Different Backgrounds Being Brought Together!

Rating: 9/10 (29 May 2020)

When people talk about teen movies, most minds stray to John Hughes's 1985 classic, The Breakfast Club. Like his previous feature Sixteen Candles, Hughes attempts to explore the teenage mind. Just like that film, this film is a relatable teenage character study. Each of the main characters are vastly different in terms of image and personality, but they eventually share a common interest; a seething anger for adults, mainly their Principal Vernon. The film is a little on the talky, philosophical side but John Hughes made every word count with his screenplay and style of direction. Hughes made each one of the characters relatable for the people who have been through high school, even downright likable at times.
Believe it or not, Universal was highly skeptical of the film. When shooting began, Sixteen Candles was not released yet, so the studio was still dealing with an unproven director. Hughes was able to calm the film's investors. After all, his feature had a very small budget of a million dollars, and it was shot in one location. Hughes, being the efficient director he is, was able to concurrently shoot this film and his next one, Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Universal definitely made a bang for their buck. I think the film made forty times its budget domestically. Profitable it was! That definitely proves how the younger generation related to its teenage characters. Maybe the adult characters are one-dimensional, but does that really matter?
The film's beginning is awesome. As the great 80's anthem from Simple Minds, "Don't Forget About Me," is playing, the teenagers are introduced one at a time. Each of the teenagers are in for a special treat: an eight-hour-long Saturday detention under the supervision of their mean principal, Richard Vernon (Paul Gleason). The five personalities are the jock Andrew (Emilio Estevez), the brain Brian (Anthony Michael Hall), the criminal John (Judd Nelson), the princess and prom queen Claire (Molly Ringwald), and the insecure basket case Allison (Ally Sheedy). These five have nothing in common and do not associate with each other outside of class. Vernon makes each teen write an essay about what do they think of themselves. In the beginning, they may have thought they knew. As the day progresses, maybe they will learn more about themselves...and each other.
The performances are all excellent. They deliver Hughes's dialogue in their own unique way. Judd Nelson was the least known cast member, but he was the glue that anchored the characters together. He was fantastic as John Bender. With Sixteen Candles in production, Hughes wanted Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall to appear in this film and they obviously agreed. Their characters here are a bit reminiscent of their characters from the aforementioned film, but Hughes did make subtle differences to give their new characters fresh air. Ally Sheedy as Allison is my favorite character though as she is the most relatable. She hid herself behind her hair and clothes...in a way not unlike myself. The adult characters are one-dimensional, but the actual performances are great. Richard Vernon is not shown in a positive light and Paul Gleason embraced that. John Kapelos plays the school custodian and philosophical dude.
This film is heralded as one of the best teenage films of the 1980's and the reason is the relatable characters that John Hughes created, and the actors brought to life. Yeah there is a bunch of talk and philosophy, but its very important to hear what is said. These are five different personas and backgrounds that are brought together. Although there was not a sniff of curiosity in the beginning, they started to grow closer and closer. A universal theme that is very important, especially in today's world. Hughes did a wonderful job bring that theme to the screen. This is a well-acted and well-directed movie. The majority of the soundtrack may be forgettable, but not the Simple Minds theme song. Don't forget about this movie, folks!
My Grade: A-