Title: So That Happened
Author: Jon Cryer
Published: 2015
Read: January 2015
I read an excerpt of this in “The Hollywood Reporter” last year (a funny story about Charlie Sheen) and knew this would have to go on my list of to-reads. While “Pretty in Pink” is probably my third favorite John Hughes YA films (after TBC and SC of course), Duckie has always been one of my favorite characters. And what a treat this memoir is because Jon Cryer dedicates TWO chapters to his time playing him.
This is a very fun read, particularly because, while Cryer is recently known as the Emmy-winning Alan Harper from the now defunct “Two and a Half Men”, prior to that he found success on Broadway and, as I’ve learned, a lot less success (but at least he found work) in film and TV.
Now let’s take a break from this review for a little personal anecdote. I told the husband what I was reading and he sorta rolled his eyes. We used to watch “Men” together back when it was good (which, reading the memoir, I’ve determined that “it was good” back when Charlie Sheen was sober). But we did get tired of it and moved on. But the husband was like, Jon Cryer, whatever. And then when I mentioned to him that blip about how when Ashton Kutcher joined the “Men” cast there was an awkward moment Jon was trying to avoid on account of Jon having dated Kutcher’s then wife back in the 80s (yes! these are the types of fun stories included in the memoir!), the husband was like, “oh yeah they were in a movie together. He played a photographer.” and i was like A-HA! You DID see Jon Cryer movies! And finally he readily admitted to having seen a few. I don’t know why I felt vindicated. Maybe he shouldn’t have rolled his eyes in the first place.
Anyway, good stories from Cryer. My particular favorite is his recalling of a stage performance of Sondheim’s “Company” at Lincoln Center, which he performed along with Stephen Colbert, Martha Plimpton, Neil Patrick Harris and Patti LuPone, among others. I love this story because the talented NPH ALSO brings up this experience in HIS memoir, which I read last year and it was enjoyable to read both actor’s perspectives. Mainly, Cryer thought he was woefully unprepared and everyone else was great. NPH believed HE was woefully unprepared compared to the other cast. All can agree that Patti LuPone was amazing.
I also appreciated Cryer’s take on his character Duckie. It would be an easy out to speculate this crazily dressed, animated, somewhat effeminate and just plain different high school student is gay (which, according to the memoir, Molly Ringwald alludes to many years later). It would be more accurate to follow Cryer’s beliefs, that he’s just who he is, and there are young men (and women) at that age of high school who are dealing with a mix of what society expects of them, what they truly want to be, and Duckie expressed himself as an individual (and perhaps on a subconscious level, was playing himself in some ways). Not everyone will be the typical boy. I think it was smart of Cryer to recognize that. I guess that’s why they pay him the big bucks.
Recommend to 80s teen movie fans, or TV fans.