A forgotten gem of a teen movie

Rating: Null/10 (9 July 1999)

This teen movie actually comes across more like a theatrical play, which is no bad thing. It is a purely dialogue driven film, and in the hands of a lesser writer, could have turned out to be utter drivel, but luckily it didn't and this is an intriguing character drama.
The Breakfast Club is simply a comical study of the 5 different stereotypes that are present in most high schools, and while this doesn't call for any major plot, the setting of the library as the detention hall fits in perfectly. The writing is really out of the top drawer, and the young cast pull it off remarkably well, in particular Judd Nelson, who really should have carved a career for himself; he has a rare knack for knowing how to deliver one liners.
At times the film does drag on a bit; the scene where Estevez gets high and dances about is pretty embarrassing, and the overlong 20 minute chat towards the end could have been trimmed down a bit. However, this is one of the few teen comedies that manages to hit the mark more often than it misses. Oh, and it contains that great song by Simple Minds as the perfect bookend: "Don't you, forget about me ..."
7/10.