Yet, I'm biased.

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Michael H

@Mixhael Dec 8, 2025

Masterson and Stoltz possess talent and charm to spare. Here are actors making characters of what could have been cartoons.

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Tyler P.

@TylerPhoenixMD Nov 27, 2025

Classic coming of age movie with some twists!

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Paul L

@RT52342281 Nov 4, 2025

The story is pretty typical and goes the tired tropes of coming of age movies of the time but what sets this movie apart are the charm of the characters and actors. They are so likeable and relatable you want to root for them.

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Howard Deutch

Director

Eric Stoltz

Keith Nelson

Mary Stuart Masterson

Watts

Lea Thompson

Amanda Jones

Craig Sheffer

Hardy Jenns

John Ashton

Cliff Nelson

Some Kind of Wonderful: Official Clip - I Always Knew You Were Stupid

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Some Kind of Wonderful: Official Clip - Getting Into Amanda Jones

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Some Kind of Wonderful: Official Clip - Hardy is Over

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Some Kind of Wonderful: Official Clip - She Doesn't Love You

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Some Kind of Wonderful: Official Clip - Radiating Sexual Vibes

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Some Kind of Wonderful: Official Clip - Duncan Crashes the Party

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Some Kind of Wonderful: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Keith Nelson (Eric Stoltz), an artsy high school outcast, tries to land a date with popular girl Amanda Jones (Lea Thompson) with some help from his tomboy best friend, Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson). However, his advances draw the ire of Amanda's snobby ex-boyfriend, Hardy Jenns (Craig Sheffer), who makes plans to get even. Matters are further complicated when Watts realizes she likes Keith as more than just a friend and tries to convince him to stop pursuing Amanda.

Director: Howard Deutch
Producer: John Hughes
Screenwriter: John Hughes
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 5, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $17.1M
Runtime: 1h 34m
Sound Mix: Surround
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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