Andrew McCarthy: Pretty in Pink and more

Andrew McCarthy as Blane in "Pretty in Pink".

Source: https://www.moviestore.com/

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When I was in a Wal-mart in Nanaimo, checking out the books, I noticed Andrew McCarthy had written a book about a journey he had taken with his son.

I immediately put his name in my phone because even hearing the name Andrew McCarthy conjures up memories of one of the best teen actors of the 1980s.

St. Elmo’s Fire
It seems Andrew McCarthy followed me right through the decade. After appearing in “Class” in 1983 opposite Rob Lowe and Jacqueline Bisset; “The Beniker Gang” in 1984; and “Heaven Help Us” in 1985, he broke through with a role in the teen angst film “St. Elmo’s Fire”.

Unlike the John Hughes movies, which focused on teens battling the challenges of high school life, “St. Elmo’s Fire” focuses on a group of friends who are trying to cope with life after university.

McCarthy plays Kevin, a reporter with “The Washington Post”, who Wikipedia describes as having a sullen streak.

I have only seen “St. Elmo’s Fire” one time in its entirety. Me and Chris Vining, my best friend of the time, rented it from the Red Rooster in Coaldale and watched one Friday night after we worked a shift at Gergeley’s Greenhouse. I have to admit, I was expecting it to be like my hero John Hughes’ movies, but it was not. It had many of the same actors from that 1980s group of actors called the “Brat Pack”, but my issue is with the writing. “St. Elmo’s Fire” does not have the soul the John Hughes films do.

Yet, I did like Andrew McCarthy, who was soft-spoken which meant he was either shy and vulnerable, or arrogant.

I wondered the same thing in his next movie, when he actually did work with John Hughes.

Pretty in Pink
Now this is a movie that has a soul, and Andrew McCarthy is a big part of it. Molly Ringwald plays Andie, the lead, a high school senior who dances to the beat of her own drum. She lives with her dad who is raising her by himself, and she hangs out with her friends. One is her older boss, played by Annie Potts, who owns the record store Andie works in. The other is the unforgettable “Duckman” played by Jon Cryer, who we discover has a crush on her. She is harassed by Benny, played by Canadian Kate Vernon, and her boyfriend Steff, played by a very young and blow-dried James Spader.

They are in Grade 12, and looking forward to their prom. Enter into the picture, Blane, a preppy played by Andrew McCarthy who is Steff’s best friend and takes a shine to Andie.

Battling the disapproval of his friends, Blane asks Andie to the prom, and the drama ensues.

My overriding memory of Andrrew McCarthy in “Pretty in Pink” is that he was likeable and believable as the rich, preppy kid who looked beyond the cliques and drama of high school to go out with someone genuine and real.

“Pretty in Pink”, along with “Sixteen Candles”, “The Breakfast Club”, and “Some Kind of Wonderful” remain my favourite teen angst movies. To be hones, at the time, I thought “Pretty in Pink” would be the last one, but John Hughes had one more ace up his sleeve.

Mannequin
The next year, 1987, Andrew McCarthy was back, starring in “Mannequin” opposite a very young Kim Cattrall. The Canadian actress plays a mannequin who comes to life but only for Andrew McCarthy, the window dresser who created her. The comedy and drama goes from there.

I am not sure I ever saw “Mannequin” in its entirety, but I do recall the soundtrack and the hit, “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now”, by Starship, which went all the way to number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

Less Than Zero
That same year, 1987, McCarthy got real, taking a role that departed vastly from his teen angst persona. In “Less Than Zero”, his character is friends with a woman, played by Jami Gertz, and a man, played by a young Robert Downey Junior who is on a self-destructive path to oblivion.

McCarthy is excellent as the friend who is at times supportive, concerned, and ultimately helpless as his friend rides a cocktail of drugs and alcohol straight into hell.

That performance showed that Andrew McCarthy was a lot more than just a light weight, comedic lead or preppy good guy.

Then came his next role.

Weekend at Bernie’s
After turns in “Kansas” and “Fresh Horses”, both in 1988, McCarthy was back in 1989 with “Weekend at Bernie’s”.

From the moment I heard about “Weekend at Bernie’s”, it sounded stupid to me. Two guys, one played by Andrew McCarthy, have a friend die on them and have to pretend he is alive for a whole weekend.

So I hear, because I have never seen the movie.

Interestingly, it came out in the summer of 1989, when I was going to movies pretty much every week with my friends Larry and Bruce. I went home one week and, when I returned, they told me they went to see a movie when I was gone.

I was sad I missed out. Then I asked what they saw.

“Weekend at Bernie’s”.

I wasn’t so sad after that.

The years after
Andrew McCarthy kept on acting in movies including “Weekend at Bernie’s II” in 1993; “The Joy Luck Club” in 1994; “Mulholland Falls” in 1996; and so much more.

He also took his skills to television, appearing in shows such as “Law and Order”; “The Twilight Zone”; “Monk”; “Kingdom Hospital”; “Gossip Girl”; “Orange is the New Black”; “The Blacklist”; “New Amsterdam”; and most recently “The Resident”.

Parting thoughts
It is no surprise Andrew McCarthy was ranked number 40 on VH1’s greatest teen stars of all-time list. He built quite a resumé of roles in the 1980s, that propelled him on to a career that continues to this day.

For me though, he will always be Blane in “Pretty in Pink”. In a movie where it is the girl who is the “loser” and the boy who is popular, he proves the girl can get the boy in the end.