Cry-Baby Review - Large & Lovely

"You got it baby, you got it raw."

Over the years I've asked a number of people about their favorite movies. Cry-Baby was often mentioned. It has been on my list of "to watch" movies for years. Finally, this weekend I watched it.

Cry-Baby is a hilarious, campy musical that pokes fun at some classic musicals. The movie takes place in Baltimore and is named after its main character Wade Walker (Johnny Depp) who is nicknamed Cry-Baby because of the single tear he's able to shed at will. This unique ability and his devilish good looks drive the ladies wild. He even has Cry-Baby tattooed on his arm under Depp's real Cherokee chief head tattoo and scripted across the back of his leather jacket.

Cry-Baby is a drape, a leather wearing, motor cycling bad boy who hangs with a bunch of other drapes made of up of his pregnant sister Pepper (Ricki Lake), Hatchet-Face girl (Kim McGuire), Wanda Woodward (Traci Lords), and Milton Hackett (Darren E. Burrows); all delinquents in their own right.

One day one of the "square" girls takes notice of Cry-Baby. Allison (Amy Locane) decides she doesn't want to be so good anymore and encourages Cry-Baby's advances. Cry-Baby crashes a square party and takes Allison for a ride on his bike back to the drapes hang-out where his troupe gives her a makeover reminiscent of Sandy in Grease. They sing a duet together and there's a memorable make out scene with everyone wet French-kissing. Cry-Baby teaches Allison the basics of how to French Kiss ("Kiss Me, kiss me hard") which was both sexy and pee your pants funny. Everyone is interrupted when Allison's jilted boyfriend and his gaggle of goons pay a visit and set Cry-Baby's motorcycle on fire. A fight breaks out, the police show up and Cry-Baby is arrested and sent to a detention center until he's 21. There are some songbirds singing in jail reminiscent of Elvis Presley's Jailhouse Rock but perhaps less choreographed. But bars, conniving girls and angry mothers can't separate Cry-Baby from his true love for long.

Acting wise it is really hard to judge. Everyone was over acting to make a point and these roles are really tongue-in-cheek. As far as I'm concerned this film proves Johnny Depp can do just about anything and still be sexy. Johnny already had a huge following with his success in 21 Jump Street. As for fat girl, Ricki Lake, this came after Babycakes and Hairspray which I think were better roles for her. It looks like she's sporting a pregnant breasts and tummy body suit for her role. I didn't notice any fat stereotypes. She already has two illegitimate kids and gets just as much make-out time as any of the other characters. Even the somewhat deformed Hatchet Face girl gets a lot of action. Special appearances by Willem Dafoe (Batman) as a mean guard and rock star Iggy Pop as Uncle Belvedere round off the cast.

Cry-Baby was written and directed by John Walters who is also the writer and director of the Hairspray musical. You really have to have an open mind for comedy to enjoy this film. I thought it was hilarious, going in with the perspective of not taking it seriously. There are a lot of great one-liners. Would it be on my favorite movie list? Probably not, but I'd watch it again and recommend seeing it at least once.

Cry-Baby is available from Amazon.com.
Cry-Baby is available from Amazon.ca.

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