 
As John Waters evolved as a director, his films went from outrageous, gross-out fests, to kinder, gentler fare that the whole family could enjoy. Both Hairspray and Cry-Baby explored Waters’ recurring themes of rebellion and anti-social behavior, but from the perspective of growing up as a teenager in Baltimore during the ‘50s and ‘60s. The best part, was that they were chock full of full-blown musical numbers that were campy, catchy and full of joy. Johnny Depp takes center stage in Cry-Baby as the movie’s namesake – a juvenile delinquent with a good heart who falls in love with one of the town’s most upstanding young women. With a strong supporting cast that includes Rikki Lake, Iggy Pop, Tracy Lords, Mink Stole, Troy Donahue and others, Depp battles the uptight establishment: cops, parents and the upper-class white boys who no doubt grew up to be modern-day Republicans. Why this film has been out-of-print for so long is anyone’s guess, but 15 years later, Cry-Baby looks and sounds even better in retrospect than when it originally played in theaters. Like Hairspray, this is prime Broadway material and I wouldn’t be surprised if it began a run on the Great White Way in the very near future.- David Bassin
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Cry-Baby