Cry-Baby (1990)

Plot of Cry-Baby: It is Baltimore in 1954. There are two groups of teenagers in the town, the Squares and the Drapes. The Squares sing a lot of close harmony songs, which often include Allison and girl who has a square boyfriend. At Allison’s aunt’s charm school talent show Cry-Baby, the leader of the Drapes, so named because he can shed a single tear from one eye, approaches Allison with members of his gang and Allison falls for him. Later the Squares start a riot which results in Cry-Baby being arrested and imprisoned in a young offenders prison. Outside, Lenora, who has a crush on him, claims to the press to be pregnant with his child, which results in Allison abandoning him.  Two of his gang attempt to rescue him from the prison, while he is finding his way through the sewer system, but is caught. Later the judge releases him because he fancies Allison’s aunt, and he and Allison get together again, but the finale is yet to come.

Content: No sex or nudity, or drinking or drug taking, several of the girls are somehow sexually provocative, without disrobing.  One has two children and is pregnant with a third. There is a lot of singing, the Squares doing close harmony and the drapes doing rock and roll. The Drapes and their hangers on are quite grotesque. The setting for the songs are the aunt’s talent show, the prison where the inmates wear striped uniforms and the Enchanted Forest theme park.

A View: This is John Waters second film after the success of Hairspray. It has echoes of Jailhouse Rock and The Blues Brothers, but is no worse for that. However, its satirical tone might have been lost on the audiences since it did not make any money. It was apparently later adapted for the stage with different songs. Probably worth a view for those interested in movie history, and for everyone else you could have it on while doing your knitting.

Fun fact: Neither Johnny Depp or Amy Locane (Allison) sang their own songs.