Review of The Breakfast Club (1985) by Mike S — 29 Jul 2012

To the soaring, cult-laden tunes of "Don't You Forget About Me" by 80's sensation Simple Minds, this unforgettable classic by the late great John Hughes, gave a voice to an entire generation and yet continues to resonate among teenagers everywhere.

Plot-wise, it's really simple: five high school students who each represent a specific stereotype, gets sentenced to detention, forced to spend an entire Saturday together, which normally, they'd never even consider.

As individuals at odds and from clashing social groups, the atmosphere at first is tense and rather hostile. But as their outward masks break down - all of whom exposing frailty and voices crying for help - they suddenly begin to discover that they're not so different as they had first believed.

Therein lies the beauty of this film. For as these troubled teens open up their hearts to us and share their innermost issues, we recall upon our own high school years, where angst and constant pressure lay heavy upon our shoulders.

Whether it be the Brain, the Athlete, the Basket Case, the Princess or the Criminal, we all have someone we can relate to in this film, which in my eyes will always render it precious and timeless.

A deep and soulful coming-of-age story, which despite the confined setting (or perhaps with credit to), bears great meaning, hope and emotional impact. Essential viewing for anyone who has ever been a teen or lived a less-than-perfect life (i.e. the lot of us).

For as far as depictions go of the dramedy of youth, this is the best and most beautifully written film I've ever seen on the subject. A classic in every sense, that I'd feel criminal to give anything less than an A++!