Tuesday, February 2, 2010

The Breakfast Club (1985)

Reviewed: 10.10.2007

The Breakfast Club is a shockingly good drama/comedy about going beyond stereotypes. I had suspected a dated oddity much like Dazed and Confused. Instead we have throughly engaging film with emotion and heart.

The young cast assembled by director John Hughes has something going for them. Dialogue perhaps, but the sheer believability is incredible. Emilio Estevez, leading the cast, comes out overly dramatic to settle in nicely. Judd Nelson is phenominal as the young hoodlum with abusive parents and principle. Nelson fills this role incredibly well, tempering angst with comedy and seriousness. Ringwald's Claire was a bit too whiny for a character with nothing to stand on. Sheedy managed well; neither girl got the dialouge or character development they deserved. Anthony Michael Hall is solid as a geek with a failing grade in shop class who's considering a drastic consequence.

Despite being steeped in 80's culture, everyone can relate to the story Hughes has created here. Whether jock or jerk, we've all struggled with peer pressure and parental expections. Anyone finding this film 'misoginic, homophobic or cliched' has undoubtedly forgotten what it was like as a misunderstood teen-- doesn't matter the decade, some things never change. Like Allison says, "As you grow up your heart dies."

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