The Breakfast Club (CLASSIC FILM REVIEW)

 

February 1985, the world was introduced to ‘The Breakfast Club’. 37 years later, I’ve skimmed through every channel and his friend to stick it on.

 Picture this: It's Saturday on a cold March morning and five high school students set off for an all-day Saturday detention. All from different ‘cliques’, the vice president has gone off galivanting and the students have been left to their own devices all day: dancing, talking, smoking illegal substances. I could use a day in detention like that, am I right? The movie may not be everyone’s cup of tea, there isn’t a lot of drama like in the ‘Jaws’ series and no one’s being shot at, like in every ‘classic’ action movie ever; but It’s simple with a hidden meaning, and I liked it.

 

In life today, I bet you want me to tell you this is exactly what high school’s like don’t you? Or education in general. I bet you think all students are rallying about the place, climbing through roofs, and avoiding the hierarchies of the institutions. Well let me tell you; in my experience, everyone’s friends with everyone, we all have little cliques, but I’ve never experienced a ‘jock’, or a ‘basketcase’. That is, of course, if that title didn’t belong to me! I’ve never seen a rebellious teen like ‘John Bender’ in the flesh and for my sake, I hope I never do. I really wonder what school was like in the 80s. The big hair, the music, the makeup, the clothes. I hope it was fun, more fun than it is now. Today, school revolves around grades and setting yourself up for the future. This movie makes me feel like just for the day, school didn’t matter, different social groups didn’t matter and just being in that moment together talking about how they each got into their Saturday detention was the only problem they had. 

 

What I love so much about this classic comedy, is that through all the arguments they share, the confrontations and bullying on that boring Saturday; through their different personalities, a jock, a brainiac, an outcast, a popular and a rebel, they find a huge common ground- life sucks. Families tend to suck, and after realising they’re not so different after all, they dance and laugh and forget that even if for only that Saturday, they aren’t friends.

 

Set in 1984, The Breakfast club really lacks what they were aiming for, a diverse group of people. All white characters, three white males, two white females. Molly Ringwald- the queen of the 80s obviously had to be a part of it. Where is the diversity? Why didn’t John Hughes add some depth and meaning into a movie already so good? Different social groups and genders, for me, wasn’t enough to unite a group of people who were so so different, and yet very much the same. I believe the inclusion of diversity and different ethnicities is what could’ve made this even more amazing. If you really think about it, if a person was to release The Breakfast Club tomorrow, with different ethnicities and disabilities, would it have as much potential of being as influential as it could’ve been in the 80s? In the era I’m growing up in right now, a diverse cast is the norm, and that’s what I love about this progressive society. Nevertheless, though, The Breakfast Club was great, and the use of different groups proved how easy it is for people to unite, incredibly. 

 

The film is significant in rejecting stereotypes and allowing viewers to not only accept themselves, but others too, and to see beneath aesthetics and clothes and first impressions. I’d never seen this done in any film before The Breakfast Club and that’s why it’s so great. The closing monologue: “Each one of us is a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal. Does that answer your question?” is the teens telling their teacher that his stereotyping will never give him a clear understanding of who they are. The story is impeccable, and I loved every minute. I think everyone needs to see this film at least once in their lifetime. As I said previously, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but sometimes if PG Tips isn’t available, Tetley’s is always there to save the day. Queue “Don’t You (Forget About Me)”. 

 

Sincerely yours, Cassie (and The Breakfast Club).