Empty at the end

Rating: 5/10 (2 January 2004)

The Breakfast Club is one of those films that gains cult status, and seems to be brought up fondly quite often, so I thought I'd sit down and watch it, just to see what it was like, and I'm afraid to say it left me feeling disappointed at the end.
There's great interaction between the cast which adds a lot to the humour of the film, along with some more touching moments later on. Their journey from knowing nothing about each other to becoming great friends seems like a natural progression, as we really get a sense of each character's personalities. However, after a while the film seems to just smash straight through these barriers that the kids have put up and suddenly, almost without warning, the end arrives leaving everyone friends for life. It's a little disorientating, especially as two characters who are screaming and shouting at each other all the way through the film, one even reducing the other to tears, start sharing one of those romantic moments with *absolutely nothing* to lead them to it. It seems completely unnecessary.
Much is made of the experience the characters have changing their lives forever, but it's hard to see just why this is from the film, with little more than a five minute talk about themselves to distinguish this from any group of teens hanging out somewhere. Yes, it's good to get your problems off your chest, but I hardly see anything during this as life-changing. It really let down the film for me, because (aside from a completely patronising "put on make-up, do your hair and all your problems disappear!" makeover) nothing really changes in these kids, while the ending implies something huge.
But, having said that, the rest of the film is fun, and the interaction between all the characters works really well. I enjoyed it, but the ending just left me wanting something a little more satisfying.