Blu-ray Review – The Breakfast Club (1985)

I’m honestly surprised that The Breakfast Club hasn’t been remade once in the thirty years since its release. Not that I’d want that, but you know as well as I do that brand recognition reigns supreme and that The Breakfast Club is one of the last iconic ’80s films that hasn’t had a cynical rehash or belated sequel.

The other factor that surprises me is that a Breakfast Club remake would be incredibly simple to do. I mean, low effort + name recognition, what the hell is stopping them? One of the best aspects of The Breakfast Club is how masterfully uncomplicated it is. Five teenagers, each from hugely different backgrounds, find themselves in full-day weekend detention. There’s the athletic jock (Emilio Estevez), the tough guy ne’er-do-well (Judd Nelson), the brainy overachiever (Anthony Michael Hall), the alternative weirdo (Ally Sheedy) and the popular princess one (Molly Ringwald). Under the less-than-watchful eye of the pompous Assistant Principal Vernon (Paul Gleason), they eventually get to talking and discover they might not be so different. It’s a single-location film that uses the teens’ interactions as set dressing.

When it was released, The Breakfast Club made waves. Not only was it stuffed with young and talented actors in star-making roles, but how it presented teenagers was considered revolutionary. It also made big bucks and made its reported $1 million budget back hundreds of times over. It feels important even now, The Breakfast Club has become shorthand for ’80s cinema. This and other early John Hughes films became blueprints for an entire genre. I think one of the reasons it struck such a chord with people is that teenagers hadn’t really been written this way before. Each of the club has their own cross to bear and it slowly comes out as the film progresses.

The film plays with stereotypes knowingly. They’re broad, but just specific enough in certain details to get away with it. Chances are that you can relate to at least one of the gang, if not several. The way they all slowly come out of their shells is great and seeing the different personalities clash is fun. Their anxieties are melodramatic, but the performances make it all feel real. All the cast are fantastic and just ooze talent and promise. The gradual erosion of their guard and societal labels is done with great skill and it gives the film a lot of heart.

Having not seen The Breakfast Club for about 15 years, it had been built up in my head as a complete stone-cold classic thanks to various sites and magazines. It’s been mythologised in pop culture and I’ve seen plenty of homages and references in other things. Where do you think the inspiration for Bender’s name came from in Futurama? Maybe I was expecting a little too much, but I was slightly disappointed by it. It’s a quality film, no doubt about it, but I’m not sure it’s ever properly hit a personal chord. I can completely understand the love people have for the film. It’s warm, funny and incredibly well written. I would definitely recommend it if you haven’t seen it and I think it should be required viewing for teenagers that need a cathartic vessel to vent their angst, which should be about 90% of the poor bastards.

[rating=4]

Ben Browne

Genre: Comedy, Drama Distributor: Universal Pictures UK BD Release Date: 6th April 2015 Rating:15 Director: John Hughes Cast: Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Anthony Michael Hall, Molly Ringwald