Misses its own point, a sadly overrated experience

Rating: 4/10 (22 January 2016)

It had promise, but it wasted it all. The Breakfast Club is one of those movies that sound beautiful but when I watched it I found it undercooked in almost every way and then the ending was cloying, featured bipolar characters and went completely against the message it was trying to send.
I'll give the film props for the five exceptional performances. Estevez and Ringwald inhabit their characters well, but the show is stolen completely by Anthony Michael Hall as Brian the Dork and Ally Sheedy as Allison the Basket Case. Judd Nelson is firmly in control of his character all times and is completely superb at all times. Whatever the characters need to do is handled superbly by the actors. John Hughes also provides key directorial choices, such as the character's lunches and how Hughes' characters completely ignore Brian because despite all their problems he is still the least popular. The dance scene in the film is delightful in isolation and there's something beautiful about watching the three boys in particular dance together.
he Breakfast Club has a beautiful message that never gets across. I never bought any of the friendships because large portions of the plot felt rushed. It takes over an hour for the kids to even get on good terms. After that, there's some good stuff, but let me break down why The Breakfast Club craps the bed on its own message.
It's meant to be a story about how five people with problems can become friends for one day. How are the relationships at the end of the film:

Bender and Andrew: Bender antagonises Andrew several times and then this point is abandoned.

Bender and Brian: The closest thing to a character arc is that Bender acknowledges Brian's existence.

Bender and Claire: The romance with Claire is completely forced because just when they start to kindle positive words, he is horrible to her, then they kiss? It's like there are scenes missing.

Bender and Allison: Nothing

Andrew and Brian: Andrew is the first to be kind to Brian. There's a hint of something there when it's revealed that Andrew beat up one of Brian's type of kid. Then, nothing.

Andrew and Claire: Nothing beyond a scene at the start where the two are established as the only two likely to interact.

Andrew and Allison: He finds her very strange until she looks pretty on the outside. Then they kiss.

-Brian and Claire: Probably the most underrated connection, she responds and says that its okay to be a virgin (as we later find out that she is as well), a huge deal from one of the most popular girls in school. Brian later finds the courage to tell her to shut up when she condescends him. However, this goodwill is all undone when she manipulates him with compliments into doing all of their detention essays for them. Rather than parting as equals, Brian ends up being the bottom of the barrel.

Brian and Allison: The two most likely to interact with other members of the Breakfast Club, this is undone by chucking Allison into a romantic interest with the cool Andrew.

-Allison and Claire: No interaction between the girls until Claire suddenly decides to make Allison look pretty. Honestly, I think she looked better before.
The problem here is that all of the relationships are forced, counter-productive and harmful to each other. Rather than feeling touched, I came away feeling sour because now Brian is the fifth wheel for a pair of couples when the film had no business doing that. Brian is in a way the most important character of the film, and likely the one that many identify with the most. However, his character is completely left out in the cold because now we have two couples. Now instead of remembering the day - and Breakfast Club - fondly, both boys will just remember their respective girl. Honestly, I think Brian was better off without The Breakfast Club.
I don't agree with a number of directorial and writing choices, notably the emotional manipulation of the audience who are supposed to feel something for Bender distracting Vern so the others can return safely to the library undetected. Are we meant to forget that they left to fetch weed (something I can't see Brian or Claire doing) and only at Bender's urging to begin with? Vern is used inconsistently throughout - he hears raised voices at the beginning of the film and yet cannot smell marijuana smoke or hear a person falling through a roof. His interactions with Bender are also inconsistent, with Bender suddenly affected by his insults even though they only marginally differ from what he's been saying before.
Instead of its beautiful message, The Breakfast Club goes forward and imparts the following:

Nerds get nothing in life.

The Breakfast Club is about romance not friendship.

Look pretty so boys will like you.

Weed makes everything better.