"They only met once, but it changed their lives forever."
One of my favourite 80's films of all time, if you spend a couple of minutes watching the original trailer, you'd realize that if they made this film today, you probably wouldn't watch it.
Thankfully, this film was created in the 80's - a time when the 80's brat pack ruled supreme. This film was a breakthrough accomplishment for writer and director John Hughes. Unfortunately for fans of Hughes, he hasn't done anything significant since the infamous decade. His directorial resume includes such 80's classics as Sixteen Candles, Weird Science, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Planes, Trains, & Automobiles, She's Having a Baby, and Uncle Buck. However, for some strange reason, Hughes went into relative obscurity in terms of directing and focused his career on writing and producing.
As a producer, Hughes brought us Home Alone, Christmas Vacation, and unfortunately, the Beethoven franchise. Hughes has become a little obsessed with this dog franchise, as he's written all the way up to Beethoven's 5th (2003) - probably a tremendous case of writer's block.
Either way, Hughes has lost his muse, but thankfully, he was able to churn out a great film such as this one. Not only is the film powerful in terms of breaking the barriers between different cliques of students in every high school, but even in terms of the youth of the current generation, many of the issues discussed in this film are relevant today.
Due to its cult status, The Breakfast Club has been spoofed in television and copycat films. From my recollection, I know that Family Guy has made a reference to it along with a full episode of Dawson's Creek back in the day making an identical set to use for its homage. I could spend time looking up more references, but I'll let the readers do that.
What makes this film work is the contrasting acting styles and ages of the people portrayed. Anthony Michael Hall (before the steroids that made him gigantic in Edward Scissorhands) is supposed to be a freshman (or for us Canadians, in Grade 9). While the rest of the folks - Sheedy, Ringwald, Nelson, and Estevez are supposed to be seniors. I relate more to the Hall character of Brian as I was always a small kid in high school and somewhat of a braniac. I'm sure if everyone goes back to their high school years, they can relate to someone on this list... the jock, the criminal, the queen, and the outcast.
There are some powerful scenes of drama and intrigue in this film along with some great quotations - especially coming from John Bender (Judd Nelson). My fraternity brother and I have a great scene that we tend to bring up every couple of years - I even used it to toast him during our annual formal (text provided below).
What's funny is that for many of the actors in this movie, no one went on to do anything more of significance. I mean Nelson went on to play a side character on Suddenly Susan on television and was the voice of Hot Rod on the Transformers cartoon movie. Estevez went on to do the Mighty Ducks franchise and pretty much fell off the flat side of the Earth. Sheedy has done a ton of television cameos, but really couldn't shed her brat pack label. While Ringwald was the love interest of most teenage men from the 80's, her career really didn't go beyond the 90's, although she has recovered in her recurring role on television's The Secret Life of an American Teenager.
In the end, this movie is highly recommended and is a treat to watch. If you are going to watch it though, please watch the uncensored version either on television or as a rental - the censorship is only funny once you know the real script.
John Bender (Judd Nelson) Quotation:
"My impression of life at Big Bri's house."
'Son?'
'Yeah, Dad?'
'How was your day, son?'
'Great, Dad. How's yours?'
'Super. Say, how would like to go fishing this weekend?'
'Great, Dad. But I got homework to do.'
'That's okay, son. You can do it on the boat.'
'Gee.'
'Hon, isn't our son swell?'
'Yes, dear. Isn't life swell?'
[kiss]
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