Rebel without a cause for the 80's generation

Rating: 7/10 (7 May 2007)

This movie is for the 80's generation of teenagers that were just as misunderstood as they were in the 50's and in today's society.
The film is about teens with problems who are not understood by the adults or by their own peers and it shows how hard it is for kids to survive in that environment. 5 stereotypes come to school on Saturday for detention, not knowing one another and by the end, realising there is more to them then the labels people have give them. Emilio Estevez(Andrew) is a jock who beat up a kid and stuck his bum cheeks together to impress his father. We learn that his father doesn't like weakness and berates his son if he doesn't win and doesn't care how hard his son tries. Molly Ringwald is (claire), the princess who ditched class to go shopping. Her parents battle over her and she feels like she is being torn apart, that her parents don't really care about her and use her to win points against the other. Ally Sheedy is Allison a kook who lies and steals things. She hides herself behind a false persona and makeup so no-one can see the real her. Her family ignore her and the only thing better than staying at home on at Saturday was to come into school for detention to get away from her family. Judd Nelson (Bender) is a wise ass who is judged as a criminal and he is beaten up by his father. He is rude and shows no respect to the teachers. Anthony Michael Hall is Brian who is the brain. He feels like his family pressure him to get high grades and doesn't like himself as a person. He is troubled because his teacher found a gun in his locker. He thought about killing himself with it before the gun was found.
John Hughes is good at showing teenagers in his films as not bad kids but kids that are just trying to survive teenage problems till they can leave school and their families. People who were teenagers can relate to that time when it felt like they wouldn't get through it and Hughes shows that there is more to people then labels and you have to talk to them to find out how they really tick as you never know who they are and can judge them too harshly.
The actors work well together and I was brought to tears when they were talking about their experiences because I was thinking of my own teenage years.
One of the scenes I absolutely love is when Allison is given a make over by Claire and the stare Andrew gives her when he sees her is so tender and he looks bowled over by her new look, like he is seeing her for the first time. I wish a cute guy like Emilio had done that in my teens.
One of the best teen movies of the 80's.