Cry-Baby is a 1990 American teen musical romantic comedy film written and directed by John Waters. It was the only film of Waters s over which studios were in a bidding war, coming off the heels of the successful Hairspray. The film stars Johnny Depp as 1950s teen rebel Cry-Baby Wade Walker, and also features a large ensemble cast that includes Amy Locane, Polly Bergen, Susan Tyrrell, Iggy Pop, Ricki Lake and Traci Lords, with appearances by Troy Donahue, Mink Stole, Joe Dallesandro, Joey Heatherton, David Nelson, Willem Dafoe, and Patricia Hearst.

The film centers on a group of delinquent youth who refer to themselves as drapes and their interaction with the rest of the town and its other subculture, the 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 amusement park in Ellicott City, Maryland. Others take place in the historic neighborhoods and towns of Hampden, Baltimore City, Reisterstown, Jessup, Milford Mill, and Sykesville, Maryland. The only scenes not filmed in Maryland were shot at Golden Oak Ranch in Santa Clarita Valley, California.

A box office failure during its initial release, the film has subsequently become a cult classic and spawned a Broadway musical of the same name which was nominated for four Tony Awards.

Plot

In 1954 Baltimore, Wade Cry-Baby Walker leads a gang of drapes , which includes his sister Pepper, a teenage mother; facially-disfigured Mona Hatchet Face Malnorowski; Wanda Woodward, whose post-World War II normal parents constantly embarrass her; and Milton Hackett, Hatchet Face s devoted boyfriend. Walker s ability to shed a single tear excites all the girls. One day after school, Allison Vernon-Williams, a beautiful girl tired of being a square , approaches him, and the two fall in love. That same day, Cry-Baby interrupts a talent show at the charm school run by Allison s grandmother, and introduces himself to her, who doubts his motives. Cry-Baby invites Allison to a party at Turkey Point, a local hangout spot for the drapes.

Despite her grandmother s skepticism, Allison accompanies Cry-Baby to Turkey Point, where she is given a drape makeover by Hatchet Face, Pepper and Wanda, and sings a duet onstage with Cry-Baby. Later, Cry-Baby tells Allison that his father was sent to the electric chair for being the Alphabet Bomber – a killer who bombed places in alphabetical order ― along with his mother as an accomplice. Allison tells him that her parents took separate flights for safety, but both planes went down, orphaning her. While they are talking, Allison s jealous square boyfriend, Baldwin, ignites a riot. Cry-Baby is wrongfully blamed for the fight and sent to a penitentiary, outraging all his friends and even Allison s grandmother, who is impressed by Cry-Baby s clear love for Allison.

When Lenora Frigid, a loose girl with an unrequited crush on Cry-Baby, claims to be pregnant with his child, Allison feels betrayed and returns to Baldwin and the squares, though her grandmother warns her against rushing into a decision. Meanwhile, in the penitentiary, Cry-Baby gets a teardrop tattoo from fellow drape Dupree (Robert Tyree), telling him, I ve been hurt all my life, but real tears wash away. This one s for Allison, and I want it to last forever!

Eventually, after performing with Baldwin and the Whiffles at a new theme park, Allison is persuaded by the newly established alliance between the Drapes and her grandmother to stand by Cry-Baby and join the campaign for his release. She goes to sing in front of the jail with the other drapes. Their performance persuades the judge to release Cry-Baby. Baldwin immediately insults him, revealing that his grandfather electrocuted Cry-Baby s father and that his family laughs about that. Cry-Baby challenges him to a chicken race. Cry-Baby wins, as Baldwin chickens out, and is reunited with Allison. During the race, Pepper gives birth to a baby in the backseat, and her boyfriend proposes by holding up a sign.

The film ends with all watching the chicken race crying a single tear, except for Allison and Cry-Baby, who has finally let go of the past, enabling him to cry from both eyes.

Cast

• Johnny Depp as Wade Cry-Baby Walker James Intveld as Cry-Baby s singing voice
• James Intveld as Cry-Baby s singing voice
• Amy Locane as Allison Vernon-Williams Rachel Sweet as Allison s singing voice
• Rachel Sweet as Allison s singing voice
• Polly Bergen as Mrs. Vernon-Williams
• Ricki Lake as Pepper Walker
• Traci Lords as Wanda Woodward
• Kim McGuire as Mona Hatchet-Face Malnorowski
• Darren E. Burrows as Milton Hackett
• Susan Tyrrell as Ramona Rickettes
• Iggy Pop as Belvedere Rickettes
• Kim Webb as Lenora Frigid
• Stephen Mailer as Baldwin
• Alan J. Wendl as Joe Toe-Joe Jackson
• Jonathan Benya as Snare-Drum
• Jessica Raskin as Susie Susie Q
• Troy Donahue as Mr. Malnorowski
• Mink Stole as Mrs. Malnorowski
• Joe Dallesandro as Mr. Hackett
• Joey Heatherton as Mrs. Hackett
• David Nelson as Hector Woodward
• Patricia Hearst as Maggie Woodward
• Robert Tyree as Dupree
• Robert Walsh as Judge
• Willem Dafoe as Hateful Corrections Officer
• Kelly Goldberg as Pepper s Baby
• Robert Marbury as Angelic Boyfriend

Release

Cry-Baby premiered in Baltimore on March 14, 1990, and was released on April 6. It was screened out of competition at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival.

Critical reception

The film received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it currently holds a 72% score, based on 58 reviews, with an average rating of 6.6/10. The site s consensus states: 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. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded the film 3 out of 4 stars. Metacritic calculated an average score of 63 out of 100 based on 22 reviews, indicating generally favorable reviews . Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of B- on an A+ to F scale.

Box office

The film opened on April 6, 1990 in 1,229 North American cinemas — an unprecedented number for a John Waters film. In its opening weekend, it grossed a soft $3,004,905 ($2,445 per screen) and grossed $8,266,343 by the end of its theatrical run, making it a box office flop from its $12 million budget.

Musical adaptation

Cry-Baby is the second of Waters films to be adapted for the stage as a musical comedy (following Hairspray).

Year	1990
ReleaseDate	1990-04-06
RuntimeMins	85
RuntimeStr	1h 25min
Plot	In 1950s Baltimore, a bad boy with a heart of gold wins the love of a good girl, whose boyfriend sets out for revenge.
Directors	John Waters
Writers	John Waters
Stars	Johnny Depp, Ricki Lake, Amy Locane
Produced by	Jim Abrahams, Brian Grazer, Pat Moran, Rachel Talalay
Music by	Patrick Williams
Cinematography by	Dave Insley
Film Editing by	Janice Hampton
Casting By	Paula Herold, Pat Moran
Production Design by	Vincent Peranio
Art Direction by	Dolores Deluce
Set Decoration by	Virginia Nichols, Chester Overlock III
Costume Design by	Van Smith
Makeup Department	Betty Beebe, Nancy Broadfoot, Denise Cellucci, Delia H. Hoover, Cheryl Pickles Kinion, Christine Mason, Howard Hep Preston, Van Smith
Production Management	Anthony J. Ciccolini III, Karen Koch, Michael Nelson, Michael S. Nelson
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director	F. Cameron MacRae, Betsy C. Schrott, Jeffrey Wetzel, Mary Ellen Woods
Art Department	Robert Barnaby, Kelley Finn Blum, Patty Burgee, Michael Davis, Francesca Gerlach, Wayne Spider Kehs, Michael Lambason, Ted Lubonovich II, Mark Oliver, Lester Poser, David Russell, Richard Salinas, Curtis A. Schnell, Douglas Scrivener, Patti Tronolone, Keith Weaver, Brook Yeaton, Jay Koiwai, Bill Luckey, Silvija L. Moess
Sound Department	Rick Angelella, Bobbi Banks, Richard Beggs, Joel Berkovitz, Noah Blough, Russell Brower, Midge Costin, Samuel C. Crutcher, Dwayne Dell, Lily Diamond, Carol Everson, Teresa García, David Gates, Gary Gegan, Victor Grodecki, Paul Grupp, Julie Hall, Chris Jargo, David Kahne, Stanley Kastner, Jonathan Klein, Lance Laurienzo, David Leonard, Mark Linett, Mark Frito Long, Richard U.S. McIntosh, Patrick O Sullivan, Craig M. Otte, Craig Porteilis, Travis Powers, Brian Risner, Duane F. Seykora, Lisa Shaw Phillips, Greg Steele, Randy Thom, Lee Tinkham
Special Effects by	Lou Carlucci, Steven Kirshoff
Stunts	G.A. Aguilar, Bill Anagnos, Rick Barker, Dana Bertolette, Dan Bradley, Lisa Cain, Scott Alan Cook, Norman Douglass, Jeff Habberstad, Don Hewitt, Jery Hewitt, Jennifer Huggins, Brett A. Jones, Sean Kelly, Janet Lee Orcutt, Candice Orsini, Janet Paparazzo, Lori Petitti, Denney Pierce, Erik Rondell, Harold T. Wright Jr., Brad Baker, Peter Bucossi
Camera and Electrical Department	Alex Applefeld, Scott Browner, Murdoch Campbell, Matt Craven, Donne Daniels, Philip Davis, Mike DeMeyer, Peter Deming, Dominic DeSantis, Matthew Dorsey, Robert W. Dorsey, Bryan Duggan, Rusty Gardner, Henny Garunkel, Francis J. Gill, William J. Gray, Steve Hurson, Marianna Kissell, Dave Kramer, Michael Krebs, Ron Kunecke, Thomas Lappin, Thomas Loizeaux, Edgar Martin, Patrick McAllister, Michael Murray, Doug Nelson, Jalal Pashandi, Michael J. Purbaugh, Steve Seitz, Lee Shapira, Blackford Boots Shelton, Josh Spring, Keith Weiner, Ed Slater
Casting Department	Adam Fusco, Jonathan Gorrie, Greg Mason, Diane Silverstadt, Rei Spinnichio, John Strawbridge
Costume and Wardrobe Department	Rolande Berman, Bernice Blake, David Davenport, Mara Majorowicz, Kathy Oberlin
Editorial Department	Gary Burritt, Anny Lowery Meza, Paul Parsons, Erica Shaevitz, Stuart Sperling, Josie Wechsler
Location Management	Christin Everly, Andrew Giannetta, Terry Gusto, Robert Maier, Chris Mosner
Music Department	A. James Akimoto, Dave Alvin, Larry Benicewicz, Tom Brown, George Doering, Kevin Dorsey, Michael Ferdie, Garey Johns, Edward Karam, Christopher Kennedy, Al Kooper, Becky Mancuso-Winding, Kathy Nelson, Celest Ray, Dennis S. Sands, Tim Sexton, Sally Stevens, Rachel Sweet, John Waters, Channing Wilroy, Orion Crawford
Script and Continuity Department	Harriotte H. Aaron
Transportation Department	Larry Alexander, Carole Fontana, Sara Gardner, Roy A. Grace, Lonnie Mace, Stephen C. Pollock, Salvatore A. Raimond, Ronald Smith, Frank Tamburo, Foard J. Wilgis, Joe Zappacosta, Michael Luckeroth, Randy White
Additional Crew	David L. Aaron, Mike Annen, Paul Bowman, Allison Caine, Paula M. Cerrone, Lori Eastside, Paul Ellis, Jerry Erwin, Frank Ferro, Katie Gilbert, Granville Greene, Gus Griffin, Rochelle Gross, Peter Haas, Jesse Hadaway, Kathryn Loraine Hibbs, Elizabeth Himelstein, Steve McAuliff, Eric McLeod, Pat Moran, David O Ferrall, Alan Rose, Colleen Roome Shelton, Beth Siegel, Cara Tapper, Daniel Wheatcroft, Kathleen M. Woolley, Chip Harrison
Genres	Comedy, Musical
Companies	Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment
Countries	USA
Languages	English
ContentRating	PG-13
ImDbRating	6.5
ImDbRatingVotes	61565
MetacriticRating	63
Keywords	1950s,forbidden love,dysfunctional family,greaser,teen movie