GRAND FUNK RAILROAD Announces 'Some Kind Of Wonderful' Summer/Fall 2021 U.S. GRAND FUNK RAILROAD is gearing up to return to the road in 2021, starting July 2 in Fayetteville, Georgia, with. Some Kind of Wonderful by Beth Ciotta. Maya Templeton comes home for the holiday's to visit her family. Giselle, her best friend and business partner wanted to tag along so she could finally meet Zach. Zach is an old friend of Maya's but they grew apart because she went off to pastry school and he joined the Marines.
| Some Kind of Wonderful | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Howard Deutch |
| Written by | John Hughes |
| Produced by | John Hughes |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Jan Kiesser |
| Edited by | Bud S. Smith M. Scott Smith |
| Music by | Stephen Hague John Musser |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| |
| 95 minutes | |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $18.5 million[1] |
Some Kind of Wonderful is a 1987 American romanticdrama film directed by Howard Deutch and starring Eric Stoltz, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Lea Thompson. It is one of several successful teen dramas written by John Hughes in the 1980s.
Plot[edit]
The film is set against the strict social hierarchy of an American public high school in suburban LA. Blue-collar mechanic and aspiring artist Keith Nelson (Eric Stoltz) and his tomboyish friend Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson), who has been subjected to rumors that she is a lesbian, aspire to improve their social standing. Keith's blue-collar father is obsessed with sending him to college for business, as he would be the first in their family to go.
Keith is enamored with Amanda Jones (Lea Thompson), the most popular girl in school. She is dating Hardy Jenns (Craig Sheffer), a self-absorbed boy from a wealthy neighborhood who thinks Keith is beneath him. He treats Amanda as his 'property' and is seen fooling around with another girl.
Hearing that Amanda will be in detention, Keith gets himself in trouble in order to spend time with her. Unbeknownst to him, she has talked her way out of detention, and he is stuck with the school misfits, eventually making friends with troublemaker Duncan.
When Amanda breaks up with Hardy outside their school, Keith seizes the opportunity to ask her out. Taking it as a chance to prove to Hardy that she does not need him, Amanda accepts. Meanwhile, seeing her best friend with Amanda makes Watts realize her feelings for him are much deeper.
Watts enlists the help of another boy, trying to make Keith jealous, but he barely notices. With Watts' help, he sets out trying to plan the perfect date to prove he is worthy of Amanda. Watts tells him that she will appreciate a good kisser, and shows Keith how to kiss. He is oblivious to Watts' attraction to him. He later uses his college fund, with Watts in tow, and selects a pair of earrings for Amanda. When Keith's father discovers the college fund has been emptied, he is livid, but Keith ultimately convinces his father to respect his right to make his own decisions.
Meanwhile, Hardy plots trouble for Keith by inviting him and Amanda to a party after their date, where he plans to have Keith beaten up. Through his sister Laura, Keith finds out about the plot, believing Amanda to be part of it, but goes ahead with the date anyway, spending the rest of his college money on an expensive dinner and roping in Watts (as chauffeur) to help make the date special. At Hardy's party, the timely arrival of Duncan and the other 'misfits' saves Keith from taking a beating. Suddenly fearing for his safety, Hardy tries to talk his way out of his predicament. Amused, Keith tells Hardy he is 'over,' after which Amanda slaps Hardy. Duncan tells Keith he'll stay at the party in order to bring it 'to a nice, respectable level'.
After leaving the party, Amanda suddenly realizes that Keith and Watts have feelings for one another and that, instead of her earlier selfishness, she wants to do the 'right' thing. She returns the earrings and urges him to go after Watts. Keith, realizing that he is in love with his best friend, bids Amanda goodbye with a kiss on the cheek. He catches up to Watts and they kiss, whereupon Keith confesses to Watts that he had no idea how she really felt about him. He then gives the earrings to a delighted Watts, who admits she always wanted them. She puts them on and asks Keith how they look, and he replies, 'You look good wearing my future.'
Cast[edit]
- Eric Stoltz as Keith Nelson
- Mary Stuart Masterson as Watts
- Lea Thompson as Amanda Jones
- Craig Sheffer as Hardy Jenns
- John Ashton as Cliff Nelson
- Elias Koteas as Duncan
- Molly Hagan as Shayne
- Maddie Corman as Laura Nelson
- Jane Elliot as Carol Nelson
- Candace Cameron as Cindy Nelson
- Chynna Phillips as Mia
- Scott Coffey as Ray
- Carmine Caridi as Museum Guard
- Lee Garlington as Gym Instructor
Production[edit]
Hughes was personally not happy with the ending of his previous film Pretty in Pink (1986); in the script and the original cut of the film Andy (Molly Ringwald) wound up with her best friend Duckie (Jon Cryer). Test audiences disliked that ending, however, so a new ending was shot where Andy wound up with Blane (Andrew McCarthy).[2] Hughes was always unhappy with this version, which led to a falling out with Pink's director, Howard Deutch.
With Some Kind of Wonderful, Hughes decided to re-tell the story, but with the genders of the main characters switched. Hughes named the three main protagonists—Keith, Watts, and Amanda Jones—as an inside-joke tribute to the Rolling Stones (Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, and the Stones' song 'Miss Amanda Jones', respectively).[3][4]
Martha Coolidge was signed to direct Some Kind of Wonderful. Hughes wanted Molly Ringwald to play the female lead role of Watts, but she declined in order to pursue more adult roles. Hughes took this refusal personally and this led to the end of Hughes and Ringwald's working relationship.[5] The role instead went to Mary Stuart Masterson. In addition to Masterson, Coolidge cast Eric Stoltz as Keith and Craig Sheffer as Hardy.[6]
At this point, Pretty in Pink was released and became a big hit. Hughes fired original cast members Kim Delaney, Kyle MacLachlan, and director Coolidge, and hired Deutch to direct.[7] Deutch wanted to cast Michael J. Fox in the lead, but Fox turned down the role.[6] Deutch offered Thompson the role of Amanda, but she initially turned him down; after the Thompson-starring Howard the Duck flopped at the box office, Thompson accepted the second offer to take the role. Ultimately, Thompson ended up marrying Deutch as well.[8]
The film was shot in Los Angeles in the summer of 1986. Locations include San Pedro High School, Hancock Park and the Hollywood Bowl.[6]
Some Kind Of Wonderful Lyrics
Reception[edit]
On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 74% based on 43 reviews, with the site's consensus; 'Some Kind of Wonderful is above-average '80s teen fare for people who need as much John Hughes in their lives as possible.'[9] On Metacritic the film has a score of 55 out of 100 based on reviews from 16 critics, indicating 'Mixed or average reviews'.[10] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade A- on a scale of A to F.[11]
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times praised the film, calling it worthwhile and entertaining.[12]Janet Maslin of The New York Times stated that Some Kind of Wonderful is the 'much-improved, recycled version of the Pretty in Pink story'.[13]Richard Schickel of Time criticized the film for being unrealistic.[14] Masterson's performance was singled out for praise by several critics.[12][13][15][16]
Soundtrack[edit]
| Some Kind of Wonderful: Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Various Artists | |
| Released | February 27, 1987 |
| Genre | Rock, new wave |
| Length | 36:20 |
| Label | MCA Records |
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [17] |
- 'Do Anything' – Pete Shelley
- 'Brilliant Mind' – Furniture
- 'Cry Like This' – Blue Room
- 'I Go Crazy' – Flesh for Lulu
- 'She Loves Me' – Stephen Duffy
- 'The Hardest Walk' – The Jesus and Mary Chain
- 'The Shyest Time' – The Apartments
- 'Miss Amanda Jones' – The March Violets
- 'Can't Help Falling in Love' – Lick the Tins
- 'Turn to the Sky' – The March Violets
Charts[edit]
| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[18] | 96 |
Some Kind Of Wonderful Trailer
References[edit]
- ^'Some Kind of Wonderful'. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
- ^'Trivia'. Some Kind of Wonderful.
- ^Honeycutt, Kirk (February 15, 2015). John Hughes: A Life In Film: The Genius Behind The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and Home Alone. Race Point Publishing. ISBN9781627886239 – via Google Books.
- ^'12 Wonderful Facts About Some Kind of Wonderful'. mentalfloss.com. January 17, 2016.
- ^Meroney, John (2010-08-19). 'Molly Ringwald's Revealing Interview on John Hughes, Not Being Lindsay Lohan, and More'. The Atlantic. Retrieved 2019-01-22.
- ^ abc'Some Kind of Wonderful 30 Years Later'. LA Weekly.
- ^Cieply, Michael (March 11, 1988). 'A Fired Woman Film Director—New Questions, Issue Continues'. Los Angeles Times.
- ^Harris, Will (2012-02-21). 'Random Roles: Lea Thompson'. avclub.com. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
- ^'Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)'. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
- ^'Some Kind of Wonderful'. Metacritic.
- ^'Cinemascore'. Archived from the original on 2018-12-20.
- ^ abEbert, Roger (1987-02-27). 'Review: Some Kind of Wonderful'. Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
- ^ abMaslin, Janet (1987-02-27). 'Film: 'Some Kind of Wonderful''. The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
- ^Richard Schickel (1987-03-09). 'Cinema: Teen Turmoil Some Kind Of Wonderful'. Time. Archived from the original on November 9, 2007. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
- ^'Some Kind of Wonderful'. Variety. 1987-01-01. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
- ^Richard Harrington (1987-02-28). 'Some Kind of Wonderful'. The Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
- ^Sutton, Michael. 'Review: Some Kind of Wonderful – Original Soundtrack'. Allmusic. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
- ^Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 284. ISBN0-646-11917-6.
External links[edit]
| Wikiquote has quotations related to: Some Kind of Wonderful (film) |
- Some Kind of Wonderful at IMDb
- Some Kind of Wonderful at AllMovie
- Some Kind of Wonderful at Box Office Mojo
- Some Kind of Wonderful at Rotten Tomatoes
- Some Kind of Wonderful at Metacritic
Frances Carolina Roberts And Andrew Jackson “AJ” Lewis IV Wed In San Antonio
By Lance Avery Morgan
Photography by Sarah Kate
When the invitation to the wedding was received by 894 guests, everyone knew they were in for something spectacular. Frances “Carolina” Roberts, the daughter of Elizabeth and Barry Roberts and Andrew Jackson “AJ” Lewis IV, the son of Liza and Jack Lewis, all of San Antonio, enjoyed a two and half-year courtship and a one-year engagement, after initially meeting through the San Antonio German Club, a brahman social club in the city.
The couple was engaged in a truly fitting Texas-style…on the groom’s family ranch. With a bottle of 1995 Dom Perignon and monogrammed cups by his side, AJ asked Carolina to be his life mate while overlooking the ranch perched on the Pedernales River. “Before I knew it, I turned around and saw AJ on one knee, with a ring in his hand. It turned out our families were all waiting for the green light so they could come and meet us where we were. They came bolting down the hill with bells and whistles,” enthused the bride, Carolina Lewis.
The evening wedding, which occurred before the COVID-19 pandemic began, took months of planning for the grand weekend to happen in San Antonio. Billinda Wilkinson of Wilkinson Rhodes event production company and her team of international designers creatively directed the event, and Danny Cuellar of Trinity Flowers collaborated to execute a magnificent design for the church. The wedding weekend’s festivities began with the rehearsal dinner for the family, wedding party, and out of town guests, at the Coates Chapel at the Southwest School of Art. The wedding venue, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, was a magnificent setting with a mix of the bride’s favorite flowers. Under the direction of Wilkinson Rhodes, Danny Cuellar created the bride’s vision for the church including a floral armature specifically designed for St Mark’s Episcopal Church.
The bride walked down the elongated aisle wearing a dress that was a custom combination creation of Marchesa and Creviax by Javier Castillo. She wore a beaded pearl butterfly brooch, as well as an antique lace train that had been passed down for four McAllen family generations. “One of my favorite parts of the ceremony was when our Reverend Matt Wise asked me and AJ to turn around and look at the audience. He told the audience that the night before (at the rehearsal dinner) he had walked around the room and asked some of the bridesmaids and groomsmen, What do you love about Carolina and AJ’s love for each other? He then shared with us, and our guests, many of the sweet thoughts our friends’ had said the night before,” said Carolina Lewis.
The bride selected six flower girls, four ring bearers, and three attendants who were boys over the age of 10, in addition to her bridal party that were: Alicia Urrutia Amberson, Margaret McAllen Amberson, Lillian Foster Calvert, Claudia Luedemann Kiolbassa, Hannah Claire Gibson, Lauren Anne Gray, Carroll McLemore Ison, Meredith Anne Knight, Sallie Wolff Lewis, Felicia Louise Mannix, Diana Lynn Rubin, Fannie Lewis Thomas, and Jane Elizabeth Towns. She chose Josephine Tinsley Simpson as her maid of honor. The groom selected his cousin, Richard Spencer Lewis II, as his best man. The groomsmen who attended AJ were Hunter Hill Comiskey, Robert Menefee Cavender, Jr., Tyler Manning Hays, Dana Gareth Kirk, Jr., Moses McLish Moorman, Stewart Louis Korte, Carlos Federico Longoria, John Argyle McAllen Roberts, George Coates Roberts, Gregory Allen Rubiola, Jr., Charles Clayton Thomas, Jr., John Stuart West, and Burk Ricks Wilson, Jr. The ushers serving him were: Barclay Cunningham Adams, Kenneth Stanley Adams IV, Argyle Christian Amberson, Diego Andrés Guerra, Enrique Eduardo Guerra III, Lorenzo Tomás Guerra, John Luke Mannix, and John Thomas Saunders III.
Immediately after the ceremony, the newly betrothed couple joined the family dinner upstairs at The Argyle, while the wedding reception was in full swing below. “We enjoyed an intimate dinner with our parents before going out to the reception, which gave us a chance to relax, enjoy a cocktail, and sample all the wonderful foods being served at the wedding reception before greeting our guests,” remarked Carolina Lewis. The colors in the elaborately tented reception were hunter green, white, and blush pink, with shades of gold. It was a feast for the guests’ senses as over-scaled floral consistingof over 50,000 hybrid delphinium, hydrangea, larkspur, phalaenopsis, and garden roses arranged in unique floral designs welcomed guests at every turn. Upon entering the dinner, attendees were enveloped by a floral wonderland spanning the length of the tent. The ceiling was filled with over 5,000 stems of cascading flowers and foliage. The bridal party tables featured lush flower runners with arching floral garlands rising above them.
Since the couple had planned a honeymoon to Asia, there was an Asian flair to the buffet dinner with a selection of food stations astutely provided by The Argyle team. There were gorgeous De Gournay-style framed panels around the reception and a beautiful bar created with a series of brightly colored fans mixed with orchids and other tropical flowers. The bridal couple shares a love of food, especially sushi, so it was a treat to have three sushi chefs freshly preparing various rolls, nigiri, and sashimi, along with an incredible noodle bar with ice-cold Asian beer and sake pairings. The fresh seafood bar was topped with an exquisite ice sculpture of two kissing elephants whose trunks formed the shape of a heart.
The specialty cocktails also beautifully represented the couple with “his” and “hers” drinks. The “his” drink was a traditional margarita on the rocks, called a Spanish Sparknamed after the groom’s favorite drink, the Chispa, served at the famous Soluna Mexican food restaurant in San Antonio. The “her” drink was a twist on a French 75 cocktail called a Purdey Girl (named after the couple’s English cocker spaniel) and consisted of champagne, vodka, cranberry juice, with a large ice cube with small orchid flowers frozen in its center. The bride’s cake, created by Cakes by Cathy Young of San Antonio, was strawberry, with blush pink icing and filling. The groom’s cake was custom made by The Painted Cake. Half of the cake portrayed an African scene with a Baobab tree, elephant, campfire and tent, while the other half was a scene from their Fredericksburg ranch with personal touches to the bride and groom, such as their dog, Purdey. The cake was cut with a ceremonial sword from AJ’s maternal grandfather, Brigadier General James S. Billups, from when he attended the United States Military Academy at West Point. The fun continued in the dance tent, where the bar surrounded a two-story tree filled with over 600 stems of elongated, bright white, dripping phalaenopsis orchids, while the tent poles themselves danced with 25 feet of garlands of silver dollar and seeded eucalyptus and more than a thousand roses of different varieties.
Attendees at the reception enjoyed dancing to the Georgia Bridge Water Orchestra, from Jordan Khan Productions, and were also treated to a performance by Cris Cab, who was a wedding guest. The after-party was in the Coates Garden, the newest addition to The Argyle, and had guests dancing the night away by music provided by D.J. Rooney G, in from New York.
The couple’s Asian honeymoon took them on an extended journey ranging from Bali to Japan, where they look forward to visiting again soon. They reside in San Antonio, where Carolina, a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, has just started her own company with two of her cousins, and AJ, a graduate of Texas Christian University, is an executive at his family’s business, Mission Restaurant Supply. “In our spare time, we love to travel, go to the ranch and beach, cook, play with our dog, play backgammon, and spend time with each other’s families and friends,” said Carolina Lewis.