Clever and engaging Brat pack comedy drama.

Rating: 9/10 (10 May 2006)

I only ever discovered this movie through an episode of Dawson's Creek I have to admit. It was an episode where the main characters of that show find themselves on Saturday detention and actually make reference to the film. It was only a few years later when I had taped a documentary off BBC One about Star Wars that I actually got around to seeing the movie itself as it was on straight after, prompting me to remember as the film was about to start, "oh yeah, that Dawson's Creek film". Suffice to say I enjoyed the movie immensely and it was only after a recent screening on Irish television that I got around to buying it on DVD, the day after said screening. I was surprised to find the film somewhat deeper, a little more intense and surprisingly philosophical when I watched it recently, seeing that there is a lot more going on here than unresolved sexual tension issues and pot smoking going on. This is a film about the fears of young adulthood and the even bigger fears of actually growing old and how disappointing life can be. This may be a film for teenagers, but it surprising how adult it can be, and how much a twenty one year old, or even someone older, can actually get something out of this film. Forget the fun and games of Ferris Bueller, as good as it it is, this is probably John Hughes' best film, offering up something more darker, but something ultimately a little uplifting, about a bunch of characters looking into themselves at a young age and not necessarily liking what they are seeing.
The performances from all the cast are first rate, with special mention to Judd Nelson and Ally Sheedy. Estevez, Ringwald and Hall are fine also, but these two get the best characters to play with, as do Paul Gleason and John Kapelos as two bitter school employees also realizing how disappointing life can be (a little note, keep a look out for the middle photo during the opening shots at the start of the movie to see how clever this film actually is, not to mention subtle). Add to this one of the best theme songs written for a film, in this case Don't You Forget About Me by Simple Minds, and what we have here is a bona fide 80's teen classic and an example of how teen movies today are nowhere near as good as they were when they had the Brat Pack starring in them. Today's teen movies are full of too much bad taste humour and stars who can't act, they aren't full of the pathos and genuine humour that this, and many other films, at the time had. I don't know about anybody else, but that makes me feel quite sad.