John Hughes defined the middle-class teen experience

Much has been written since Michael Jackson’s death about his huge influence on pop culture. Don’t get me wrong, I listened to Thriller on the cheap little turntable in my bedroom nonstop, but I think John Hughes got overshadowed because he had a heart attack while everyone was still fixated on the King of Pop.
John Hughes transformed my teenage years through movies that celebrated geeks and outsiders in a way that gave me hope that I, like Molly Ringwald, would one day triumph.
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Entertainment Weekly’s Josh Rottenberg wrote:

Click here for an Entertainment Weekly slide show of 20 essential John Hughes movies -- starting with Mr. Mom, for some reason.
Click here for an Entertainment Weekly slide show of 20 essential John Hughes movies -- starting with Mr. Mom, for some reason.

Before Generation X even had a name, John Hughes gave it a voice. For these kids of the Reagan era, the movies he wrote and directed in his ’80s heyday — Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off — captured how it felt to be a teenager with an accuracy and sensitivity so uncanny, it often felt as though he’d jimmied the lock on your private diary. He directed only eight films, yet Hughes’ additional string of hits as a writer and producer, culminating in the juggernaut Home Alone franchise, established him as a dominant force in comedy — and then, at the height of his power, he dropped out of sight, becoming Hollywood’s answer to J.D. Salinger. Even in his absence, Hughes’ knack for translating the humor and heartache of adolescence to the screen would continue to resonate with teens — and leave a lasting mark on the movie business, influencing the likes of Kevin Smith and Judd Apatow.

I remember going to see Pretty In Pink at the Court Theater and dancing with friends to the Psychedelic Furs theme song on the stage in front of the movie screen. I remember a whole row of us standing up to dance to Twist and Shout at Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Something about those movies felt like they weren’t just to be watched — they were speaking directly to me, and I wanted to join in. One Hughes tribute described him as taking a “life as music video” approach to his movies, and that’s probably just the right way to reach the MTV generation.
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When I watch the Breakfast Club trailer, I see teen archetypes reminding us we all have more in common on the inside than outward appearances might indicate. Maybe it’s cliche, but as a teenager, I found it deeply reassuring that I wasn’t the only one who ever felt like an outsider, and that maybe the cool kids weren’t so different from me.
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What movies changed your life? Was there one filmmaker who seemed to speak directly to you?

I'm Colleen Newvine, and I would love to help you navigate your evolution or revolution
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3 Comments

  • Jen Worick
    Posted August 31, 2009 2:49 pm 0Likes

    I definitely gravitated toward John Hughes’ films in the 80s. Fast Times at Ridgemont High was so beyond me: sex, abortions, drugs, California. I responded more to the Midwest sensibilities of Hughes, and while my high school wasn’t so black and white, rich and poor as the worlds he created, I still felt like an outsider, someone who didn’t quite fit in, someone who wasn’t quite understood. And he did that more beautifully than anyone else. I loved that, despite feeling awkward and as if they didn’t fit in, many of his characters worked hard at standing out and cultivating their individuality (Andie in Pretty in Pink, Watts in Some Kind of Wonderful). And those who tried to conform ultimately found that world empty and soul-sucking.

  • Colleen
    Posted September 3, 2009 6:42 pm 0Likes

    Thanks, Jen.
    I love your observation that in John Hughes’ world, individuality is to be cultivated and the popular kids often end up being lonely or villians or attracted to the nonconformists. He sort of turned the social pecking order upside down.

  • jtebeau
    Posted September 4, 2009 11:06 am 0Likes

    Thanks for the parade scene from Ferris Beuller! One of the best musical moments on film. Ever. And I’m including the one with Nicole Kidman where she coughed up a drop of blood then died.

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