The Breakfast Club (1985)

Directed by: John Hughes | 97 minutes | drama, comedy | Actors: Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson, Anthony Michael Hall, Ally Sheedy, Paul Gleason, John Kapelos, Ron Dean, Tim Gamble, Mercedes Hall, Mary Christian, Perry Crawford, Fran Gargano

Nowadays you have to do it as an angry teenager with emo music in which musicians sing about the oh so tragic existence of rebellious teenagers. In the 1990s, teenage angst was portrayed by the suicidal Kurt Cobain. Before the outbreak of the nineties, there was John Hughes, a director who justified an entire career with his inimitable adolescent films. Perhaps the most important film in his oeuvre was ‘The Breakfast Club’ from 1985. And to this day that movie is still just as relevant and timeless.

In ‘The Breakfast Club’ you meet a group of high school students. The quintet consists of totally different types. There is the sportsman (Estevez), the popular girl (Ringwald), the rebel (Nelson), the nerd (Hall) and the outcast (Sheedy). The club comes into contact with each other when they are forced to spend a Saturday after school. At first glance, the kids have nothing in common. But when they eventually get to know each other better, they see the similarities: instead of being strangers, they are equals.

Hughes has painted a portrait of a couple of teenagers struggling with life. Regardless of their origin and upbringing, the children each have their own problems. Each character in this film has certain issues. Of course, the nerd is bullied and the Rebel has had a rough childhood, but Hughes goes deeper. Underneath every problem is a different dilemma. By working with cliché types, almost all problems that adolescents have to deal with are highlighted. Although not every character comes out equally well and some issues seem a bit far-fetched, the film still manages to convince. Especially because of the fresh actors who portray their characters respectfully. Nelson, in particular, is in great shape as the rebellious boy with a difficult childhood. Nelson portrays this John as an annoying bitch with a big mouth. You don’t like him right away, but gradually the emotions bubble up and you can understand John’s attitude. Hall, on the other hand, is very convincing as a nerdy boy with a gloomy mindset.

Overall, all the actors are just good. Now you should not expect character actors in difficult roles, but in terms of acting there is nothing to complain about ‘The Breakfast Club’. Typical teenage problems are portrayed in a clear way without being romanticized or ridiculed. ‘The Breakfast Club’ is a great movie for anyone who has gone through puberty or plans to do so someday. Although the music and appearance of this typical 80s film are quite dated, the impact of this production has not diminished.

‘The Breakfast Club’ is a timeless film that tastefully portrays important issues that young people struggle with. As a drama, the film never becomes too heavy thanks to the well-dosed humor.