Apr 26, 2007
Notes on The Breakfast Club
The Breakfast Club is a movie that can be taken at face value or you can read into a bit more if you want to.
Which is why it’s an excellent film and one I highly recommend for repeated viewings — if anything to see how much all of the actors (aside from Alley Sheedy and Molly Ringwald) have aged.
Here are some thoughts/notes I jotted down as I was watching The Breakfast Club recently (via Netflix’s Watch Now feature) for the umpteenth time:
- Subtleties in the acting, especially Judd Nelson (as Bender), empowering a dysfunctional character with an emotional performance.
- Principal Vernon’s feelings on the lack of respect he receives from students, which seems a bit too much like self pity.
- The group as a whole coming to the realization that while they all seem different, deep down, they are all the same.
- Segregation by popularity and on the other side of the spectrum, lack thereof, continues to exist.
- The Jock and the Geek seem so different (mind over matter, vice-versa), and yet each share similar traits: parents have high expectations, social norms, segregation.
- The attractions between opposing social “classifications”; rebel and prom queen, jock and mental case.
- Janitor Carl as the key holder; the eyes and ears of the school, disrespected and yet more levelheaded than most.
If you’ve seen the movie please feel free to share some of your observations.
7 Comments, Comment or Ping
Anton
I love this movie - I could relate to Bender (Judd) in so many ways, it was almost scary.
And if you look close enough, you can see how some of this kind of social diversity happens in the blogging community.
Apr 27th, 2007
Respiro the logo design guy
I think that, comparing with the latest teen films, this is surprinsingly naive which makes me to conclude that in the last 20 years some of the behaving patterns has changed dramatically. I’m not sure if this is good… The ’80s had their charm, which is present in this movie from 1985.
May 5th, 2007
trench
My wifes favorite movie ever. Think I’ve bought her two VHS copies and DVD. I must admit, it is a film you can watch over and over.
May 6th, 2007
kartooner
Anton: I never thought of it that way but yeah, I totally understand where you’re coming from. We must be on the middle rung me thinks.
Trench: Oddly enough I don’t yet own a copy of my own on any format. I’ve only seen it on TV or on Netflix.
May 8th, 2007
Helen
also one of my favorites. but I haven’t watched it for years because it’s difficult to get it in dvd stores here in Europe. I can still remember Brian, Claire, John and Alison AND of course my teenage hero Andy what a boy. I’d be curious to know how he looks like today :-) And I’ll never forget the song “Don’t you” - thanks for that mind trip to the past….
May 9th, 2007
Ben G.
One of my favorite movies to be sure. I was an odd teen though. When I watch this movie I can’t relate with any one character completely; rather, I tend to relate a little with all of them though perhaps least with the jock.
Being a student pastor I get to spend a lot of time with high school students and I also spend a lot of time actually being _inside_ the schools durning lunches, sporting events, assemblies, etc. I can affirm that this kind of social ladder still exists today just as strongly as it did in ‘85. Only, today the “geek” is now the “emo” kid. That’s the biggest difference.
Jun 7th, 2007
kartooner
It’s a movie that just still resonates with me, even to this day, so revisiting it every once in awhile is like visiting an old friend.
Jun 11th, 2007
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