View source for Cry-Baby

{{short description|1990 film by John Waters}}
{{other uses|Crybaby (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2013}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Cry-Baby
| image          = Crybabyposter.jpg
| alt            =
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[John Waters]]
| writer         = John Waters
| producer       = [[Rachel Talalay]]
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Johnny Depp]]
* [[Amy Locane]]
* [[Susan Tyrrell]]
* [[Iggy Pop]]
* [[Ricki Lake]]
* [[Traci Lords]]
* [[Polly Bergen]]
}}
| cinematography = David Insley
| editing        = Janice Hampton
| music          = [[Patrick Williams (composer)|Patrick Williams]]
| studio         = [[Imagine Entertainment]]
| distributor    = [[Universal Pictures]]
| released       = {{Film date|1990|03|14|Baltimore|1990|04|06|United States}}
| runtime        = 85 minutes<!-- Theatrical runtime: 85:28 --><ref>{{cite web | url=http://bbfc.co.uk/releases/cry-baby-1970-2 | title=''Cry-Baby'' (12) | publisher=[[British Board of Film Classification]] | date=April 11, 1990 | access-date=January 5, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131030030723/http://bbfc.co.uk/releases/cry-baby-1970-2 | archive-date=October 30, 2013}}</ref>
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $8–12 million<ref name="AFI" /><ref name="dreamland"/>
| gross          = $8.3 million<ref name="mojo"/>
}}
'''''Cry-Baby''''' is a 1990 American [[Teen film|teen]] [[Musical film|musical]] [[romantic comedy]] film written and directed by [[John Waters]]. The film stars [[Johnny Depp]] as 1950s teen rebel Wade "Cry-Baby" Walker, and also features a large [[ensemble cast]] that includes [[Amy Locane]], [[Susan Tyrrell]], [[Iggy Pop]], [[Ricki Lake]], [[Traci Lords]], and [[Polly Bergen]], with appearances by [[Troy Donahue]], [[Mink Stole]], [[Joe Dallesandro]], [[Joey Heatherton]], [[David Nelson (actor)|David Nelson]], [[Patricia Hearst]], and [[Willem Dafoe]]. It was Waters' first film following the death of his muse and frequent collaborator [[Divine (performer)|Divine]].
The film centers on a group of [[Juvenile delinquency|delinquent youth]] who refer to themselves as "drapes" and their interaction with the rest of the town and its other subculture, the "[[Square (slang)|squares]]", in 1950s [[Baltimore]], [[Maryland]]. "Cry-Baby" Walker, a drape, and Allison, a square, disturb Baltimore society by breaking the subculture taboos and falling in love. The film shows what the young couple has to overcome to be together and how their actions affect the rest of the town.
Part of the film takes place at the now-closed [[Enchanted Forest (Maryland)|Enchanted Forest]] [[amusement park]] in [[Ellicott City, Maryland]]. Others take place in the historic neighborhoods and towns of [[Hampden, Maryland|Hampden]], [[Baltimore]], [[Reisterstown, Maryland|Reisterstown]], [[Jessup, Maryland|Jessup]], [[Milford Mill, Maryland|Milford Mill]], and [[Sykesville, Maryland|Sykesville]] in Maryland. The only scenes not filmed in Maryland were shot at [[Golden Oak Ranch]] in [[Santa Clarita, California]].
A [[box office failure]] during its initial release, the film has subsequently become a [[Cult film|cult classic]] and spawned a [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] [[Cry-Baby (musical)|musical of the same name]] which was nominated for four [[Tony Awards]].
==Plot==
In [[Baltimore]] in 1954, Wade "Cry-Baby" Walker, known for his ability to shed a single tear, leads a group of "[[Greaser (subculture)|drapes]]". The group includes his sister Pepper, a teenage single mother of two; facially disfigured tough girl Mona "Hatchet-Face" Malnorowski and her devoted boyfriend, runaway [[rockabilly]] bass player Milton Hackett; and sexually precocious Wanda Woodward, whose post-[[World War II]] conventional parents constantly embarrass her. One day after school, Allison Vernon-Williams, a beautiful upper-class girl tired of being a "[[Square (slang)|square]]", approaches Cry-Baby, and the two fall in love.<!-- ("''Women in Cadillacs''", "''Gee!''"), --> That same day, he interrupts a talent show <!-- ("''[[Sh-Boom]]''", "''A Teenage Prayer''") --> at the R.S.V.P. Charm School run by Allison's grandmother, and introduces himself to her, though she doubts his overall motives. Cry-Baby invites Allison to a party at Turkey Point, a local hangout spot for the drapes.
Despite her grandmother's skepticism, Allison ultimately accompanies Cry-Baby to Turkey Point, where Hatchet-Face, Pepper, and Wanda give her a "drape" makeover before she sings a duet onstage with him<!-- ("''King Cry-Baby''") -->. Later, both commiserate over their shared status as orphans: he shares that his father was sentenced to the [[electric chair]] for being the "Alphabet Bomber" (a killer who bombed places in alphabetical order) along with his mother as an accomplice, while she reveals that her parents took separate flights for safety, but one time, both of their planes went down, killing them. During their conversation, Allison's jealous boyfriend, Baldwin, leads a group of fellow squares in inciting a riot, vandalizing the Drapes' cars with graffiti and setting fire to Cry-Baby's motorcycle, which was a birthday gift from his uncle Belvedere Ricketts and grandmother Ramona Ricketts. In court, the judge releases most of the Drapes to their parents and Allison to her grandmother, but consigns Pepper's young children, "Snare-Drum" and "Susie-Q", to the Chatterbox Orphanage and sentences the wrongfully blamed Cry-Baby to the Maryland Training School for Boys until his 21st birthday, outraging his friends and even Allison's grandmother, who is impressed by Cry-Baby's unwavering devotion to Allison.<!-- ("''Teardrops Are Falling''") -->
When Lenora Frigid, who has an unrequited crush on Cry-Baby, claims to be pregnant with his child, Allison feels betrayed and tentatively returns to Baldwin and the squares, though her grandmother warns her against prematurely rushing into such a decision.<!-- ("''Doin' Time Bein' Young''") --> In the [[Prison|penitentiary]], Cry-Baby gets a [[teardrop tattoo]] under his left eye from fellow drape Dupree, which he dedicates to Allison. Cry-Baby later escapes through a grate into the prison sewer system, while Milton and Hatchet-Face purloin a helicopter, steer it into the jail yard, and scour the cell block hoping to locate and rescue Cry-Baby. Unsuccessful in doing so, they escape in a garbage collection truck. Cry-Baby finally escapes the sewers, but he encounters a room full of prison guards. Meanwhile, Belvedere and Ramona assist Pepper in freeing her children from the Chatterbox Orphanage, before proceeding to release all the other children as well.
Eventually, after Allison performs with Baldwin and his friends<!-- ("''[[Mr. Sandman]]''") --> at the newly constructed Enchanted Forest theme park, the Drapes and her grandmother convince her to campaign for Cry-Baby's release<!-- ("''Please, Mr. Jailer''") -->. Her performance outside the jail persuades the judge, who has become romantically interested in Allison's grandmother, to release Cry-Baby. As the judge announces Cry-Baby's rehabilitation to reporters, Baldwin provokes Cry-Baby by revealing that his grandfather electrocuted Cry-Baby's father. Cry-Baby challenges him to a [[Chicken (game)#Popular versions|chicken race]]<!-- ("''High School Hellcats''") --> between his jalopy and Baldwin's car, under the condition that they ride on the roofs and allow their closest friends to drive. With Belvedere driving, several Drapes ride in Cry-Baby's car, while Baldwin's friends climb into his car. As the cars race toward each other, Pepper delivers an infant son in the backseat, and her boyfriend proposes to her by holding up a sign, which she happily accepts. Cry-Baby ultimately emerges victorious, as Baldwin chickens out and his car crashes into a chicken house. Dupree speeds toward him with Allison on the back of his motorcycle before slamming on the brakes, sending her somersaulting through the air into Cry-Baby's arms. All of the spectators cry a single tear, except for Cry-Baby and Allison, who cry from both eyes.
==Cast==
{{Cast listing|
* [[Johnny Depp]] as Wade "Cry-Baby" Walker
** [[James Intveld]] as Cry-Baby's singing voice
* [[Amy Locane]] as Allison Vernon-Williams
** [[Rachel Sweet]] as Allison's singing voice
* [[Susan Tyrrell]] as Ramona Rickettes
* [[Polly Bergen]] as Mrs. Vernon-Williams
* [[Iggy Pop]] as Belvedere Rickettes
* [[Ricki Lake]] as Pepper Walker
* [[Traci Lords]] as Wanda Woodward
* [[Kim McGuire]] as Mona "Hatchet-Face" Malnorowski
* [[Darren E. Burrows]] as Milton Hackett
* [[Stephen Mailer]] as Baldwin
* Kim Webb as Lenora Frigid
* Alan J. Wendl as Joe "Toe-Joe" Jackson
* [[Troy Donahue]] as Mr. Malnorowski
* [[Mink Stole]] as Mrs. Malnorowski
* [[Joe Dallesandro]] as Mr. Hackett
* [[Joey Heatherton]] as Mrs. Hackett
* [[David Nelson (actor)|David Nelson]] as Hector Woodward
* [[Patricia Hearst]] as Maggie Woodward
* [[Willem Dafoe]] as hateful guard
* Jonathan Benya as "Snare-Drum"
* [[Jessica Raskin]] as Susie "Susie Q"
* Robert Tyree as Dupree
* Robert Walsh as judge
* Robert Marbury as angelic boyfriend
* Kelly Goldberg as Pepper's baby
}}
==Musical numbers==
# "Women in Cadillacs" – Doc Starkes and The Night Riders *(sung along)* – Cry-Baby
# "[[Gee (The Crows song)|Gee]]" – [[The Crows]] *(sung along)* – Cry-Baby, Hatchet-Face, Milton, Pepper, Wanda
# "[[Sh-Boom]]" – Baldwin, the Whiffles
# "[[Teen Age Prayer|A Teenage Prayer]]" – Allison
# "King Cry-Baby" – Cry-Baby, Allison, Hatchet-Face, Milton, Pepper, Wanda
# "Teardrops Are Falling" – Cry-Baby, Dupree, Prisoners
# "Doin' Time for Bein' Young" – Cry-Baby, Prisoners
# "[[The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane]]" ('''Director's Cut''') – Baldwin, the Whiffles
# "[[Mr. Sandman]]" – Allison, Baldwin, the Whiffles
# "Please, Mr. Jailer" – Allison, Cry-Baby, Company, Prisoners
# "Chicken" ('''deleted scene''') – Baldwin, the Whiffles
# "High School Hellcats" – Cry-Baby, Allison, Pepper, Company
==Release==
''Cry-Baby'' premiered in Baltimore on March 14, 1990, and was released on April 6.<ref name="AFI">{{cite web|url = https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58463-CRY-BABY?cxt=filmography|title = Cry-Baby|website = [[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]]|access-date = February 18, 2019}}</ref> It was screened out of competition at the [[1990 Cannes Film Festival]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/179/year/1990.html |title=Cry-Baby |publisher=[[Cannes Film Festival]] |access-date=August 8, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308210028/http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/179/year/1990.html |archive-date=March 8, 2012}}</ref>
==Reception==
===Box office===
The film opened on April 6, 1990, in 1,229 North American theaters—an unprecedented number for a Waters film. It grossed $3,004,905 ($2,445 per screen) on its opening weekend and $8,266,343 by the end of its theatrical run,<ref name="mojo">{{mojo title|cry-baby|Cry-Baby}}</ref> against an $8 million budget ($12 million including advertising and promotion).<ref name="AFI" /><ref name="dreamland">{{cite web|url=http://www.dreamlandnews.com/films/cry_baby.shtml|title=Dreamland News: Filmography: Cry Baby|website=Dreamland News|access-date=January 5, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120102141532/http://www.dreamlandnews.com/films/cry_baby.shtml|archive-date=January 2, 2012}}</ref>
===Critical response===
''Cry-Baby'' received positive reviews from critics. On the website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds an approval rating of 73% based on 62 reviews, with an average rating of 6.6/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "John Waters' musical ode to the teen rebel genre is infectious and gleefully camp, providing star Johnny Depp with the perfect vehicle in which to lampoon his pin-up image."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cry-baby | title=Cry-Baby | website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] | access-date=September 15, 2024}}</ref> [[Metacritic]], which uses a [[Weighted arithmetic mean|weighted average]], assigned the film a score of 63 out of 100, based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/cry-baby |title=Cry-Baby |website=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=July 19, 2018}}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home |url=https://www.cinemascore.com/ |access-date=2022-02-28 |website=[[CinemaScore]]}}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' awarded the film 3 out of 4 stars.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ebert|first=Roger|author-link=Roger Ebert|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19900406/REVIEWS/4060301/1023|title=Cry-Baby|newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|date=April 6, 1990|access-date=January 5, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121007141524/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19900406/REVIEWS/4060301/1023|archive-date=October 7, 2012}}</ref>
==Musical adaptation==
{{main|Cry-Baby (musical)}}
''Cry-Baby'' is the second of Waters' films to be adapted for the stage as a musical comedy (following ''[[Hairspray (musical)|Hairspray]]''). The adaptation does not feature any of the film's songs.
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{AllMovie title}}
* {{Mojo title}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes}}
* {{AFI film}}
* {{TCMDb title}}
{{John Waters}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cry-Baby}}
[[Category:1990 films]]
[[Category:1990 romantic comedy films]]
[[Category:1990s American films]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:1990s musical comedy films]]
[[Category:1990s romantic musical films]]
[[Category:1990s satirical films]]
[[Category:1990s teen comedy films]]
[[Category:1990s teen romance films]]
[[Category:American gang films]]
[[Category:American musical comedy films]]
[[Category:American romantic comedy films]]
[[Category:American romantic musical films]]
[[Category:American satirical films]]
[[Category:American teen comedy films]]
[[Category:American teen musical films]]
[[Category:American teen romance films]]
[[Category:English-language musical comedy films]]
[[Category:Films about dysfunctional families]]
[[Category:Films about race and ethnicity]]
[[Category:Films adapted into plays]]
[[Category:Films directed by John Waters]]
[[Category:Films scored by Patrick Williams (composer)]]
[[Category:Films set in 1954]]
[[Category:Films set in Baltimore]]
[[Category:Films shot in Baltimore]]
[[Category:Films shot in Santa Clarita, California]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by John Waters]]
[[Category:Imagine Entertainment films]]
[[Category:Rockabilly]]
[[Category:Universal Pictures films]]
[[Category:English-language romantic comedy films]]
[[Category:English-language romantic musical films]]
[[Category:1990 musical films]]