John Waters' movies are perhaps acquired taste (read: first class TRASH!), but "Cry-Baby" is a fairly accessible and comical romp, complete with great music, very likable performances and a moody 50's atmosphere. Obviously mocking "Grease", the story is set in a Baltimore high school where teen idol Johnny Depp leads the "Drapes" thug gang versus the chic and fancy "Squares". The hormones work at maximum power and Depp's character inevitably falls for the most popular square-girl in school. Arguments like these can only be settled with rough fights and
dance contests! Johnny Depp and Amy Locane are both great in their lead roles, but it's the supportive cast that impresses the most. More particularly ex-porn star Traci Lords, Kim McGuire as Hatchet-Face (you can't but stare at her grimaces), Iggy Pop and Ricky Lake (as Depp's wild sister in a constant state of pregnancy). The gags are more tasteful than usual but all John Waters' trademarks are still present. "Cry-Baby" is a strangely sexy film that'll definitely bring a smile on your face. Recommended!
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Coventry6 October 2005
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In a 1954 Baltimore high school, Cry-Baby (Johnny Depp) is the leader of a delinquent gang of a teenagers called The Drapes. When he falls for Allison (Amy Locane), the nice middle-class girl the gang find themselves up against college jocks and Allison's grandmother (Polly Bergen).
This alt GREASE pic from sleazemeister John Waters mostly hits the right notes, even if the songs are not as memorable as they should be such as the likes of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975) or HAIRSPRAY (1979), a fair musical equivalent. It is kitsch and good fun, even if it does stay on the same level throughout, though the initial fun of the film wears thin towards the end. Depp is great in the lead, is cool in a pre-James Dean/biker greaseball type of way and maintains a degree of sympathy and sensitivity while Kim McGuire is unforgettable as "Hatchet Face" with other decent support from Ricki Lake and Traci Lods. -
elicopperman24 August 2022Having gone from underground schlock cinema to mainstream success, John Waters has been revered and lauded for his daring tackling of cinema as much as his dismantling of good taste. Perhaps one of his more commercially appealing works would have to be Cry-Baby, set and shot in Ellicott City, Maryland. Despite failing at the box office on its original spring 1990 release, the film has become a cult classic enough to spawn a Tony award winning Broadway musical spinoff. Detailing the lives of delinquent teenagers interacting with each other in 1950s Baltimore, the film could be a time capsule in its own right.
The film centers around two teens named "Cry-Baby" Walker (Johnny Depp), and Allison Vernon-Williams (Amy Locane), who disturb Baltimore society by breaking the subculture taboos, while also having to overcome their affectionate love and how their actions affect the town. From the start, the basis of the film's social commentary is the difference in classes, with Walker's group being labeled as drapes and Allison's group being labeled as squares. In depicting the squares as social elites and the drapes as white trash rednecks, the film could have easily gone in a sourly dark direction. Thankfully, Waters knows how to execute the fun out of a concept like this and turn it into a full blown campy musical. By exaggerating the stereotypes of '50s rock culture, the film subverts specific tropes, such as Cry Baby being the tough motorcyclist with a heart of gold and Allison's square boyfriend Baldwin being a monster disguised as a charming gentleman. Of course, the chemistry between Cry Baby and Allison is cute in its own right, but the sexual tension between them is what brings audiences back for more.
However, what arguably makes the movie a lot more engaging are the supporting characters. Although mostly derived from their basic traits, Cry Baby's gang/family give out the best laughs in the whole movie. Thanks to an all star cast like Ricki Lake as Cry Baby's boisterous pregnant sister Pepper, Susan Tyrell as Cry Baby's eccentric grandmother Ramona Rickettes, Iggy Pop as Cry Baby's hysterical uncle Belvedere, Traci Lords as the fed up hot Wanda Woodward, Kim McGuire as the ugly clown Mona "Hatchet Face" Malnorowski, etc, the characters serve the story enough with some heavily sprinkled cartoony gags to boot. Even for a film like this, it allows for the occasional piece of drama to spew out with a dynamic split between the drapes and squares without going too far in the pathos department. The pacing is very fast paced, almost never stopping to take a breath, which is exactly what a movie as nutty as this needs. While it doesn't delve into the prejudice happening in Baltimore of the past as deeply as the likes of Hairspray, it's one heck of a comedic thrill ride.
As for the musical highlights, the soundtrack consists of already existing rock hip hop songs from the 50s and songs intended for the movie alone. Since the film barely lets two minutes go by without a musical number, it practically tells the story through the soundtrack, emphasizing the camp punk culture of yesteryear still beloved by Baltimorians today. The choreography alone is incredible, paying tribute to early rock cinema and the outlandishly bold musical numbers they would boast to move the story along. Some of the songs are so poignant that even a single entitled Teardrops Are Falling emphasize why our titular character is called Cry Baby from the start On top of that, the production design and specific editing choices recreate the look of a comically silly 50s feature brought into the early 1990s (most likely why the movie wasn't a hit at the time). Perhaps in bringing his influences in campy rock & roll cinema into the mainstream three decades after the fact was more of a curse on Waters' part, but looking back now, this film delivers on that for all to cherish from that time period alone.
So even if its outlandishly cartoony tone won't please everyone in the world, Cry Baby remains a delightfully infectious musical ode to the teen rebel genre. As both a tribute and a lampoon of the types of films that inspired it, there's a lot to recommend to audiences who are yet to check it out. If you're discovering the later mainstream works of John Waters, this might be a really good place to start, at least before Hairspray and Serial Mom. Lastly, regardless of what you think of Johnny Depp and Amy Locane nowadays, this film will forever remain a cult classic in spite of them more so because of them. -
kidlitfan3 September 2002There seem to be two types of folks who detest "Cry-Baby;" those who think Waters sold out by making anything that cost more than $500 and didn't include coprophagy, and those who insist that all movies be Art with a capital A.
I was well into my 20's when the movie first came out, not a fan of 21 Jump Street, and no stranger to movies, including masterpieces and early John Waters, but I LOVED it, and have caught the uncut version on USA network quite a few times.
Cry-Baby is no Citizen Kane, and it's no Pink Flamingos, but, at risk of being pretentious, I will say that its full of something that makes art: Truth. Even in incredibly silly scenes, the movie is based in real and true emotions. John Waters' love for the fun parts of the 50's, (and hatred of the status quo that obviously made his teen years a living hell) is all over this film.
Yes, scenes such as the orphanage are silly, but the cynicism of the orphanage workers and the angst of the mother are as real as can be. The silliness works because the John Waters BELIEVES in what he is saying, and makes damn sure that his actors are with him!
All of the actors, from Johnny Depp who (as with all of his roles) *becomes* the character to Joe Dallesandro who barely can get his lines out, believe in their characters.
"Cry-Baby" parodies 50's "Teen Rebel" musicals such as "Rock Around the Clock" and "Don't Knock the Rock", but with obvious affection.
Yes, it's a musical. If you're one of those cynics who says things like "But people DON'T just start singing in real life" don't see it. Movies exist to give us a break from real life while mirroring it enough to be cathartic. Musicals and parodies take it one step further. They're not diaries, they're not reality, they're MOVIES!
"Cry-Baby" is a lot of fun, and the soundtrack is terrific (and "Hairspray"'s is even better!).
If you liked "Cry-Baby", I recommend "Hairspray" (not quite so silly, just as sweet.) and "But I'm A Cheerleader," which is definitely Waters-inspired, from its use of pink to its incredibly true emotions within very silly situations.
If you didn't like Cry-Baby, how sad. You obviously missed something. -
Cult wizard John Waters' first major studio film at the heels of the moderate success of HAIRSPRAY (1988), CRY-BABY is Johnny Depp's springboard from small screen to silver screen in his salad days.
It is 1954 in Baltimore, Wade Walker, aka, Cry-Baby (Depp) is the leader of the "drapes" gang, a group of delinquents including the core five, Cry-Baby, his litter sister Pepper (Lake), a chubby teenage mother of two and expecting a third, "bad girl" Wanda (the pornography actress Lords), the facially disfigured Gothic-looking Hatchet Face (McGuire) and her boyfriend Milton (Burrows). They form a band and Cry-Baby is the leader singer, aping Elvis Presley with the uproarious rockabilly panache.
Pigeonholed in the rebel teen sub-genre, it is a standard bad-boy-good-girl-meet-cute fairy-tale, Cry-Baby brazenly asks out a "square" girl, Allison Vernon-Williams (Locane) from the Doo-wop pervaded, orthodox talent show presided by Allison's prudish grandmother (Bergen), and brings her to the Turkish Point, the venue of Drapes' gatherings, run by Cry-Baby's grandmother Ramona (a no-holds-barred Tyrrell, ravishes in French-kissing Iggy Pop and her outré garment, scantly 18- year senior to Depp, at the age of 45, it is plain ageism to place her in the grotesque grandma role).
Cry-Baby's provocative action enrages Allison's current square boyfriend Baldwin (Mailer), who marshals a clutch of squares raid the Turkish Point, and a scuffle ensues, which leads to Cry- Baby's imprisonment. After a procession of dashing musical numbers (even the dance-shy Depp shows off his not-so-dazzling routines in the penitentiary) and knockabout adventures, Cry-Baby and Baldwin settles a score in a puerile chicken-race. But the penetrating playfulness retains without sagging until Cry-Baby's trademark single teardrop singularly materialises in the countenances of all and sundry in the finale.
In all fairness, CRY-BABY is engaging in the characterisation of the eccentric group's rebellious spirit and the contrast between their unconventional looks and wholesome communal affinities, as a musical, the set pieces can still manage to bring down the house for nostalgic spectators. But it is also undeniable that the acting is camp to the hilt (but the late Tyrrell and Bergen are getting my sympathy votes), a feebly tangible, largely implausible narrative doesn't go anywhere other than off-hand caricature and shallow braggadocio, only Depp holds out by imprinting his personal charisma onto his green but heart-throbbing teen idol image, at the age of 27, he was paving his way to be the most maverick and audacious A-list actor in the 90s on USA soil before eventually bowing to the recruitment from Disney, and being tiresomely tapped as Jack Sparrow, a one-trick- pony who has spawned a lucrative but ebbing franchise. -
triple86 February 2005As I sailed out of the movie theater that warm summer's night, I was snapping my fingers to the bouncy 50's music that had just been echoing through the theater throughout the duration of this movie. This is a silly silly movie. Silly fun that will make you feel like a kid again, if by some chance you are seeing this after you've past the magical stage of childhood and entered in to the grueling challenge of adulthood.
Yes folks, I confess-I liked cry baby. This is not a good movie or an important one but it is a snappy piece of silly nostalgic fun that actually got me enjoying the music of the 50's-and that's not a musical style I usually had enjoyed in movies before(although there were a few exceptions). But this movie was just fun all around and very engrossing.
I must confess I am not a Johnny Depp fan. I think he's a brilliant actor but I just am not a fan of his. Period. I did think he was well cast in this however and I loved Amy Locane as well(Amy we want to see more of you) but the real star of this movie is the music and the atmosphere. Cry Baby is a guilty pleasure that I cheerfully acknowledge I liked-Johnny Depp and all. Silly Silly Fun and a 7.5 out of 10. -
bkoganbing21 January 2009After three years of 21 Jump Street, Johnny Depp jumped his contract and got out of the series that made him a name. He knew what he could do and he knew that staying there he probably would continue to be like so many teen idols, forgotten the second their television show completed its run. Ironically though in Cry-Baby written, produced, and directed by John Waters, what was Depp doing, but spoofing the kind of part that brought him TV stardom.
He looks like he's having a good old time playing a James Dean type rebel with what he considers a good cause, the love of teen dream Amy Locane. Amy's from the right side of the tracks, raised by her grandmother Polly Bergen whereas Depp as Wade 'Cry-Baby' Walker lives a Tortilla Flat like existence
Cry-Baby is yet another one of John Waters's salutes to his childhood memories of the Fifties in Baltimore. If Cry-Baby looks a lot like Grease, well I would say that Waters is homaging outrageously. Though Johnny Depp is dubbed while singing, he manages to create and keep the illusion very well. A nice score both written and interpolated for the film helps bring the Fifties back again.
Throughout the cast you'll see a lot of familiar names looking like they're having a real good time in their roles. Former Teen idols like Joey Heatherton, Troy Donahue, and David Nelson really do get into the spirit of Cry-Baby.
The inevitable chicken run is the highlight of the film. But the run does have a twist. See Cry-Baby and find out just what that is. -
sublime50117 July 2004CRY-BABY is the story of a hoodlum named... Cry-Baby (Johnny Depp) who is your typical stereotype of bad news. He hangs out with his group of friends, whom are called the "Drapes," and has clashes with the other, rich group, called the "Squares." One day, he sees a Square named Allison (Amy Locane) and decides to pursue her. Of course, this causes a big controversy, as two people so different should not be together. Will the love that surfaces between them in their first (and only) night hold them together?
Oy... I really don't know what to say about CRY-BABY, other than that it is a painful movie to watch. I guess I'll get the flaws out of the way first, since there are more of them. The story is incredibly overdone and has been done much, much better. It's full of stereotypes and almost forces you to root for Johnny Depp's character--even though, by the end, I wasn't rooting for anybody. The "jokes" (aka, the things that are supposed to be funny, if this movie confused that meaning for you) are hardly ever chuckle-worthy, and most of the humor is crude and even disgusting. Case in point: the French-kissing scene. It starts out kind of funny at how ludicrous it is, but quickly becomes disgusting and unnecessary. The screenplay is so ridiculous and full of cliches that it's hard not to cringe or roll your eyes at every other line. And, to top it off--the acting is terrible. It was so bad that it almost seemed like it was being done intentionally; and if it was, that should have been made clearer. If this movie was a parody on bad old movies--fine. I'd like it a lot more. But I don't think it is. It's just trying to be one of them.
The good? Well, Johnny Depp has his moments and shows some hints of the greatness to come, but even he is awful in this movie. (He looks absolutely gorgeous though! Wow! I would watch the movie again on mute just to see him, but unfortunately the tracking on the tape I rented is so bad that I can't.) It's fun to see Johnny so young and so long ago, and it's kind of amusing to see Ricki Lake pregnant as Cry-Baby's sister Pepper. And I do have to say that the musical scenes were very good and very well-done, even if it wasn't really them singing. But, on that note--when the hell did this become a musical?
Ultimately, CRY-BABY would never be thought of today if Johnny Depp hadn't starred in it. It has great musical scenes, but God-awful everything else. It was literally painful to watch and I couldn't wait for it to end. It's almost worth it to see Johnny lip-synching, dancing, and impersonating Elvis though... almost. 3/10. -
This is a film that John Waters created as a loving send up of 1950's teen and juvenile delinquent films. It tells the story of Cry-Baby (Depp) a teenage orphan with the ability to make women swoon by shedding a single tear. It's a good natured, never mean musical based in a world where a song can make jail prisoners dance and riot or make someone fall in love with you despite being from different worlds.
A cast that includes Iggy Pop, Traci Lords, Waters regular Rikki Lake and a few other pleasant treats and cameos. The actors appear to be having as much fun with the subject matter as the film is. Borrowing for value from films such as Grease, Jail-house Rock, High School Hellcats, Rebel without a cause and a zillion others from the genre this film is a self-aware campy comedy that is very well crafted.
Clean and ridiculous warmhearted fun with more than a hint of trash. As of the date I re-watched this film (April 2004 10 years later) this film is still out of print. The reason for that is inexplicable to me as it's one of Johnny Depp's funniest performances and one of the better musicals that comes to mind. Oh yeah, don't blink or you'll miss Willem Defoe as the prison guard. "God bless Dwight D. Eisenhower, God bless Roy Cohn..."
Come for the comedy, stay for the great songs. -
turtleracer13 July 2004I have so many great memories involving this movie. I saw it on Showtime when I was like, 6, and my mom was like, "now you're gonna want me to tape that for you, huh?" and I was like, "hellz yea!" when I saw him in that white/black jacket singing at the Jukebox Jamboree and any scene he's in in "Please Mr. Jailer". Mmm mmm...17 years later I still get chills watching that scene because of how freakin' fine he is. I finally got the soundtrack yesterday off of Amazon.com and it is truly a great soundtrack. The songs are a little different from the movie versions, (for example, I don't like the album version of the "Doin' Time for Being Young" song as much as the movie version), but that's okay. This is truly my favorite Johnny Depp movie. :-D
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Diego_rjc24 January 2010Johnny Deep took the part in 'Cry-Baby' after finishing the TV series '21 Jump Street'. He decided to do it to get away from the reputation of a teenage idol and to be recognized as a real actor. We all know today that he is, indeed, a great and real actor, but back in 1990 it seems like he did the wrong choice.
The basic premise of this movie is to spoof those teenage musicals there are set in the 1950's. That's why the plot looks a lot like 'Grease' - rebel teenager falls in love with a 'square' girl. Using this extremely, possibly because they wanted, cliché plot this movie tries really hard to make funny jokes, but it just can't. I only laughed because how bad it was, because it isn't really funny. The whole movie I was with my hand in my face due to my indignation. One particular really weird thing is that in the middle of the movie, they decided to turn into a musical - and were able to provide the audience with the worst musical numbers I've ever seen.
The acting here is, literally a joke. I know it was on purpose, but they try too much to seem forced, and it gets more ridiculous than spoof funny. John Waters also does a horrible job directing. The rest is all ridiculous, in every single aspect.
But it's not all bad. There are a few really funny moments, like the scene of the orphanage and the court scene, but these moments are rare. In most part, this movie doesn't accomplished what they tried to - be a funny spoof. And I also can't believe that Jim Abrahams is involved with this. I already putted a reminder on my desk - Never to watch a John Waters' picture again.
2,5/10, but I round up to a 3 because I'm (really) nice. -
wifeofsam17 April 2004I admit, on first hearing about this film even I (the major Johnny Depp fan) was a bit skeptical to view it. But, I figured, hey, it's JD, why not? And, I now must say, that is goes down as one of my favorite movies. Why? because it's an amazing spoof my John Waters. As a lover of old musicals from the 50s and 60s, it's just amusing to watch a spoof of them, especially one done so well as this. My fav scene (don't worry..no spoilers..) is one where Crybaby (JD) performs a song in a comedic Elvis Presley fashion, which shows how dynamic JD is as an actor. what else makes this movie great? The music. There's not one boring song where you feel like it'll never end, because you don't want it to end. (yes, i own the soundtrack..i'm pathetic, i know). It's just a great movie..well, if you like a musical that spoofs other musicals.
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rayzerramon7 December 2005My wife and I were recently in Holland and relaxing in our hotel room prior to flying out the following day.We were "surfing" through the channels and happened to come upon this movie just as it was starting. We sat mesmerized and were able to watch it in English (with Dutch sub-titles).It was so off the wall. I was drawn in by its'"cartoony" absurd take-off on the old "surf and drag" flicks from the 50's and 60's.The character "Hatchet-Face" reminded me of a female version of "Eric von Zipper" from the Frankie/Annette movies.Once you take it for what it was intended to be, it's a lot funnier to watch.
My favorite part was when "Hatchet" bursts through the movie screen while the in-mates are watching a 3D version of "The Creature From the Black Lagoon". I fell off the bed from laughing so hard.This definitely launched Johnnie Depp on his "quirky" movie roles.Funny stuff! -
Rodrigo_Amaro18 April 2010Yes, I really meant that. I was really crying with both eyes, something very different that occurs with Johnny Depp's character is this movie: he can only cry with one eye. And I really must say this: This movie ruined what was a happy Sunday. It's bad.
In "Cry-Baby" Depp plays the title character, an charming juvenile delinquent that wants to date the girl of his dreams, Allison (Amy Locane) a rich girl. But this is the 1950's and they are part of different social groups. He's a poor rebel and she's a pretty good girl that only walks along with rich boys. She likes Cry-Baby and follows him into several adventures. In the middle of that we have oldies Goldie's music and annoying characters such as Hatchet-Face (Kim McGuire, she scared me the whole movie), the pregnant Cry-Baby's sister (Ricki Lake) and many others.
I expected to see something similar to "Grease" or "American Graffitti" but it has nothing to do with both movies. It may be the same period, it may have the same clothes and that stuff in the hair but it's something really boring, unfunny, unpleasant, pointless and no sense of direction. And the songs played here plays all the time making this movie very sickening.
No one is safe here. Johnny Depp, OK he's good looking here but he doesn't have a good performance here, and he's dubbing the songs. Same thing happened with Amy Locane. Most absurd than that is the fact that Iggy Pop (he's good actor here) doesn't sing in the movie and Willem Dafoe was diminished in a cameo. What was John Waters thinking when he made this movie?
Other thing that bothers me is people saying that this is one of the best movies of all time, claiming that this is a masterpiece. My friends and enemies I'll say this: If you think that "Cry-Baby" is a cinema masterpiece then you don't know what movies are and not even had the chance to see a great movie with a substantial plot. But you always have the chance to learn. Don't watch it no matter how beautiful is the boys and girls in this wreck. Most of all don't waste time and money, I waste my time so that other people don't waste theirs. Thumbs Down for this! -
black_star_dust_8426 September 2004There's really nothing wrong with this film. It's funny, it's fun, and it's got a cameo of Willem Dafoe. With Johnny Depp as the star, what else could you want? Apart from being a satire, it's an entertaining and hysterical, relatable satire. It takes a lot of skill to take a concept that could so easily teeter from funny to ridiculous, and while certain parts of the film seem to be heading towards that thin barrier, they always save face at the last minute. The movie doesn't just ride on Johnny Depp's talent, either. Every member of the cast displays a genuine understanding of the somewhat SNL-esque humour required to make everything work. I've yet to meet someone face to face that has not seen this movie and truly enjoyed it for what it is: something wonderful.
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This is 100% pure John Waters material. One of only a few "main stream" projects, "Cry Baby" delivers a fantastic 1950s Sound Track, even if the story goes off on bizarre tangents.
Johnny Depp is perfect as the "greaser" going after the "debutante". Watch for Rock Icon Iggy Pop and 50's torch singer Polly Bergen in small (but delicious) roles.
This big budget effort still has "Pink Flamingos" and "Female Trouble" written all over it. It doesn't quite measure up to the widely accepted "Hairspray", thus is mainly for the college camp circuit, but the golden oldies are definitely first class! -
estebangonzalez1021 September 2015"No, she's a scrape - part square, part drape. I think she's pretty."
Johnny Depp was on his way to becoming typecast as a teen idol when in 1990 he was given the opportunity to play two odd roles. One was his first collaboration with Tim Burton in Edward Scissorhands which remains one of his most iconic characters to date, and the other an often forgotten and overlooked musical comedy directed by the eccentric John Waters. This was my introduction to his particular brand of filmmaking and I had a fun time with it. Clocking in at under 75 minutes the film knows when the humor is running out of steam and manages to end before the novelty begins to wear down. The movie is a parody of 50's teen rebel films and it spoofs musicals like Grease. The only thing I knew about Waters before going into this film was the remake I had seen of his original musical, Hairspray. I now can see why he has a cult following since his style isn't conventional and the experience is a unique one. It's Johnny Depp who carries the film with his charm and good looks making fun of our conception of the cool rebel character, which in a way is the way audiences conceive the actor in real life. The characters in this film seem to be having so much fun that the ridiculous and over the top parody is simply contagious. It's so energetic and playful that it's hard not to watch it with a smile on your face.
Johnny Depp plays the titular character, Cry-Baby, who is called that because of his capability of shedding a single tear from his left eye that drives the girls crazy. He's a bad boy who loves fast paced cars and hangs around the cool group known as the Drapes. The sweet girl in his school who falls for him is Allison Vernon (Amy Locane). She's a square because she belongs to the traditional side of town who are very much against the drape lifestyle and culture. Allison is tired of being the good girl and she eventually wins Cry-Baby's heart who introduces her to his circle of friends: Wanda (Traci Lords), Pepper (Ricki Lake) who already has two children and is pregnant with the third, Hatchet-Face (Kim McGuire) and her boyfriend Milton (Darren E. Burrows). Even though Cry-Baby is part of the drape culture he is more polite than the rest of his gang and eventually they all accept Allison as one of their own. Her boyfriend, Baldwin (Stephen Mailer), however isn't too happy that Allison is hanging out with these bad boys and decides to give them a lesson. Meanwhile, one of Cry-Baby's many admirers is Lenora (Kim Webb), who isn't happy Allison is hanging around the man she loves, and she too will do what it takes to keep them apart even if it means making up a story that she's pregnant with his baby.
The musical is very energetic and a lot of fun. There are several memorable scenes including a jailbreak attempt that is hilarious. Locane and Depp have irresistible charm together and they seem to have had a fun time working together with this offbeat comedy written by Waters himself. There are also some catchy songs with decent choreography including Doin' Time For Bein' Young, Please, Mr. Jailer, and Teardrops Are Falling. The 50's soundtrack is just so much fun and enhances the musical's energy even more. John Waters also included a hilarious orphanage scene where the children were displayed like animals in a zoo. The character of Hatchet Face probably evoked the most laughs with her crazy look and there's a hilarious scene in which she pops out of a movie screen while the prisoners were watching a 3D horror movie and they all jumped out of their seats horrified by her look. There is also a cameo from Willem Dafoe as a prison guard that evoked some chuckles as well. The predictable premise of the film could've turned this into a familiar bore, but Waters knows how to come up with innovative and fresh ideas with his unique brand of humor.
http://estebueno10.blogspot.com/ -
boomerlover0623 February 2005I enjoyed this movie. I enjoyed the way the characters were, and how funny some of it was. The music in the movie was great. I loved how off beat and strange it was at time, and yet Johnny Depp was awesome as cry baby. I love the risks he takes with his movie. The girl in the movie was excellent. Along side Johnny, they were the perfect leads. My favorite seen is in the jail, I also love that song. ALl of the music gets stuck in your head after you watch it. Overall, i give this movie a 7/10. Sometimes it went too slow, and I wish it hadn't had to have been a pG-13, but overall i loved it and every time it is on TV i watch it.
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JWBly23 March 2008Swing and a miss for John Waters. This follow-up to his mildly successful effort "Hairspray" falls flat on it's face. What a waste of a young Johnny Depp's talent! Water's forces his cast to overact to a ridiculous degree for comic camp value, but the effect is more painful than funny. Depp's strength is his natural ability to flow into each character he plays, so the forced camp in this film is all the more tragic. Only in his first two dance numbers does his natural talent shine through, albeit briefly. Although he does not actually sing the songs during the performances, his dancing and movement are as close to natural for him as you will see in this film. No 50's stereotype is overlooked here. This film feels far more like a bad theme-park version of the 1950's, complete with one-dimensional characters and a hackneyed plot. The catchy soundtrack at least makes the film tolerable for a time. Former SLA terrorist Patty Hearst is good for a couple of chuckles in her cameo, as is porn star Traci Lords as her daughter. Ricki Lake, at the zenith of her weight problem, is wasted in a throwaway role. Actually, except for seeing Depp in his pre-megastar days, the entire movie should be thrown away. Thank God it was only an hour and 15 minutes long. It seemed much longer.
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Don't expect to watch a movie in the style of "Grease" when you watch "Cry-Baby." This is a John Waters musical-comedy, and it's full of his style and humor. John Waters has his own style of directing, and his own style for writing dialogue. The dialogue and acting are usually out of the mainstream norm, and viewers who are not familiar with John Waters may not enjoy his films unless they open their minds to possibilities of silly, ridiculous, vulgar, and campy humor. "Cry-Baby" is set in the 1950's, and it's mainly about two groups of people who don't accept each other: The drapes and the squares. The drapes don't have a lot of money, are more accepting to different types of people, and listen to the hep sounds of rhythm and blues and rockabilly. Some of them get involved with crime, and are juvenile delinquents. The squares are very conservative, have more money, more attitude, and listen to "your hit parade" music. The drapes will hang out with anyone as long as there's a good time to be had, and the squares only socialize with other squares. There is friction and disgust whenever the two types meet. Within this is a love story concerning Cry-Baby and Allison. Cry-Baby is a drape, and Allison is a square tired of being so conservative. Cry-Baby and Allison are attracted to each other, and Allison decides to associate with the drapes. Conflicts emerge, and drapes and squares clash. That sounds clichéd, but the movie has a lot of humor and atmosphere. It's also full of color, spirit, and fun music. The locations and sets create a 1950's atmosphere of small town and rural America. The cars, clothing, and hairstyles are also effective. Sometimes clothes, hairstyles, props, and sets are exaggerated and outrageous, but these are trademarks of John Waters' style and sense of humor. "Cry-Baby" has its charm, and is effective as both a comedy and a musical. The musical numbers are fun and lively, and a lot of care went into making the songs sound authentic to the period. They are also well choreographed. Some of the musical numbers were written for the movie, and a few songs were originally 1950's hits newly recorded for "Cry-Baby" (such as the song that opens the movie, Allison singing "Teenage Prayer," etc.) There are also original vintage recordings throughout the movie (my favorite is "Jungle Drums," by Earl Bostic, which really gives a summer feeling to the Turkey Point location.) The background score is also well done, and professionally orchestrated. This is a John Waters film, and you have to expect unusual characters, and unusual acting and dialogue delivery. The casting of the movie is an interesting mix of performers (another Waters' trademark), and very much a delight. The cast is terrific! Johnny Depp and Amy Locane are wonderful as the teenagers who are attracted to each other, but live in different worlds. Their pairing brings out a believable chemistry, and a sense of fun. Polly Bergen's performance is excellent as the extremely conservative matriarch who finally learns how to have a good time with people who are different. Susan Tyrrell is as offbeat as she can be (see her in the bizarre musical-comedy "Forbidden Zone"), and Iggy Pop is interesting in his role. Ricki Lake returns in her second John Waters movie as Cry-Baby's pregnant sister. Kim McGuire, Darren E. Burrows, and Traci Lords create fun characters who are in Cry-Baby's gang and music group. Kim McGuire has a knack for creating a character who's kookie and bold, and yet deserves sympathy at times. Traci Lords is very good at comedy, and it would be nice to see her in more comedies. She does a great job with her mostly-cranky, tough-girl character. Stephen Mailer does a fine job of creating a character you really learn to loathe. "Cry-Baby" also features small parts played by noted stars such as Troy Donahue, Joe Dallesandro, Joey Heatherton, David Nelson, Willem Dafoe, and John Waters regular Mink Stole. Patricia Hearst Makes her feature film debut, and is very amusing as the naive mother of a drape daughter. "Cry-Baby" was a lot of fun to watch on the big screen, and I'm again enjoying it since it's been released on DVD (with added scenes that were cut for its theatrical release.) "Cry-Baby" is a snazzy and fun musical-comedy that seems to be pleasing people who are not regular John Waters fans! By the way, I was a scrape (part square, part drape) in high school, but that's a different story from a different era.
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CaressofSteel755 February 2017It's the classic American social confrontation (borrowed from Animal house and others). Here it's the drapes versus the squares- rock & race music versus the conservative letterman sweater crowd.
Cry Baby is a good introduction to John Waters who had to tone down his usual visual mayhem for a big time commercial release. If you're new to John Waters, try this one before you go on to something like Pink flamingos (although I will say that some people should probably never see Pink Flamingos.)
It's a decent musical. Jim Intveld did all of Depp's vocals, and he's pretty well known in the hepcat rockabilly circles because of this. In fact, I do believe that this movie helped bring about the rockabilly resurgence that started in the '90s. A lot of good rockabilly & psychobilly bands started to appear after this movie came out. -
kballey18 September 2006I can understand the desire to do a campy film, but this one was hideously overdone -- it was painful and embarrassing to watch. Yes, there are a few laughs, but it is so not-worth-it! It is interesting to note how many talented actors are in this; thus making it sadder still -- such a waste of talent. The idea behind the movie is funny, but the screen-play could have used a few more re-writes and the director ought to have paid closer attention to the fact that the audience would be made to suffer through the boredom of watching the same grotesquely over-used facial expression and hearing the same flat delivery for a variety of stupid lines. I know this movie isn't supposed to be taken seriously, but it goes far beyond being just good farcical fun and ends up being a dreadful waste of film. Anyone who tells you this is a great movie is not to be trusted; their taste is obviously highly questionable.
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Cassi_Hayward28 September 2005The movie "Cry Baby" is about a young boy and girl from opposite sides of the track falling in love. Wade "Cry baby" Walker (Johnny Depp) is considered a drape and a juvenile delinquent, and Alison (Amy Locane) is considered a square and a perfect angel. In their time Drapes and Squares were not seen together. Cry Baby fights with all his heart going up against an ex-boyfriend, a concerned grandmother, and even jail to keep his love with Alison.
Baldwin (Stephen Mailer), Alison's ex-boyfriend, does everything in his power to keep Alison to himself and away from Cry Baby. He picks fights and gets his gang together to vandalize the drapes property.
Alison's grandma (Polly Bergen) is like the leader of the squares and in the beginning worries that Cry Baby will be the downfall of her grandchild. Since she is left with Alison's care, she is over protective; but she wants Alison happy more than anything. In the end she comes around and tells Alison to choose the man her heart loves.
I believe director John Waters made a new twist to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and this provides a happy ending. Through his movie, Waters tells us that love happens when it happens and that no matter what background we come from, we should fight for love with all our hearts.
I love this movie. The first time I saw this movie as a four year old girl, I said I was going to marry Cry Baby. I recommend this movie to everyone. It has action for men and romance for women. I think that it transports us back in time and helps us see the conferences of the two social classes and feeds our belief that love really can conquer it all. I have probably watched this movie a thousand times and will probably watch it a thousand more. It definitely is worth the eighty-five minutes it takes to watch. -
Crystal-Allyn6 April 2005This movie shows a ridiculously inaccurate view of the fifties, it is cheesy, every line is completely over-acted, and at times it is simply idiotic - all of the quirks I mentioned are what makes this film unique and hilarious. The TV was created for entertainment - if a person were to watch Cry Baby with an over analytical mind set they would be sadly disappointed, but if you enjoy the greaser-square feuds or people bursting into song - then this the perfect movie to watch. Cry Baby isn't nearly as eloquent as Grease, if you're looking for something similar you won't find it here - but frankly, I enjoy Cry Baby much more.
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Cult director John Waters continued his assault on the mainstream with this 1950s tale of a teen rebel with a sensitive side romancing a good girl from the wealthy suburban sect. Think of it as the anti-"Grease", a trailer-trash variation on an old plot from the Late Late Show. Yet, without engaging characters at its center, the movie isn't as enjoyable as it promises to be (nor is it as loose as Waters' "Hairspray" was). Well-cast Johnny Depp does fine in the lead, but his performance is all externals, and Waters showcases him the same way those bland hunks from '50s cinema were used: as a stock pretty boy. On the other hand, Waters' marvelously twisted sense of humor comes through winningly in several spots--the movie practically has to put its thin plot on hold to squeeze in these eccentric bits--and the supporting cast is mostly used very well. Overall, it just misses; the failure to ignite, I would imagine, rests on the director's own screenplay, which needed more punch. ** from ****