GRANTED,UPON SEEING ITS THEATRICAL RELEASE TO PRETENDING TO FILM IT IN THRU MY VHS CAMCORDER PLAYBACK EYEPIECE, THEN FINALLY REVISITING IT ON DVD LAST WEEK, I TOO WAS ENAMORED BY 21 YR OLD CONNELLY (WHOSE CINEMATIC CHARACTER HAUNTED ME SINCE THAT SLEEPLESS NIGHT).HOWEVER, BEYOND BEING THE “TARGET” AUDIENCE AND BECOMING MY FILLMMAKING MUSE AND IDEAL IMAGE FOR THE NEXT DECADE RIVALED PRIOR BY OLIVIA NEWTON JOHN IN “GREASE”,LINDA CARTER AS WONDERWOMAN, JESSICA RABBITT, KELLY PRESTON IN “TWINS”, AND LATER CAMERON DIAZ IN “THE MASK”, SALMA HAYEK, “DUSK TILL DAWN”, OR ALBA’S AND BECKINSALE’S KICKBUTT SCREEN PERSONAS. ANYHOW, GETTING PAST THE BLINDING AESTHETIC AND PHYSICAL BEAUTY AND WIT OF THE RESPECTIVE LEAD CHARACTERS, I OFFER THE FIRST OF THE FOLLOWING INSIGHT ABOUT THIS PICTURE:

IRONICALLY, HUGHES FILMS STARRING MOLLY RINGWALD WERE MORE CRITICALLY AND FINANCIALLY SUCCESSFUL WHERE RINGWALD’S UNCONVENTIONAL LOOKS WERE CONSIDERED LESS MARKETABLE. FRANK WHALEY SAYS HE PLAYS JIM DODGE WITH SOMEONE DESTINED FOR GREATNESS. THE SELECTION OF TARGET BRAND:VISUALLY SYMBOLIZES MANY THINGS. THE IDEA THAT CHARACTERS ARE TRAPPED OR STUCK AT HOME, IN THE STORE, AND THE PAIRING OR EXPRESSION OF THEIR LOVE TO SHARE, ETC.

THERE’S EVEN A SUBTLE AMBIVILENCE AS TO THE MOTIVES OF THE CHARACTERS TORN BETWEEN CHOICES, BUT ULTIMATELY THEY YEARN TO BE FREE OF THIS SMALL TOWN OR THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES AND FIND THAT ANSWER IN EACH OTHER. THERE ARE EVEN WAYS TO INCORPORATE IT AS CONTINUATIONS, PARALLELS, OR EXTENSIONS TO THE LIGHTER SIDE OF JOHN HUGHES WORK AND OF HIMSELF. I CAN GO ON AND ON AND IT MORE THAN ALLOWS CREATIVE INTERPRETATION, EMPOWERMENT, AND ROMANCE.

I COULD DECONSTRUCT IT ALL DAY, BUT INSTEAD I’LL LEAVE YOU WITH DIALOGUE FROM THE FILM THAT SPEAKS TO IT’S ESSENCE, “THE SAME REASON YOU WANT TO STAY AT HOME, IS THE SAME REASON THAT I CAN’T LEAVE MY FATHER..” JOSIE MCCLELLAN SUGGESTS, “WHAT’S THAT?” ASKS JIM. “I DON’T WANT TO BE ALONE.”.SHE TELEGRAPHES IN ALL HER EMOTIONAL NAKEDNESS AND THE GENTLE ALLURE OF HER COUNTENANCE.WITH A SILENT SUBTEXT BEING. WE DON’T HAVE TO BE ALONE, WE CAN ESCAPE AWAY TOGETHER AND START NEW LIVES..SO BASIC YET SO PROFOUND AN OBSERVATION. ASIDE FROM MY PRAISE FOR HOW THE THEME AND CREATIVITY FITS TOGETHER, ITS AS IF THE TITLE ITSELF REFERS TO THE POTENTIAL IN STORE FOR THE “FUTURE CAREERS” OF THE TWO LEADS AND THE FEATURE FILM DEBUT OF THE DIRECTOR ALL COURTESY OF MR.HUGHES WHO HIMSELF SEEMS TO BE AN ENIGMA TO THE LIKES OF SALINGER AND ANOTHER FAMOUS HUGHES.