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What's After the Movie?
Family drama

Curly Sue (1991): Cast, Box Office & Plot

Curly Sue (1991) movie poster

Curly Sue is a 1991 family drama directed by John Hughes, starring Alisan Porter as Curly Sue, Jim Belushi and Ralph Foody. It runs 1 hour 41 minutes and earned $33.7 million worldwide.

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Curly Sue (1991) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 41m (101 min)
Director
John Hughes
Genres
Family , Romance , Comedy , Drama
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Curly Sue About?

The premise of Curly Sue without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Bill, a penniless drifter, cons strangers just enough to keep himself and his partner—an orphan girl called Curly Sue—alive. They set their sights on Grey, a yuppie lawyer, hoping to swindle her. Unexpectedly, Grey grows fond of the scrappy duo, complicating the scheme, especially when her jealous, manipulative boyfriend Walker intervenes.

Curly Sue Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • homelessness
  • chicago illinois
  • girl
  • lawyer
  • hit by a car
  • adoptive father adopted daughter relationship
  • montage
  • affection
  • kindness
  • class differences
  • orphan
  • character name in title
+38 more
  • illiteracy
  • bathing
  • accident
  • screaming
  • ring
  • jail
  • pawnshop
  • divorce lawyer
  • restaurant
  • singing
  • blackmail
  • parking garage
  • snobbery
  • rags to riches
  • punched in the face
  • bedroom
  • man in a shower
  • pizza
  • hug
  • concussion
  • movie theater
  • popcorn
  • homeless shelter
  • head injury
  • piano
  • suit
  • poker
  • maid
  • cigar smoking
  • wedding reception
  • school
  • doctor
  • church
  • politician
  • secretary
  • female pedal pumping
  • theft
  • curly hair
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Cast & crew

Curly Sue Cast & Characters

Alisan Porter leads the cast as Curly Sue, with Jim Belushi as Bill Dancer and Ralph Foody as Drifter. Directed by John Hughes; 38 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in Curly Sue

· 34 more
Show all 38 cast members
From the director

More from John Hughes

More films directed by John Hughes, best-rated first: The Breakfast Club, Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Uncle Buck.

Full filmography
Plot

Curly Sue Plot Summary

What happens in Curly Sue from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Bill Dancer, Jim Belushi and his young ward Curly Sue, Alisan Porter, are homeless but kind-hearted con artists who scrape by on small scams just to eat. Their makeshift life is turned upside down when Sue’s late mother’s tin ring is stolen by a drifter, Ralph Foody, setting off a chain of fragile choices and fragile loyalties.

Full summary

The whole story of Curly Sue, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

Curly Sue Box Office

Curly Sue grossed $33.7 million worldwide.

1991 box office

Worldwide gross

$33.7M

US & Canada
$33.7M
Videos

Curly Sue Trailers & Videos

The trailer of Curly Sue.

Trailer
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Curly Sue?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Who plays the homeless man Bill Dancer?

Cars

Cars in Curly Sue

28 cars on screen, including the 1990 Mercedes-Benz 500 SL R129 and the 1986 Chevrolet Caprice.

All 28 cars
  • 1990 Mercedes-Benz 500 SL R129 in Curly Sue 1990 Mercedes-Benz 500 SL R129 Important role
  • 1986 Chevrolet Caprice in Curly Sue 1986 Chevrolet Caprice Minor role
  • 1987 Chevrolet Caprice in Curly Sue 1987 Chevrolet Caprice Minor role
  • 1987 Chevrolet Caprice in Curly Sue 1987 Chevrolet Caprice Minor role
Details

Curly Sue Also Known As

23 alternative titles, including “La Pequeña Pícara” and “Suzie Frisettes”.

Also known as
  • La Pequeña Pícara
  • Suzie Frisettes
  • Кучерява Сью
  • Кудрява Сью
  • Curly Sue - Ein Lockenkopf sorgt für Wirbel
  • Кудряшка Сью
  • La P'tite Arnaqueuse
  • La tenera canaglia
  • Huncutka
  • A Malandrinha
  • Kudrnatá holka
  • Кучерявка Сью
+11 more
  • Küçük Dalavereci
  • Къдравата Сю
  • Niesforna Zuzia
  • 내 사랑 컬리 수
  • Kučeravá Sue
  • Suzy frisettes
  • 街头俏妞
  • נוכלת ושמה סו
  • Pokkers til krøltop
  • La petita Sue
  • カーリー・スー

Seen Curly Sue?

FAQ

Curly Sue FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office and post-credit scenes of Curly Sue, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Curly Sue?

Curly Sue runs 1 hour 41 minutes (101 minutes).

When was Curly Sue released?

Curly Sue was released on October 25, 1991.

Who directed Curly Sue?

Curly Sue was directed by John Hughes.

More films by John Hughes

Who is in the cast of Curly Sue?

Curly Sue stars Alisan Porter as Curly Sue, Jim Belushi as Bill Dancer and Ralph Foody as Drifter, among 38 credited actors.

How much did Curly Sue make at the box office?

Curly Sue grossed $33.7 million worldwide.

Does Curly Sue have a post-credit scene?

No. Curly Sue has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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