John Hughes’ classic coming-of-age film “The Breakfast Club,” originally released Feb. 15, 1985, recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. The film, groundbreaking at the time, changed the archetype for teen movies and left audiences feeling less alone.
The film follows an unlikely group of students who get stuck in detention together, and while trying to get through the day, they find that they may have more in common than they would have originally thought.
The film was Hughes’ second movie, after “Sixteen Candles,” which served as a sort of test run for “The Breakfast Club,” which was one of the first teen movies that was more character-based rather than plot-based. Teen films of the time tended to be over the top and relied mainly on sex-driven humor, like “Losin’ It,” “Porky’s” and “Risky Business.” “Sixteen Candles” tested the slight breaking of this mold by including a simpler story that had deeper characterization than the typical teen movies of this time. “The Breakfast Club” then took this one step further by replacing over-the-top, action-packed storylines with a focus on the characters themselves.
“The Breakfast Club” took tropes and archetypes from classic teen movies, like “the jock,” “the princess,” “the nerd,” “the outcast” and “the rebel,” but flipped the script by actually giving them depth. The movie starts off with the common exterior you see with these archetypes, but as the film progresses and the characters start to open up to each other, the audience sees that they all have their own problems, regardless of their wealth, status or friends.
Thanks to the humanization of these characters, the film felt very real and raw, which allowed more teens to actually connect with it as the characters had real problems, connected with each other over real topics and, most importantly, the film didn’t really have a perfect magical ending. The characters acknowledge that once detention is over, they’re going to go back to their respective “roles” in the social hierarchy of high school and that they will continue to pretend that each other doesn’t exist. While this isn’t a super happy ending, especially after witnessing the characters’ growth throughout the film, it is realistic to the societal pressures of real life, which retains the pragmatic lens used in the film.
Another aspect that adds realism to the film is the depiction of loneliness. A lot of modern films that have taken after “The Breakfast Club” and depict the school’s “losers” or “outcasts” typically have these characters have a close friend that they can rely on. This movie, however, shows characters that don’t have anyone to lean on. This is another example of an experience that a lot of teens can relate to as there are many people, especially in high school, that feel this loneliness. However, the film shows that it is possible to create connections with people and let your guard down, even if it’s amongst the most unlikely group of people.
The framework of this film has also gone on to inspire many filmmakers to make more character based coming-of-age films, like “Ladybird,” “Booksmart” and “Diary of a Teenage Girl.” “The Breakfast Club” proved that teen movies don’t have to have over-the-top plots but rather can just be focused on the growth of the characters within the films as they live their normal lives. This redefined the coming-of-age genre to transform it into something more profound and real and that people can connect with and learn from.
While this is a simple film, it has gone on to impact movies inside and out of the genre, as well as the people watching it. For me personally, each time I’ve watched this film it’s been at very important moments in my life where I faced a lot of change. Although this may not be my favorite film ever, it still had a big influence by helping me learn the power of vulnerability and teaching me that friendship can be found, even in the most unlikely of places.
As a film student, I also acknowledge the impact this film has had on my own work as it has influenced me to make more character-based films that simply explore humanity and connections through diverse groups of characters.
Even though “The Breakfast Club” is already 40-years-old, its impact is still being seen in audiences and the films it has inspired. I believe that this film will continue to connect with people of all ages and backgrounds for years to come.
