Cry-Baby

This is a film that John Waters created as a loving send up of 1950's teen and juvenile delinquent films. It tells the story of Cry-Baby (Depp) a teenage orphan with the ability to make women swoon by shedding a single tear. It's a good natured, never mean musical based in a world where a song can make jail prisoners dance and riot or make someone fall in love with you despite being from different worlds.

A cast that includes Iggy Pop, Traci Lords, Waters regular Rikki Lake and a few other pleasant treats and cameos. The actors appear to be having as much fun with the subject matter as the film is. Borrowing for value from films such as Grease, Jail-house Rock, High School Hellcats, Rebel without a cause and a zillion others from the genre this film is a self-aware campy comedy that is very well crafted.

Clean and ridiculous warmhearted fun with more than a hint of trash. As of the date I re-watched this film (April 2004 10 years later) this film is still out of print. The reason for that is inexplicable to me as it's one of Johnny Depp's funniest performances and one of the better musicals that comes to mind. Oh yeah, don't blink or you'll miss Willem Defoe as the prison guard. "God bless Dwight D. Eisenhower, God bless Roy Cohn..."

Come for the comedy, stay for the great songs.