Released 1985 Directed by John Hughes Starring Molly Ringwald & Emillio Estevez Comedy/Drama Genre Synopsis found here.
Myskool
Johnny and the Archetypes
This movie came out before I was born, when conservatives ruled America, after Fast Times at Ridgemont High and John Hughes' other great high-school dramedy (do people still say that?), Sixteen Candles. All considered though, it feels as though with this film he constructed and perfected the perfect teen archetypes. The truth though, is that no character here is one note enough to be defined simply by their title, as many parody films would later claim, all are well-rounded and flawed beings.
When a high school comedy opens with a quote from David Bowie displayed on a simple white-on-black card being shattered to a shot of a school, you don't go in thinking that the story will be revelatory. The film recalls Reservoir Dogs... except for the cussin', shootin' and bleedin' to death, plus *spoiler alert* everyone gets to keep their ears. No, I'm reminded of Quentin's first movie purely because the whole film is about events we never get to see. All the drama is portrayed through story telling, literally.
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Realising that you're an adult
I felt the pangs of old age in the first ten minutes of The Breakfast Club, trying to avoid the fact that Bender was being a complete dickhead to Vernon. Sure, that's the point but if a kid talked to me that way, I'd be furious too. For a good while I sympathised... nay, related to Vernon. That all went by the wayside when he started threatening a teenager physically, I sorta draw the line there.
I find it refreshing to view a comedy aimed at teenagers that has a heart and characters that are fully rounded. Each person has a backstory, problems, quirks and there own little way of seeking others' attention. Allison is a lying kleptomaniac that simultaneously wants to be noticed and invisible. Brian is an overachieving, wanna-be-cool-but-just-so-gosh-darn-dorky guy that is contemplating suicide - does it matter that he only has access to a flare gun? Andy is a 'sporto' and dealing with his own pressure. His dad living through him, encouraging his son to act like he did at that age which is paradoxical to Andy's nature. Bender is nothing if not honest, you've gotta admire him even if you find him repulsive. He's, at times, vile and funny but also shockingly earnest. Then there is Claire, who really does stand out as the least interesting. Always done right, always got what she wanted... just needs to be let out to fly. What surprises me most though is the way in which Vernon is handled; not just a villain whose sole purpose is to get one up on the kids, like Rooney in Ferris Beuller, but as someone who is let down and feels rejected by his students.
Fist in the air, like you just don't care
I'm a sucker for heartstring moments and Hughes' cleverly puts all of these in the last third of the film. Sucking you in with all the upfront humour then whacking you over the head with all these adolescent problems. The whole 'sitting in a circle and confessing things' scene was pure magic for me. It just felt real (as opposed to the extreme amount of dancing that Sheen Junior does after smoking pot) and as each person reveals their own problem, you not only remember what it was like to be that age but that you probably didn't give anyone elses' problems a second thought and that sort of bugged me and endeared me all at once.
But for some reason the most poignant thing for me was when Brian was trying to argue that trigonometry was more important than making lamps in shop class. Explaining that without mathematics there would be no engineering. To which Bender replies 'without lamps we'd have no light'.
The Breakfast Club is quaint and endearing, not dissimilar to Hughes' other works. The man was on a winning formula, I can see why he didn't want to deviate from the coming-of-age teen drama starring Molly Ringwald. But it is in this that I find his films enjoyable; they're familiar, comfortable and deliver a bizarre nostalgia for a time period I wasn't even alive in.
The Breakfast Club is tale of unlikely friendships forming at Saturday detention (is this even a thing?) with plenty of discussions about virginity (by a group of characters I am 100% positive were all virgins despite a few of their claims of meeting a Canadian at Niagra Falls and totally doing it) and some terrible costume choices. Seriously, who made the decision to put the badass in plaid, denim, bandannas and to top it all off with a pair of leather/fishnet fingerless gloves? So effortlessly cool.
Each detention-goer is given the punishment of writing an essay on who they think they are. Of course, this leads to the characters being given clear-cut archetypes.
Pigeon-hole some 80's teens with some terrible dialogue
The Criminal, in his hilarious badass garb (a true badass would never ever attend detention on a Saturday at 7:06 am), comes out with some golden quotes:
'Bein' bad feels pretty good.' Totes.
'NO DAD, WHAT ABOUT YOU? DOOSH!' To portray terrible home life all badasses grow from like toadstools.
'Eat my shorts.' I forgive this one as it pre-dates Bart Simpson.
The Brain tickled me with this tale:
'My cousin got high once and started eating weird foods like baloney and stuff. It was all Twilight Zone.' Best. Quote of the film.
The Basketcase was for majority of the film - until she put on some lipstick and a headband - the most bearable character in her silence:
'I'm not really a nymphomaniac, I'm a pathological liar.'
The Princess was such a dull character to me. Yawn:
'I am so popular. Everyone loves me at this school.'
The Jock with a heart was semi-interesting:
'I taped his buns together... you know him? So you'd know he's pretty hairy.'
What to do when your plot stalls
CUT SCENE MONTAGE!
a.) Try to create humour in an actionless scene; have the Criminal light the dogshit on his shoe to light the cigarette in his mouth (in a school library!), the Brain itch his crotch, the Princess look pretty, the Jock do something pointless and meat-head-ish and the Basket Case draw an intricate scene on which she can snow her dandruff.
b.) Whistle an annoying tune.
c.) Run around maze-like hallways, a standard cartoon gag.
d.) Smoke marijuana then get all energetic gymnast all over dat school library. Seriously, this part had me worried I'm abnormal for choosing to eat an entire family ready made lasagne and whittle away the hours on Tumblr rather than sommersault when I'm high. Just me?
e.) Things get a little awkward after some D&Ms that turn a little heated? DANCE! And don't forget a true John Hughes montage just wouldn't be right without some 80's pop with a male vocalist. Don't forget that. Don't Don't Don't Don't.
Everyone loves a happy ending, even four
So basically in the end everyone smooches their one true love; the Criminal and the Princess, the Basket Case and the Jock - and my favourite - the Brain and his essay. And no one even ate breakfast.
