The Breakfast Club (1985)

 Not many of the high school set films made at the moment will still be relevant in 30 years.  Not many teen films come close to those of John Hughes.  

I think the difference is that this film doesn't try too hard.  A run through the school, a dance around the library... it doesn't need to be extreme.  It's about who the kids are and how they get to know each other.  Why they behave the way they do, why they conform to the stereotypes they've adopted.  It's about understanding them, which I feel is why this film is such a classic, and why it resounds for so many people.  Teenagers want to be understood, and this film takes the time to do that.  

The scene where the characters tell why they are in detention is famous for being unscripted, yet it's so moving and provoking.  By trusting them to ad-lib that scene, Hughes caught something raw and honest, which is so often missing amidst the hijinks and extremes employed by most teen films.  And Hughes shows that the great mistake Mr Vernon makes is in demanding respect without giving it to these kids, and not even attempting to understand them.

Every time I watch this film, I am once again surprised by how good it is.

Final Thought:  If you're going to call them The Breakfast Club, at least reference it at some point in the film before the final line...

Up Next:  Brick (2005)