by Nathan Braised
I am a sucker for the nostalgia of 80s movies (despite not being alive until 2003). You can’t mention the topic of 80s films without bringing up “The Breakfast Club,” which is easily one of the most iconic movies of all time.
I’m still waiting for the sequels “The Brunch Crew,” “The Picnic Gang,” “The Dinner Posse” and “The Midnight Snack Troupe” to get greenlit; make it happen Hollywood!
“The Breakfast Club” is a 1985 coming-of-age film directed by John Hughes, where five students from all walks of life are serving an all-day Saturday detention.
Brian Johnson is a socially awkward nerd. Andrew Clark is a hot-headed wrestler with a bright athletic career ahead of him. Allison Reynolds is a super shy loner. Clare Standish is a popular, snobby, rich girl, and John Bender is the troublesome delinquent.
Each of them fit in their own clique at school and never branch out to meet other people.
The group is being overseen by Vice Principal Vernon, who goes back and forth between the library and his office to check on them every so often.
Since Bender is the epitome of stick it to the man’, he gets in a verbal altercation with Vernon that racks up 8 more Saturday detentions (some say he is still serving his sentence to this day).
His delinquency quickly spreads to the other four as soon he mentions sneaking out to his locker to retrieve his marijuana stash. Nothing brings kids together like some herbal courage, I guess.
The group collects the stash but sees Vernon heading for the library on their way back. Bender takes the fall while the others sneak back in undetected. Vernon locks Bender in a supply closet, which is some Pink Floyd-level capital punishment. He manages to climb above the tile ceiling and falls back into the library.
The group enjoys the stash and each of them begin to open up about who they are and why they’re in detention. The best reason is Allison’s, who’s only there because she had nothing better to do.
They all come from very different backgrounds but notice that they share similar problems. They believe that the day has opened their eyes to how people outside their cliques are and that they should view outsiders differently.
As the day ends, Brian writes a note to Vernon about who the group believes they are as people, and Bender returns to the supply closet. Members of the group say goodbye in very sentimental ways, and the film ends on the iconic freezeframe of Bender with a fist in the air while “Don’t You Forget About Me” plays in the background.
My favorite thing about “The Breakfast Club” is the VIBES. A lot of 80s movies have the same feeling just based on the equipment they’re shot with, but none compare to this.
Everything feels oddly nostalgic despite never living in that era. Although we’re given some of the most common stereotypical characters, all of them are written so well and develop well throughout the film.
I like the theme blending of coming-of-age and anti-establishment, which complement one another really well. Overall, it is an incredible piece of 80s cinema, and is an absolute must-watch for all 8 billion of us Earth dwellers.
