For Keeps (1988)

Young Love

I thoroughly enjoyed this coming-of-age movie. It dealt with teenage love, sex, marriage, and grown-up responsibilities with compassion, honesty, and humor. I do not think it trivialized teen pregnancy at all, but rather showed both its hardships and the ability to do it right if one tries and has support. I fully recommend it to all ages.
February 21, 2008

The Greatsest Movie Ever

I love the drama between two people that are the same age as me. I am currently going through the same bad time witm my boyfriend. I hope we are able to overcome the fights and money problems like them. It openned my eyes and I just loved this movie. July 3, 2007

"So You've Ruined Your Life" was too brutal a title

Molly Ringwald attempted to transfer from teen dramedies to lighter dramas in her last years and projects under John Hughes. Here was one that they attempted to teach others a lesson about teen pregnancy, but it didn't pay off as intended.

Molly plays Darcy, a strait laced high school student who is concerned with her grades and school activities. She is going out with a guy named Stan, who is also a nice, stable guy from a good family and equally as dedicated and strait laced. They start, naturally, having sex (how about that hoaky scene in the rain under a tree?), and Darcy gets pregnant. What to do now? Darcy's bitter, divorced mother says to get an abortion because she was abandoned by Darcy's father. Stan's family, being a loud Italian / Catholic clan, says to give it up for adoption. Then, Darcy, afraid of the procedure, backs out of the abortion and she and Stan decide to marry and keep the baby. Their families turn their backs on them, they get minimum wage jobs, drop out of high school, and it all, naturally, falls apart.

It's a sad tale, to be sure, and a common one. But, I would suspect that this movie would have a whole different spin if it was a little more realistic. There is a sense that these two did really love each other, and she did not intentionally get pregnant to trap him. (I wish I had a nickle for everytime I have seen that happen.) The white teenage girl who becomes pregnant is most likely to be living in a trailer park, while most of the black teenage girls are living in slums. The baby's daddy is usually no where to be found, not even caring enough to call the kid on his/her birthday. Mommy's on Medicaid, the baby's born with some defect because Mommy didn't get the right prenatal care, Mommy starts popping pills and smoking stuff. They did a good job of showing how both parents become frazzled when having to deal with dirty diapers, paying the bills, and the crying baby. But, I doubt that Daddy would have stuck around as long as he did. He would have bailed a long time ago.

And how about that ending? Stan realizes his pig behavior was wrong, cleans up, and begs Darcy's forgiveness. She graduates from high school, and there is a hope at the end that things will work out for them as they get back together.

I'm an optimist, really I am. I want to believe that things will work out, but a person has to work hard for what they want. And all kinds of things in life are hard, marriage/family being one of them. If it was easy, everyone would do it. Making babies is easy, but being a parent and maintaining a marriage is hard work. Not everyone is ready, not everyone is responsible, and not everyone should do it at all. We have to be willing to work to make things work, and you often times can't get the other person to see eye to eye with you. They quit on you. And you become bitter and angry because you felt that you carried the weight of the others. What a mess.

So the message here is, kids, "Don't do it". But, kids will do it anyway despite the wrath of their parents and community outrage. So put condoms in school, and tell kids to use them. Don't like that, parents? Well, you better get over it. May 24, 2007

Cheesy but great 80s movie!

This movie is one of those great cheesy 80s movies....perfect for a girls night in! May 12, 2007

Pleased with this purchase

I purchased this DVD because it was movie from my past that I watched and liked. My older sister got me interested in this movie when I was little and I would watch it then, not knowing or having mixed knowledge of some of the topics in the movie. Watching it now, the things that I was confused about makes sense. I like Molly Ringwald in this movie, and it was a different direction from her Brat Pack movies. February 17, 2007

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