Review of The Breakfast Club (1985) by Norman B — 30 May 2014

(Quick Review).

This is one of the best teen flicks you will ever see. The Breakfast Club presents teenagers from all corners of the social spectrum trapped together, who only reach an understanding of one another during an 8 hour Saturday detention. The criminal, Jock, Prom Queen, Weirdo, and Geek establish in just a few hours that their social standings in high school aren't as rigid and unyielding as they initially thought. Situated in the largest high school library that I have ever seen, the students are supervised by the anally- retentive teacher. He manifests all of the blatant and frequently damaging stereotypes which adults project onto teenagers. The performances from all five delinquents culminate in an exuberant weed smoking session followed by a touching denouncement, establishing their similarities as human beings and teenagers. Their gradual revelations ground commonalities and begin to break down each of their personal barriers. The film produces moments of charm, when princess Claire gives the weirdo a makeover, when brainy Brian reveals his attempted suicide, and when the theatrical Bender re-enacts a typical family scene. After struggling with social standings, divisive homes and the fear held by us all: that we'll become exactly like their parents they turn to the question of whether this bizarre Saturday experience can unite them when they return to school on Monday morning. The Breakfast Club may not offer its audiences anything ground breaking or new, but it does remind us of our own High School experiences and of the pressures put on by ourselves and adults into maintaining an "image". Stereotypical characters break stereotypical boundaries confirming what we've all known and experienced before, being a teenager seems unfair at times.