Tuff Turf (1985) is a bit like Pretty in Pink—both are high school movies rife with class issues and pumping synth riffs. But imagine Pretty in Pink set in the Valley. Andrew McCarthy’s character—now the protagonist—has just moved to town. Due to hard times, rather than buying another big, fancy house, they’ve relocated to the wrong side of the tracks. Give him a touch of Kevin Bacon à la Footloose and add a sprinkle of Ferris Bueller can-do, and you have Morgan Hiller (played by James Spader). Molly Ringwald’s character—with a far lesser role—is played by 80s Coke Whore Barbie and dates the leader of a Warriors-style gang. Ringwald and McCarthy fall in love. Class conflict and gang-related violence ensue.
