The Breakfast Club (1985)

Director: John Hughes
Story: John Hughes
Cast: Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Anthony Michael Hall, John Kapelos, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald
Music: Gary Chang, Keith Forsey 
Time: 97 minutes
Bottom-line: Funny, charming and relatable 

This 1985 coming-of-age drama film revolves around one Saturday in the lives of five high school students. Set almost entirely in one room, and a timeline of nine hours, this movie focuses on the interaction between the students and how they get to know each other.

March 24, 1984 (Saturday), Shermer High School: five students – Claire, the princess (Ringwald), Andrew, the athlete (Estevez), John, the prisoner, (Nelson) Alicia, the basket-case (Sheedy) and Brian, the brain (Hall) report for a full day detention. Each of them has been punished for a different cause, and none of them have similar traits. Claire is rich and pampered, Andrew is a champion wrestler, John is a bully, Alicia is a recluse, and Brian is a nerd. The principal, Richard Vernon (Paul Gleeson) assigns them a 1000 word essay on what they think they are, under the condition that none of them must leave the room, or talk to each other for the next nine hours. As time progresses, the students argue, interact, even smoke cannabis, and slowly, despite their different positions in society and different traits, they form friendships, and even romantic relationships.

The cast (from left): Nelson as John,
Estevez as Andrew, Sheedy as Alicia,
Ringwald as Claire, and Hall as Brian

Along with films like 12 Angry Men, The Breakfast Club is one that shows the power of communication. When you are stuck in a room of people with nothing else to do, then talking with those around you can make a lot of difference. The entire movie is based on this idea – at first none of them get along with another, so they keep arguing and hollering. Then slowly the students open up about their personal lives and their problems. They realise that one thing all of them have in common is that they face similar problems, and this leads to a new type of bonding. In the process they not only realise who they are, but also who the others are.

The acting is worth praising here. All five of them, as well as Gleeson, have done exceptionally well for portraying the characters in an authentic fashion. Whether it is in terms of body language, rendition of dialogue, their performance is very much like any high school student. This is what makes the movie more interesting – the fact that we can relate to the characters in terms of performance and the traits. In particular I liked Judd Nelson, who plays the obstreperous bully John Bender. The encounters between him and the principal are quite interesting to watch.

The message the film wants to portray is that conversing with the right people in the right manner can bring about a huge change in oneself. Perhaps the message is shown using high school children because that is the age where the maximum changes occur in one’s life – mentally and emotionally. Thanks to the performances, the dialogues and simple story, The Breakfast Club says this loud and clear. If you’re a teenager, this film is a must-watch!

My Rating: 3.5/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 89%