A good healthy start to the day (The Breakfast Club (DVD))

Member Name: allybally

Product:	The Breakfast Club (DVD)
Date:	27/04/07 (93 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A light - hearted stroll down memory lane, The ultimate in teen movies

Disadvantages: Not one for those who need films to be thought-provoking

Directed By: John Hughes
Written By: John Hughes
Release Date: 1985
Genre: Classic coming of age Teenage cult
Run Time: 97 minutes
RRP: £15.99 (?) Amazon Price: £4.97

Main Cast:
Emilio Estevez - Andrew Clark
Anthony Michael Hall - Brian Johnson
Judd Nelson - John Bender
Molly Ringwald - Claire Standish
Ally Sheedy - Allison Reynolds

Supporting Cast:
Paul Gleason - Principal Richard Vernon
John Kapelos - Carl, the Janitor

About the Director John Hughes
Anyone who grew up in the 80's and even 90's knows of John Hughes or at least has seen many of his now cult status films unaware of who he is. As a Director, Writer and Producer, Hughes has been involved with well known productions such as Pretty in Pink, Ferris Buller's Day Off, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Weird Science, Sixteen Candles, Some Kind of Wonderful, Mr Mom, the National Lampoon's series, Flubber, Home Alone, Uncle Buck, Maid in Manhattan and countless more.

Hughes started out as a writer for the National Lampoon magazine and it's first film, Class Reunion. He went on to write a further three National Lampoon films.

To avoid being pigeonholed as a maker of teen comedies, Hughes branched out in 1987, directing critically acclaimed Planes, Trains and Automobiles . By the 90's Hughes films didn't earn him the same critical success although films like Uncle Buck proved popular. Hughes's greatest commercial success came with Home Alone. These films remain the most successful live-action comedy of all time.

Hughes has written a new film due for release next summer, Dilbirt which will star Owen Wilson.

Plot Outline of The Breakfast Club
Five High School Kids spend the Saturday in detention following individual offences. These five appear to have nothing in common with each other; a brain, a jock, a princess, a criminal and a basket case. Or do they have more in common than we thought?

The idea of this film is 5 kids from different backgrounds going into detention aware only of how they differ from the others. Throughout the day and with the help of a joint or two kindly supplied by Judd Nelson the waster, they begin to learn more about each other and find that each has so much more to them than what you see on the surface.

Actors/Characters
firstly, let's be honest. This is a teen movie and although it provided a "first big break" for many of its stars, No one was likely to earn an Oscar from their performance in this film. Don't get me wrong, none of them were bad but the talent and acting skills aren't really the focus of the film.

Andrew Clark - Emilio Estevez
Andrew is the typical American jock in his school jacket and puffed out chest and his particular focus is wrestling as it was his fathers. We learn later on that he earned detention for bullying a kid in the locker room by taping the guys bum cheeks together. He did this, to impress his dad. As the movie unfolds we see a softer side to Andrew. He shows a vulnerability, shame for what he had done and a genuine fear of disappointing his dad. Of course there is a love story for Andrew as Ally Sheedy's character Allison later blossoms.

Brian Johnson - Anthony Michael Hall
AMH appeared in pretty much any 80's teen film you can think of and undoubtedly played the geek each time - think 16 candles. In the Breakfast Club he is once again cast as the weedy geek who Andrew and Bender pick on from the start. He is by far the most lovable character with his nervous stutter, awkwardness and braces. He tells his story of how he ended up in detention as being because he had a gun in his locker (a starter pistol actually) and that he was thinking of killing himself. By the end of the film the other characters have taken him under their wing and there is a sort of little brother protection over him.

John Bender - Judd Nelson
Firstly, I have to confess to having a bit of a crush on Bender, but then we all love a bad guy with a heart don't we. We meet Bender as the angry, bitter, rebellious waster who is in detention after predictably his smart mouth gets him into trouble. Bender comes across originally as being out for himself but as we learn more about him we find that there is much more to him. He describes parents who have no time for him, beat him and consistently undermine him and call him names. His wiliness to put himself out for those he cares about was evident when the group broke out of the library. As the principal closes in on the gang and they are going to get caught, Bender charges off in the opposite direction singing loudly as he went so that Principal Vernon will follow him allowing the others to get away safely. Another romance blossoms as he and Princess Claire warm to each other.

Claire Standish - Molly Ringwald
Every school has a Molly Ringwald. Perfect hair, perfect teeth, designer clothes, popular with everyone and not an ounce of sense of humour. Although her social circle coincides with the Jocks, meaning she has a basic friendship already with Andrew, she does not usually associate with any of the other characters, nor does she want to. Like the others, as the film moves on, she forms a bond with each of them. Of these, perhaps the most unlikely is the romance between her and Bender. Her shining moment in the film is when showing off their party tricks, Molly claims to be able to apply lipstick perfectly holding the lipstick between her breasts.

Allison Reynolds - Ally Sheedy
We don't actually know what Allison looks like for the first half of the film as she spends it with her head down and a great mop of dandruff-filled hair flopping over it. She is by far regarded by the others as the freakiest and this is further compounded when they learn of her kleptomania when she steals wallets, padlocks and food from the other kids. She tells a number of whopping lies for no apparent reason which gains her the sympathy of the group. However this disappears when they discover it isn't true. It is later revealed she is only in detention on Saturday because she had nothing better to do. By the end of the film, new best friend Claire has given her a makeover, swept her hair out of her eyes, and Andrew quickly falls for her. Aaahhh…

Paul Gleason - Principal Richard Vernon and John Kapelos - Carl, the Janitor
These two characters are fantastic and I am sure the film wouldn't have been the same without them. Principal Vernon plays a laughable man who believes himself to be feared and respected by all his students. Carl the Janitor, an ex student of the same high school he works in and retired wrestling champion plays the cool observant quiet type who only speaks up to defend the kids that tease him so mercilessly.

Soundtrack
Does anyone not know Simple Minds "Don't you forget about me"? This is of course the title song for The Breakfast Club and saw Simple Minds rocket to success when the film came out.
Along with this, the soundtrack includes: Love Song, The Reggae and I'm the Dude all written by Keith Fosey (the writer of Don't you forget about me), Heart to Hot to Hold by Jesse Johnson and Fire in the Twilight by Wang Chung. A brilliant visit back to the 80's!

Essay they handed in to the principal as a group effort
"Dear Mr. Vernon, we accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. But we think you're crazy to make an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us... In the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain... and an athlete...and a basket case...a princess...and a criminal... Does that answer your question? Sincerely yours, the Breakfast Club."

Overall Summary
The Breakfast Club is a classic. Although the script is perfectly written, it doesn't claim to be any more than it is. Don't go in to it looking for deep and meaningful because you will be sorely disappointed. Having said that, compared with the teen flicks of today like American Pie, Scary Movie, Road Trip etc, it is quite deep and meaningful. John Hughes manages to connect with his much younger audience admirably.

For those of us who grew up in the tackiness of the 80's this is a wonderful trip down memory lane.

The Breakfast club is funny, romantic, and touching and delivers 97 minutes of pure entertainment! If for some reason you haven't seen this (I have over 30 times!) than please, check it out this weekend.

Film Trivia
1. Emilio Estevez was originally going to play the part of John Bender
2. Molly Ringwald auditioned for the part of Allison.
3. Molly Rinwald and Anthony Michael Hall dated briefly during filming
4. John Cusack was originally cast as Bender
5. Judd Nelson teased and some say bullied Molly Ringwald so badly during filming that John Hughes was going to fire him. Apparently he is a method actor and would stay in character after cameras had stopped rolling.
6. John Hughes played Brian's dad at the end of the film and his mum and sisters at the beginning of the film were played by his real sisters and mother.

Film Quotes
Principal Vernon to Bender: "You're not fooling anyone Bender. The next screw that falls out will be you"

Bender to Vernon: "Eat my shorts" (this quote inspired Matt Groening to give Bart the reoccurring saying from the Simpsons.

Andrew: "We're all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it, that's all."

Bender to Vernon: "Does Barry Manilow know you raided his closet?"

Brian after getting stoned: "Chicks cannot hold their smoke, dat's what it is."

Summary: Five teenagers spend their saturday together and learn more than they ever expected