Cry-Baby on AllMovie

Infamous gross-out filmmaker John Waters plays it straighter than usual in Cry-Baby, his follow-up to the mildly successful Hairspray. Set in his beloved Baltimore, the story follows a pretty-boy greaser (Johnny Depp), whom Waters has described as "the best-looking gas station attendant in the world," as he and his gang of rockers pay homage to the long-lost delinquent-teen films of the '50s and '60s. Waters hits every genre cliche in the book; there's plenty of rockabilly music, cheesy dance montages, heavy petting and, of course, a little perversion, although it pales in comparison to the likes of Pink Flamingos or Desperate Living. Cry-Baby is sure to amuse most audiences, with the exception of hardcore Waters fans more accustomed to scenes involving poodles or appendage transplants.