As an Honorary Member of the Breakfast Club

One of my favorite movies of all time is The Breakfast Club. As I've mentioned before in my post about Ferris Beuller, John Hughes is one of my career idols, and his movies never fail to impress me. In accordance to The Breakfast Club, there is so much subtle cleverness contained within that one movie, I pick up on something new every time I watch it, and because of that, I want to share my findings and opinions with you.

First, I found a connection to the name "The Breakfast Club" and the actual plot line. Near the beginning of the movie, John Bender (played by Judd Nelson) is talking to Claire and Andrew (played by Molly Ringwald and Emilio Estevez, respectively,) about clubs and the difference between social clubs and academic clubs. It's basically a metaphor for high schoolers' struggle to find their place. Then, at the end, during the voice-over of the final letter to Mr. Vernon, Anthony Michael Hall's character, Brian, describes their random assembly of awkward new friends as "The Breakfast Club." I take this to mean, in a very literal sense, they are now a club of people with something in common, having spent the morning (the time for "breakfast,") and afternoon together. They didn't know each other, at least not in the way that counts, before that Saturday morning, and now they were friends because they shared an unspoken bond with each other. Within that short time, they found their place.

Second, I recognized the connection between the five teens. Andrew, the athlete, "can't think for himself," and therefore deems it easier to just do what people expect of him than to act like his own person. It's his defense mechanism because he's afraid people won't like the real him. Claire, the princess, admittedly "hates going along with everything her friends say" and is also therefore not her own person. But again, she's also afraid of branching out because then she wouldn't be popular and accepted, and she's scared of that, because clearly the only attention she gets is from her peers, seeing as her parents apparently couldn't care less about her. Brian, the brain, is so driven to get perfect grades because he has such high expectations for himself and he knows his parents do, as well. He took wood shop for the easy A, to keep his GPA up. When he realized that it was actually not as easy as he thought, and got an F on a project, he couldn't handle it. He doesn't know what to think of himself when he fails, and doesn't know how to keep going from that point. He's so driven by the expectations of himself and other people that he can't learn from his mistakes and failures because he thinks he shouldn't have made those mistakes or failed in the first place. In a way, he's not in control of his own life. Allison, the basket case, would rather people assume she's a weirdo than have them judge her as a real person. She, as well, uses a facade to protect herself against the judgement of her peers. And finally, Bender, the criminal, acts up and gets in trouble because after a certain point, people started expecting that from him. He comes from a troubled home, and is always being punished for things that aren't his fault, so in a sad sort of way, he's used to being in trouble. He uses this label to protect himself, because he would rather have people think he's scary, a criminal, or troubled, than have them know that he's actually upset and insecure. He reminds me in a way of Heath Ledger's character, Patrick Verona, in the movie "10 Things I Hate About You," (another favorite of mine). They both put up a front because it's easier than explaining themselves to others who wouldn't understand. In my opinion, the reason why the Breakfast Club works is because underneath all the stereotypes and labels, they all have a common insecurity with themselves and their lives, and once they open up to each other about these thoughts and fears, they bond on a level most teens can't even comprehend. If more teens opened up to each other about their insecurities and worries, I think it would make us realize that we have more in common than we usually like to admit. If we could just recognize this, it would help us better understand and eventually help each other.

Another thing I realized while watching this movie for the umpteenth time was Mr. Vernon's attitude towards John Bender. It really got to me once I understood it. Mr. Vernon treats Bender like a low-life scum that's just going to end up in jail. He doesn't once try to understand Bender or his situation at home, nor does he seem to care to even try. He would rather label him and be done with the punishment than try and help him. I think this is another reason that Bender really believes he is a criminal and won't achieve anything in life. His peers tell him it wouldn't matter if he disappeared tomorrow because no one would notice or care. His parents treat him like utter shit (excuse my language,) and even his teachers have given up on him. It explains why he's so angry and defensive and full of angst. Anyone would be, if they were constantly being ripped on the way Bender was. In a way, he's a victim of stereotyping, and as a result, a victim of bullying as well. Once you understand why Bender is the way he is, it's hard not to feel bad for him.

Overall, this movie is one of my favorites because every time I watch it, I pick up on something new. There's always a new aspect of the movie to fall in love with. I adore the characters and the story line, and the fact that it all takes place in one single day. It's so simple at first glance, but so complex once you take a deeper look. It's absolute cinematic genius. John Hughes, in my opinion, was a revolutionary, and I can only hope my aspiring film career produces such projects that really stick with people, and make them feel. I want my future movies to be just as timeless as his.

P.S.- The Breakfast Club and 2 otherJohn Hughes movies, Pretty in Pink, and Ferris Beuller's Day Off, are on Netflix instant. I highly suggest you watch all of them if you haven't already.