“Don’t You Forget About Me Breakfast Club”

The 2015 Billboard Music Awards reminded me it’s been 30 years since the premiere of Director John Hughes‘ “The Breakfast Club”. Molly Ringwald was on hand (she looked good) to reminisce and introduce the band Simple Minds (except not really – it was just the lead singer who wasn’t looking or singing so hot) performing “Don’t You Forget About Me” which coincidentally hit on the Billboard Top 100 – 30 years ago this week.

I did a post a few months back on the original “Rat Pack” –  Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis, Jr. Not the same as the ultra cool “Pack” from the 60’s, this new generation was crowned by the media in the 80’s as the new “Pack” – The “Brat Pack.”

 

 

 “The Brat” Members were:

Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson, Anthony Michael Hall,

Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, and Andrew McCarthy

Prerequisite to becoming a member of the “Pack” was being cast in either St. Elmo’s Fire or The Breakfast Club.

Directed and written by John Hughes, the coming of age storyline follows five teenagers, each a member of a different high school clique, who spend a Saturday in detention together and come to realize that they’ve bought into their respective stereotypes from peer pressure but are more complex than the labels they wear. They also deal with the pressures and expectations of their parents, teachers, and other authority figures. Critics consider it to be one of the great high school films as well as one of Hughes’ most memorable and recognizable works. Although I love The Breakfast Club, my heart will always belong to Hughes’ other classic – Sixteen Candles (1984). (but that’s another story)

 

The Breakfast Club made the “Brat Pack” icons of their generation and forever associated with the films that we still celebrate and reminisce with each viewing. Although it’s been 30 years the themes still hold true. I don’t think we’ll be forgetting anytime soon the connection and memories of those characters.

Director John Hughes had a knack for tapping into teen angst and connecting with his audience. Some of his other memorable classics include – Sixteen Candles (1984), Pretty in Pink (1986), Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), and Home Alone (1990).

 

John Wilden Hughes, Jr. (February 18, 1950 – August 6, 2009) was honored at the 82nd Academy Awards (March 7, 2010), by Sheedy, Hall, Ringwald, and Nelson who all appeared in a tribute along with other actors who had worked with him including Jon Cryer (Pretty in Pink), Matthew Broderick (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), and Macaulay Culkin (Home Alone).

 

A little Breakfast Club trivia:

• Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall were both in Hughes’ 1984 film Sixteen Candles.

• Nicolas Cage was considered for the role of John Bender (Judd Nelson won the part)

• John Cusack was also considered for Bender, but Hughes didn’t feel he looked threatening enough.

• Rick Moranis was originally cast as the janitor but left due to creative differences and was replaced by John Kapelos

So, tomorrow in honor of John Hughes and the anniversary of the film, I’m going to break out my Breakfast Club DVD and celebrate 30 years of loving this film and bonding forever with “The Pack”.