There are certain movies which you hear of while growing up but somehow forget about or take a long time to finally watch it. And after you finish watching it, the first reaction is " How the hell did I miss this movie all these years......its damn gooooddddddd". Well, The Breakfast Club is one such movie for me. For years, I had been hearing the name of this movie being mentioned on and off, but it wasn't until last year that I actually gave it a shot and I am sure the experience of watching it will stay with me for years to come.
For those reading who honestly haven’t seen it , The Breakfast Club is the story of
five high schoolers who are forced to serve detention on a Saturday. The
five are seated in the school library and watched over by their angry
principal, Richard Vernon (played by Paul Gleason). Vernon assigns them
an essay to write, then heads back to his office, occasionally
spot-checking back in on them but otherwise leaving the teens to
themselves. The teens begin the day with nothing in common, as each of them come
from distinctly different places and different strata of society. But the
five bicker, banter, battle and bond and before the day is out,
friendships and romances have formed. For a movie that is essentially
five actors on a single set with no action and no clear antagonist, this
film does an incredible job of engrossing the viewer.The Breakfast Club no-doubt presents stereotypical characters, and
every member represents countless real-life examples. But what makes it
so enjoyable is that applies a variety of themes to its context:
prejudice/discrimination, acceptance/tolerance, diversity, class/status
differences, family matters, group dynamics, etc. It also encourages us
to look at others and ourselves beyond surface-level appearances. As the day progresses, the interchanges between them force
reconsideration of their positions. Eventually, once the barriers have
been broken and the teens have accepted that they can relate to
each other after all, the common struggle that they’ve shared to arrive
at that point leaves them with a strong bond. They wind up sharing
amongst each other in an open and honest environment, revealing feelings
and fears that they obviously would have never shared otherwise.
As mentioned by someone, this movie has a universal appeal and is timeless - probably with the exception of the fashion sense. It doesn't matter if you have completed your high school 20 years ago or 2 years ago, these are issues that existed then, exist now, and will probably exist forever.Watching the kids slowly open their hearts out to each other and, the occasional song and dance thrown in makes this a pleasure to watch. Though the majority of the credit for this movie is often given to the director John Hughes, the 5 actors were just as brilliant.
Its really a shame that none of the actors, save Molly Ringwald, never went on to make it big. Judd Nelson as Bender was the Criminal whom everyone hates and he looks just like young Al Pacino and gives a nice performance. I thought the best of the pack was Emilio Estevez as Andrew Clark the Athelete who was intense to start with but really transforms to the most funny guy by the end of the movie. Ally Sheedy as the Basketcase was the cutest and the most unpredictable who brought a completely different dynamic in the group. Anthony Michael Hall as the Brain and Molly Ringwald as the princess are as different to each other as it can be possible, but by the end of their time serving detention, they too find a common ground. Every single actor gives in a commendable performance and it can be safely assumed that this was their finest performance in each of their career.
In the end, the writing, the acting and the exploration of universal themes make this movie a movie for the ages. We have all encountered the Brain, the Athlete, the Basket Case, the Princess, and the Criminal, but never had a chance to form the breakfast club. Lets just say this movie is a reflection of that wish within us and we would preserve it all our life.
WORTHY MENTIONS
John Hughes wrote the screenplay to this movie in just two days (4 and 5 July 1982).
Molly Ringwald was
originally asked to play Allison but wanted to play Claire, she
eventually convinced John Hughes and the studio and was given the part.
MY VERDICT
**** 1/2 - Ageless Movie
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