Review of The Breakfast Club (1985) by Andrea C — 19 Nov 2013

I really love The Breakfast Club. I think the reason this movie is loved by so many people is because of how relatable it is. Everyone understands what it's like to go through high school and The Breakfast Club accurately portrays teen angst. They deal with peer pressure, bullying, pressure to get good grades, problems at home, stereotyping by other students and teachers, and even attempted suicide. It's a great movie depicting the lives of five teenagers who are stuck in detention on a Saturday morning. The characters-Claire, Andrew, Brian, John, and Allison-are really well-developed in terms of personality. Claire is the popular girl in school; Andrew is part of the wrestling team; Brian is the brain; John is the rebel; and Allison is the "basket-case." Their personalities are so diverse and, technically, they aren't supposed to get along but they look past their differences-even if it's just for that day-by sharing their stories of how they got detention.

In reality, a movie about five teenagers in detention doesn't sound like the most interesting movie, but John Hughes (the genius that he was) really pulled it off. When you first begin to watch the movie, you don't expect much to happen because it starts off slow with the teens creating tension between each other (mostly by John Bender), but the iconic scene where they sit in a circle really changes the entire mood of the movie. The characters share really personal stories of how they got detention and the pressure they feel by other people. Every time I watch this movie, I'm always affected by Andrew's story and how he felt pressured into bullying some kid because he wanted to "please [his] old man" and be cool in front of his friends. Usually movies don't show the bully (or the jock or cheerleader) feeling regret after they bully someone. The bully is usually portrayed without any feelings and so when Andrew (the jock) expresses how horrible he felt about what he had done, it is shocking, refreshing and touching.

On a brighter note, another iconic scene in The Breakfast Club is the musical number. Yes, it's a bit random but it fits in so well. The music is great and the dance moves are kind of great-more cheesy than anything, but it's a good kind of cheese.

Overall, The Breakfast Club is a great classic 80's movie. There's the right amount of teen angst, relatableness, and cheesiness.