I love those movies. But I was more interested in realism, in social realism, in what's really going on, and in recreating the world that I saw. The Hughes movies don't have the depth. They're sort of superficial and they're comedic. They guy pulls up at the end in the Corvette and takes you to the prom, and that didn't happen to people I know.
Life is more complicated.
I just wanted to make a film that dealt with more complicated issues. When things don't go your way, you still have to figure out what you're going to do. Well, that was when I was in school. That was the world I knew. But I also thought it would be fun to go back and see Indian print skirts and blue eye shadow.