Some Kind of Wonderful

Some Kind of Wonderful was John Hughes' last teen fairytale movie. I saw it on the big screen when I was in high school, holding hands with my sweetheart. She was my first real romance; after a roundabout courtship we had a pretty rocky relationship, but things were working for us pretty well at the point when we saw the movie.

She was a tomboyish drummer who kept a bleached streak in her hair. Some Kind of Wonderful tells the story of a bloke who takes the long way around to a romance with a tomboyish drummer with a bleached streak in her hair—so it has a special place in my heart. Oh, their first kiss!

So I thought, for a time, that it was just me that had a special affection for it.

When I was in college, I lived for a while in an on-campus apartment. Each apartment in the block had a sliding glass door facing the courtyard, so that you could see into the other students' living rooms. One day, through a glass door, I see a cluster of students watching TV. They're watching Some Kind of Wonderful.

I cannot resist. I tap on the window and ask, “Am I too late for The Kiss?” Everyone grins. “You're the third one to ask. It's still coming up!” I meant to stay just until the kiss, but you know how it can be.

Five more people stopped by before the picture was through. All of them asked the same question. The ones who were too late didn't stay.

So you can take you can take your From Here to Eternity, your To Catch a Thief, your Gone With the Wind, and all those other obvious choices. You want the Best Screen Kiss ever?

It's Some Kind of Wonderful, with a bullet. Listen for the sound of breaking glass on the soundtrack.

Update: Through the magic of YouTube: The Kiss.