My Favorite Films: The Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club (1985)

Director: John Hughes

Context:
John Hughes got his start in filmmaking as a comedy screenwriter, but it wasn't until the mid-80s when he moved to directing and it was then that he solidified himself as the voice of a generation.  From 1984-1987, Hughes released six films focusing on the life of the modern American teenager, often including the same actors and same fictional high school setting, Shermer High School.  While each film varied in tone, there was a thematic force connecting each one.  Teenagers of the time were getting films that spoke to them and allowed their parents to see life through their eyes.

While I enjoy many of these early Hughes films, it is the second in this series, The Breakfast Club, that I consider to be his masterpiece.  This film was originally supposed to be completed before Sixteen Candles another classic, but the time spent perfecting the film allowed it to become stronger as a whole.  Universal Pictures were wary about letting this first-time director manning a major studio release, so he talked them into allowing him a $1 million budget (a shockingly low budget for a film of this caliber) to maintain total creative control over his story.

The low budget influenced the design of the film as a whole, requiring one filming location (an Illinois high school) and one set construction (the giant iconic library which was actually the original high school's gymnasium).  The cast comprised of young actors who had very few credits to their name, but at each appeared in at least one major film prior to The Breakfast Club.  This simple approach to the film helps give it it's style and charm, allowing us to believe that we are watching actual teenagers sort through their lives.

The film would go on to be regarded as one of the best teen films ever made as it can speak to any generation.  So let's dive into what makes this film so strong.

Plot:
Five teenagers from five different social cliques are required to spend one Saturday in detention together.  Over the course of the day, they break down stereotypes as they learn about the similarities they share with their classmates.

Analysis:
This film is the essential "kids vs. adults" tale, as these five students are required to unite against an antagonistic adult presence in the form of the assistant principal Richard Vernon (Paul Gleason).  At the start of of the film, he views the students as a single entity, the scum of the earth that have made his life miserable since they just cannot seem to follow the rules.  He condescendingly forces them to write an 1,000-word essay on "just who they think they are."  And at the start of the film, they each see themselves the way he sees them:

• The Princess, Claire (Molly Ringwald)
• The Brain, Brian (Anthony Michael Hall)
• The Athlete, Andrew (Emilio Estevez)
• The Criminal, Bender (Judd Nelson)
• The Basket Case, Allison (Ally Sheedy)

Asst. Principal Vernon isn't the only adult force governing these students' lives.  A major theme of the film is the strained relationship that teenagers can have with their parents.  While this will become a talking point for the characters later on, we only see very little of these parents at the very start of the movie as they each drop of their offspring at the school.

• Claire is treated like a spoiled rich kid by her father.  He lightly admonishes her for ditching class to go shopping (thus putting her in detention), yet he gives her a gift in a bag without saying a word and also promises to take her shopping at the end of the day.  She accepts all of this without comment.  This isn't played up to be an extreme situation, as the two of them treat this exchange like a mundane occurrence.
• Brian is told by his mother to use his detention time wisely for studying.  She doesn't seem at all concerned about why he is in detention (and given what we find about about Brian later, one wonder's how much she really knows the whole story), but she is extremely upset that he ended up in detention at all.
• Andrew finds himself in a similar situation with his father, whose main concern is that detention could harm his son's chances at gaining a wrestling scholarship.  The key difference between this exchange and the previous is that Brian's mother wants to make sure Brian has got the bad behavior out of his system to avoid further detentions while Andrew's father seems more upset that Andrew got caught.
• Bender doesn't even get dropped off.  He just walks to the school like he owns the place, not even flinching when he nearly gets hit by a car.  One wonders if his parents even know that he's in detention today.
• Allison gets dropped off by both her parents.  She rides in the backseat, placing a boundary between her and her parents, and they leave without comment, even as she steps forward to say goodbye.  Her parents clearly have other priorities.

By seeing each of these interactions take place, we learn a little bit about each character's relationship within their own families.  This tension that each of them have will bubble under the surface throughout the film before becoming text in the climax of the film.  While the characters may not realize it, it's their parents treatment of them who makes them who they are over the course of the film.  And things really start cooking once we get these five distinct personalities in the same room together.

Let's break down the first scene in which all of our character's occupy the same space.  The library is the centerpiece of the film, and it is the initial seating decision of each character in this space that will serve as the the impetus to all interactions that will move the plot forward.  Not only that, but this simple grid of 6 tables arranged in 3 rows and 2 columns (each with 3 seats facing forward) must be acutely set up to get the best camera angles for our five heroes.  It's something that we don't really notice as we watch, because it is executed so perfectly.  As social law states, it is first student who enters the library whose seating choice dictates where the rest of the characters ends up.

• Claire chooses the front left corner of the seats.  At this point, she doesn't know who else will be joining her, so she is acting on instinct.  Her "goody-two-shoes" persona feels most comfortable at the front of the classroom and, even though there isn't going to be any lessons occurring today, she still is drawn to that front seat.
• Brian enters next and choose a seat at the table directly behind Claire.  He chooses a seat that is a couple seats over so he won't just be staring at the back of her head.  This indicates that Brian his aware of his spot on the social ladder, as he couldn't be so bold as to sit right next to the prom queen, but he is now in a position where he can at least be near her.
• Andrew has no such confidence issues.  He gestures to the chair that is at the same table as Claire's but is at the other end of the table.  She shrugs with a slight smile and he takes the seat.  This silent cordial exchanges seems to suggest that Claire and Andrew recognize each other as social equals, yet they aren't close friends.
• Bender immediately decides to harass Brian, the weakest person in the room, by choosing the seat Brian has chosen.  Despite there still being over 15 empty spots, Brian is apparently in Bender's seat.  Brian moves without complaint to the next table over, which puts distance between him and Bender, but still allows him to be as close to the popular kids as possible.  (During the rest of the film, Bender, as the most restless student, floats between all three chairs at his table, not just the one he ejected Brian from.)
• Allison scuttles in last.  She chooses the exact opposite corner from Claire, as far away from everyone as possible and turns away from them.  Her posture indicates that she wants to be left alone, but her energetic entrance gets everyone's attention instantly, suggesting that she actually craves the attention of others and only wants them to think she's a recluse.

And with that, the audience is already primed with expectations and knowledge that will make the rest of this film work.

The rest of the movie plays out in a series of vignettes as our protagonists find different ways to occupy their time.  They start out with individual goals to just get through the day, but slowly, interactions start occurring.  Bender embraces his role as the villain of the school, causing chaos and destruction, while Andrew fancies himself the hero, defending Claire and Brian when Bender insults them.  And Allison just doesn't talk for the first third of the movie, content to observe and exhibit strange behavior in her own world.

In an interesting bout of filmmaking, Hughes decided to film the movie in chronological order, meaning that the actors are actually growing and bonding alongside their characters.  While each scene is iconic, there is an odd balance of sincerity and humor which can be a little jolting at times.  But all of it is necessary groundwork that leads to the centerpiece of the film.

In the final third of the movie, we are presented with a 20 minute scene in which the five students have finally come together as equals and just talk about how life has got them to where they are.  They open up about their problems and fears for the future.  It's a remarkable scene, given that it is just 20 uninterrupted minutes of dialogue.  Each student has an opportunity to make heartfelt monologues.  They laugh and cry together and it feels like we are watching real friendships being born.  While I don't want to spoil this moment for those who haven't seen it, it's marvelous that all of this dialogue doesn't feel like an after school special.

While each of these students is born out of a stereotype, The Breakfast Club uses this opportunity to add to these stereotypes and peel back the "why" behind each character.  This scene is what makes this movie required viewing for any teenager.  Not only does it say what they have all felt at some point in their lives, but it shows them how not to judge a book by it's cover and to give everyone a chance.  The princess is not living a perfect life, the brain is not satisfied with good grades alone, the athlete is not choosing his own path, the criminal is not an unintelligent loser, and the basket case is not just "crazy."  Even the asst. principal has his moments of humanity in this film.  It just stinks that the students always see him at his most frustrated.

The Ending:

A lot of folks take issue with the resolution of the film, with the students making Brian write their essay for them, Claire deciding to hook up with Bender, and Allison getting a makeover to make herself "pretty" for Andrew.  People feel that this defeats the personal growth each of the characters have and is inherently cruel and sexist to say the least.  But I view this ending as just another aspect of life.  These students are not going to have all of their problems solved in one afternoon.

Making Brian write the essay for everyone just shows that he will continue to be valued only for his intellect.  Claire choosing to hook up with Bender shows that she is going to enter a rebellious streak against her parents.  Allison becoming "pretty" in order to be taken seriously is just her doing what she feels she needs to do to fit in.  All of these are not great "lessons," per se.

But it shows that the students are trying to change their lot in life.  Each of them are trying to interact with the others in ways they haven't before.  They are still immature so they need to make mistakes and learn the best way to accomplish their goals.  And they start by showing they are ready to make a change towards each other.  They are trying to remove their boundaries to show that they will uphold the promise to remain friends on Monday.  Will it hold?  Who's to say?  But life is tricky and difficult, so even putting aside differences for one afternoon is worth it.

As "Don't You (Forget About Me)" plays over the triumphant shot of Bender walking away from the school, we know that it is possible to overcome social barriers if we're just willing to listen to each other.

Final Thoughts:

Apart from a few awkwardly written scenes, the film is structurally and thematically perfect.  There is a lot more to uncover in this film, as I could probably analyze each scene and find something new to talk about.  Iconic moments like Allison's sugar-packed lunch, Bender's solitary confinement, Claire's talent, Andrew's hoodie, Brian's Canadian girlfriend, the library dance scene, or the janitor's talk with Vernon are just the icing on the cake that is this movie.  For a coming of age story, there is no other film that I would recommend to every teenager to watch.  The messages still remain relevant to this day.  As a teacher, I still see the Claires, Brians, Andrews, Benders, and Allisons of the world.  And it would be nice for them to know that they are not alone.