It's hard to believe a film with such a simple set up, five teens stuck in Saturday detention, could have such a lasting impact. Developing five complex, rich characters, writer/director John Hughes captured something that remains incredibly relatable even for teens today. Celebrating it's 30th anniversary today, there is a certain timelessness to the film.
At the start of a normal Midwestern Saturday, five teenagers meet in their High School library for day long detention. They consist of Andrew (played by Emilio Estevez), a Wrestling team jock, Claire (played by Molly Ringwald), a popular girl, Brian (played by Anthony Michael Hall), a science and math geek, Allison (played by Ally Sheedy), a school misfit, and Bender (played by Judd Nelson), a juvenile delinquent. They start the day with their defenses up and are very guarded towards one another, especially Bender who relishes antagonizing the others. Slowly, they lower their defenses and start talking to one another. They find that despite their different backgrounds, they have more in common than not.
Watching over the five teens is Principal Richard Vernon (played by Paul Gleason) who thinks a stern hand will help these kids, but just comes off as another hostile force in their lives, especially for Bender as he reveals his home life is exceedingly abusive. Vernon thinks he's helping these kids even when deep down he admits he just doesn't understand them.
The reason why The Breakfast Club continues to persevere is because Hughes was able to tap into something honest. Any teen watching this film would be able to relate to one or more characters in the film. He also softens some of the harsher parts of the film with scenes of comedy that should clash with the dramatic moments but yet somehow doesn't.
I first saw this film when I started high school all the way back in 1995 and related to it in a big way. It led me to seek out the other films of John Hughes, which I have come to love just as much as this one. The films he made had a lot of heart to them. Not saccharine sentimentality, but real heart and that's something that really endeared them to me. There could be moments of hysterical comedy intermingling with moments of heartrending drama and it flowed seamlessly from one to the other.
When I heard John Hughes passed away on August 6th, 2009, I actually cried. There were two things that got me through High School: my friends and the films of John Hughes. He captured something that was relatable to me, reassuring even. I didn't feel so alone in the feelings I had growing up. I'm glad to see these films continue to live on for future generations to watch and enjoy as much as I do.
No comments:
Post a Comment