Review of The Breakfast Club (1985) by Tom T — 05 May 2015

John Hughes, who is known more for his writing rather than his directing. I have not seen everything Hughes has written, or even directed (Planes, Trains and Automobiles) but I have seen some of his popular and memorable work like Sixteen Candles, Home Alone, Weird Science, Pretty In Pink, Some Kind of Wonderful and Ferris Bueller. Something that I have picked up after seeing enough of his work is that he is a writer who creates these characters that are lovable and adored. When I was a child, I always wanted to be as fearless and clever as Kevin McCallister in Home Alone and that is due to his writing. After watching this film, I feel that he has created his magnum opus in directing and writing but though it's his best, it has it's flaws.

The plot of The Breakfast Club is a bunch of high schoolers serving detention. This is where I felt that Hughes' writing may not appeal to some people as this film is definitely not like other high school films out there. Hughes was bold to write about 5 people sitting in a library and talk. The film's goal is not very evident from the start but if you invest yourself within these characters then you would understand Hughes' intentions. It is about empathising the problems of others and understanding that teenagers are beyond the stereotypes society has placed upon them and that we all have our uniqueness that define who we are. This film focuses on these teenagers relationships, status and personalities. Hughes has created five very unique individuals who are viewed by each other within their stereotypes. This then takes the film into a dialogue and character driven direction in order to flesh out these characters and explore the emotions and hardships of their position. I personally found this film to be interesting and definitely relatable, which will be the reason why this film is universally adored.

I felt that this was a personal film for Hughes and that he really cared for these characters. He achieved in crafting something that is so deep and at the same time entertaining which allows for one to revisit this film time and time again. What make Hughes so clever is creating young characters in his films that does not feel like they have been recycled from his other work. His most personal moment of this film, I assume, is the scene where they all sit down together and share their personal feelings and views. It really felt like Hughes has been in the situation before and just recreated it for this film.

John Hughes and Thomas Del Ruth seem to have gone with a low budget feel to its photography and most of the camera's focus is on the actor's and their emotions and reactions. I felt that this style was appropriate and it does not distract us when key moments are taking place. There is very little movement to the camera and it allows us to take in scenes and focuses a little more on the characterization.

The pacing, I thought was done well for a plot that takes it's time in moving things along. It takes it's time with these scenes, except for the hallway sequence which was paced a lot faster to induce tension. Some audiences may find this quite boring at times and may want for more things to happen.

The music is driven by pop, new wave songs in the time period and fits very nicely with the setting. The music in this film gives people that sense of nostalgia and may not help themselves but to click along with it. I though, am a product of a later generation so it may not give me that heavy sense of nostalgia but it does get me clapping once in a while.

This movie would have not worked and fallen apart if casting failed at acquiring actors who can understand the characters they are playing themselves. Thankfully the actors chosen are perfect and irreplaceable. Chemistry between the actors were excellent and all five play off each other well. These actors would end up working together commonly in later films.

The Breakfast Club is a film that you may want to go back to, especially if you are a teenager, and relate to. It would make you think about others and understand the uniqueness that make that person an individual rather than a shade that can be identified solely on their surface.