When teen films had something to say

Rating: Null/10 (3 May 2003)

Remember when teen films had something to say? The 80's had an abundance of teen films, some good, many bad. The current millenium has a slew of films aimed at teens, but they aren't really about teens. John Hughes made films about teenagers; whether it was the angst they felt, or a bunch of goofy scenes. His films are a mixed bag, often trying to blend comedy and drama, with mixed results. The stock company of actors lent a sameness to them, but they were still on a higher plane then most of the other teen films.
The Breakfast Club features a group of stereotypes, but there is truth there. Every public school has a jock, a princess, a brain, a delinquent, and a basket-case. In most films, that would be the sole aspect to the character. Hughes actually tried to explain why these personality types exist and give them a three-dimensional personality. The delinquent is the product of abuse and neglect. The jock is driven by his father's dreams of athletic glory, not his own. The brain must succeed at academics, a "B" is unacceptable. The princess is indulged by her father and used as a weapon for her parents arguments. The basket-case is ignored and seeks attention. Now, you can debate whether the parents are to blame, or the children for using these excuses to behave the way they do. Personally, I believe that the parents and the environment do play a major part in the development of these personalities. Yes, the teens make conscious decisions, but those decisions are influenced heavily by the environment they have developed within.
With a John Hughes film, you know you will hear some great dialogue and have some funny moments. You will also run into some absurd events and coincidences. For instance, when the kids are running through the school halls and nearly meet up with the administrator at ever turn. The drama is often overplayed, a fault of both the director and the immature actors. The actors are still developing their talents, and haven't learned restraint as well as they might. The director should be the one to pull them back, but Hughes often fails in this task.
Ultimately, this film is a bit uneven, but there is so much good, even great, material to be found in it. The performances overall strike the right cord. The soundtrack is great and the setting used for great effect. There is a lot of truth to be found here. There are a lot of laughs and a few honest tears. It's not perfect, but it's a darn good try.
My only real problem with the film is this: who gets detention on a Saturday? No teacher, principal, dean, or school official is going to give up their Saturday to babysit some kids; and no parents are going to spend Saturday shuttling their kids to and from school. Yeah, I know it's a device to get the kids together, without their peers around' but, come on!

One last note about John Hughes; the man knew how to put together a great soundtrack! All of his films feature great music, especially to those of us whose musical tastes froze in the 80's. Those were the days; when MTV actually showed videos, and they were worth watching. Where there was some variety to the music there and on radio. When a band could get some mileage out of one really great song. Give me Wang Chung or the Police over Creed or Brittney Spears any day!