This is a new (hopefully) regular feature in which I offer a recommendation, categorised by genre, to either watch or read each month. If you've come across them before, feel free to comment and share your opinion, if not, then give it a try!
FEBRUARY'S FEEL-GOOD FILM RECOMMENDATION:
The Breakfast Club
Now, I appreciate there could be some contention over the genre for this 80s classic, but it makes me feel good, so that's the classification I'm using. It blurs the edges of comedy, drama, coming of age and teen movies, which is what makes it so successful; it is all about defying arbitrary boxes imposed by society, therefore I shall call it what I damn well like. Possibly THE film for students, it manages to capture the sense of peer pressure and frustration that accompanies life in high school, and deals with it in a fun, thought provoking way without becoming too preachy. Yes, there is a clear moral, and perhaps the central premise, (that all these different people are left in detention the same week for a selection of suitable 'crimes') feels a bit hackneyed, but the way it is dealt with definitely isn't. The stereotypes are deliberately caricatured slightly at the beginning, but only so that outward perception can be slowly eroded throughout the course of the film. The wonderful thing about The Breakfast Club is the fact that you both empathise and hate each of the characters as you get to know them. None of them are flawless, all of them could do with a good shake, and most importantly, you have known, or even been, one of them at a point in your life. This is no 'Twilight' or 'Easy A' sketch of attractive teenagers with the occasional flaw thrown in, such as clumsiness or accidentally making people think you'll give out sexual favours for money (a slip-up I'm sure happens to many people...maybe if...no, I genuinely can't imagine a situation where this could conceivably occur.), but one which doesn't shy away from using the real voices of teenagers. Although made in the mid 80s, the stigma attached to talk of sex, fear of being seen as frigid and/or slutty, peer pressure leading to casual drug use, the sense of abandonment and misunderstanding between parents and their teenage offspring encapsulated in the group's discussions is so relate-able it could have been written yesterday. Admittedly, the fashion and music suggest otherwise, but that's part of the charm. I absolutely think this is THE film to watch with new high school friends (if they don't like it, ditch them-they were no good anyway) and with flatmates when you go to university. It is the ultimate bonding film; if you're not smoking a spliff* and dancing on the tables by the end, you're not doing it right. The Breakfast Club is the one American high school film with real universal appeal; if you've met society then you'll know what is like to be boxed and judged before you can even open your mouth.
The Criminal, The Basket-Case, The Jock, The Princess and The Brain
John Hughes was master of the teen movie, and the actors in The Breakfast Club can be seen in a variety of his other films, being part of the group known as the 'Brat Pack'. However, The Breakfast Club is undoubtedly the best of the bunch; it's the one most acutely observed, with the best premise and some of the most quotable lines, the catchiest songs and, best of all, an ambiguous ending. Although all seems perfect, and the Club are one-nil against the world, there is a wonderful question left on everyone's lips, including the characters, as the end credits role: will it last? That last image, the punch in the air of triumph, epitomises what this film is telling us; it doesn't matter, because today is OUR day.
BEST QUOTE:
'Screws fall out all the time, the world is an imperfect place.'
You might like if you enjoyed:
St. Elmo's Fire, Pretty in Pink, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Back to the Future
*(I do not condone drug taking, but you understand the sentiment. A little alcohol and some pizza makes a great substitute if you want to make a night of it.)
Directed/Written by: John Hughes
Year: 1985
Starring: Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, Anthony Michael Hall
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