There are those rare gems that come along in the form of a film that make you feel every feeling you should feel when experiencing a film. With The Breakfast Club you didn’t just see the film, you experienced the film. Thirty years of The Breakfast Club and you still enjoy being in that school during their day long detention.
How many of you relate to these kids? How many lines can you recite without really thinking?
In thirty years, this film has been on television many times and many of you will keep the channel on when you see it during your channel surfing.
The Breakfast Club is about five teens held up together in a day long detention. They have heard of each other, but never really knew or hung out with each other. We see inside each of these characters lives, their minds and ultimately their connections with each other.
With the anniversary this Sunday, there will be a two day return to theaters in March.
John Hughes has had his name stamped on many great films whether he directed, produced or wrote the script. This film is by far his best work delving into the angsty world of teens with sets of problems that can be so small yet seem so big. These characters are more intense than your average teen. His heartfelt script brings this film to life teaching us not to judge books by their covers and to give others a chance.
There are lines from this movie that stick in our minds today. Who remembers these two lines? "Claire, Claire is a fat girls name!" "Win, win, your intensity is for sh**."
Most adults today who were close to the age of these teens when it was released thirty years ago can tell you dialogue scene for scene from adoring it so much and seeing it many times.
The Breakfast Club is a classic and has paved way for other films like Mean Girls, Heathers, Jawbreaker and Clueless which are all about teens in school trying to cope and even television shows like Glee and Dawson's Creek where angsty teens who feel alone in the world or don't really fit in yet somehow their differences bring them closer to make them connect in ways they never imagined.
Hughes films during The Breakfast Club era became known as "The Brat Pack" films. Hughes tried to work with the same young actors in his films.
In honor of The Breakfast Club turning thirty, we are bringing you our ranking of the top 10 films by John Hughes.
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10.She’s Having a Baby
Jake (Kevin Bacon) and Kristy Briggs (Elizabeth McGovern) are newlyweds. Being young, they are perhaps a bit unprepared for the full reality of marriage and all that is expected from and of them. This is a coming of age story where they are young and in love. They want to try really hard to make everything work.
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9.Uncle Buck
Uncle Buck centers around Buck (John Candy) who is a bachelor and a slob. He doesn’t have a knack for children or so it seems. He is asked in an emergency situation to look after his two nieces and a nephew. The chemistry between Candy and these kids is outstanding. The film really took you places emotionally. A young Macaulay Culkin and Gaby Hoffman play the younger kids. Amy Madigan plays his love interest. A heartfelt, warm story that teaches you everyone needs love, even the people with the facade of a rough exterior. A quality Uncle Buck and his older niece have in common.
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8.Home Alone
A Macaulay Culkin vehicle was Home Alone. Culkin is a young boy who is normally getting into some riff raff. During the Christmas holiday, his family accidentally leaves him home. While he is home, a set of burglars try to rob the house. This little boy does everything he can to protect his home. The film was directed by Chris Columbus who brought us Adventures in Babysitting and John Hughes penned the script. Culkins famous throwing his hands to his face when he got nervous is priceless and so adorable.
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7.Weird Science
Two high school geeks try to create the perfect woman. They are pubescent so they were thinking of sexual things when creating her. Anthony Michael Hall (The Breakfast Club) plays one of the pubescent boys. Kelly LeBrock plays the scientifically created hot babe. She gave all the boys nice dreams. Bill Paxton played the older annoying brother who stole the show. The moral to the story is be happy with yourself and nobody is the perfect person.
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6.Sixteen Candles
Samantha (Molly Ringwald) is a very angsty, do-good type of girl. Her sixteenth birthday is approaching and she gets frantic. She has the hugest crush on the older boy Jake (Michael Schoeffling) while her nerdy friend Ted (Anthony Michael Hall) pines for her. She is afraid that jake will not reciprocate her feelings because she is still a virgin. Ringwald gives a believable, outstanding performance as young Samantha.
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5.Pretty in Pink
Andie (Molly Ringwald) is an outcast at her Chicago high school, hanging out either with her older boss (Annie Potts), who owns the record store where she works, or her eccentric classmate Duckie (Jon Cryer), who has a crush on her. When one of the rich and popular kids at school, Blane (Andrew McCarthy), asks Andie out, it seems too good to be true. As Andie starts falling for Blane, she begins to realizes that dating someone that she has to constantly impress or be someone she isn't is very difficult. Why did it take so long for her to see, really see Duckie? He is adorable and always there for her. Oh, that's right, it's angsty teenage flick where they don't know any better and have to learn.
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4.National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Even though the world fell in love with the Griswolds already in the first installment,they keep making the world fall in love with their silly antics. Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) always tries to make his family happy at any cost. This time they show us how the Griswolds get down during Christmas.
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3.Ferris Buellers Day Off
Bueller, Bueller, Bueller..
Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) has an knack at cutting classes and getting away with it. Intending to make one last ditch before graduation, Ferris calls in sick, "borrows" a Ferrari, and embarks on a one-day journey through the streets of Chicago. While Ferris is enjoying his day, his principal is trying to track him down. Mia Sara, Jennifer Grey and Charlie Sheen co-star. Many quotes came from this film including “Life moves pretty fast.”
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2.Some Kind of Wonderful
Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson) whose a tomboy has feelings for her best friend, Keith (Eric Stoltz) who happens to crush on Amanda (Lea Thompson). He gets closer to Amanda when her boyfriend (Eric Schaeffer) dumps her. Watts tries to be supportive and gets jealous all at the same time. Young love at its best. Teen age angst at its best. John Hughes at his best.
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1.The Breakfast Club
Five high school students, all different stereotypes, meet in detention, where they pour their hearts out to each other, and discover how they have a lot more in common than they thought. The dance scenes, the emotional scenes, the humor and the touching portrayals these young stars bring to the screen. Don’t forget an outstanding soundtrack to go with a cult classic of a film.
After thirty years of The Breakfast Club you still can’t get enough of the brain, an athlete, a princess, a basket case and the criminal. Chances are you will still enjoy this film thirty more years from now.
Which John Hughes’ film was your favorite? Tell us if it isn’t listed. What was your favorite scene or line from The Breakfast Club?