As well as writing for the main magazine, every now and then I would feel the need to contribute an article to In Retrospect‘s on-line exclusive content, or ‘Dispatches‘ as we called them, and this one was especially poignant, as it was to mark the 30th anniversary of the release of one of my favourite films of all time ‘Pretty in Pink’, with a controversial take on the films ending.
Now one of the things that has been argued over for years, especially since the release of the 20th anniversary ‘Everything’s Duckie’ DVD, is the change of ending after the one John Hughes intended tested badly with audiences. The ending was then reshot (with a disastrous wig on Andrew McCarthy after he’d had his hair cut for a subsequent role) to the one we know: Andie goes to the prom on her own, meets up with her friend (and unrequited romantic pursuer) Duckie, only to discover that Blane is also there alone and has been moping after her all evening. He apologises, they kiss and go off into the night together leaving Duckie on his own once more (or maybe not?).
Since then a generation of fans have felt they’d been served an injustice with this new ending and believed that Andie and Duckie should have ended up together as Hughes originally had it.
Well I’m here to tell you: I have to disagree!
You can read the full article here: https://inretrospectmagazine.com/dispatches/always-be-a-duckie/
