'Pretty in Pink' Director Howard Deutch on Why He Owes Everything to John Hughes

More than a teenage romantic comedy, Pretty in Pink became an '80s cult classic, helped cement what would become known as the Brat Pack, and made John Hughes a voice of a generation. And for director Howard Deutch, it would launch his 30-year film and TV career.

A first-time director, Deutch was at the helm of the 1986 coming-of-age film about a girl from the other side of the tracks (Molly Ringwald), who pined for the popular guy (Andrew McCarthy) while unaware of the admirer right in front of her (Jon Cryer). And admittedly, Deutch didn't know what he was doing.

"It was very important to me," he tells ETonline about getting chosen for the job by Hughes, who just came off directing The Breakfast Club and Weird Science. "In terms of interpretations or judgment calls, the stakes were so high."

Lea Thompson with her husband Howard Deutch at the 84th Annual Academy Awards.
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