The Breakfast Club

What’s the Story?

THE BREAKFAST CLUB is the story of five high school students, who rank high and low in popularity, that are forced to spend nine hours together in Saturday detention. Without the whole school watching, Brian "The Brain" (Anthony Michael Hall), Claire "The Princess" (Molly Ringwald), Andy "The Jock" (Emilio Estevez), Allison "The Basket Case" (Ally Sheedy), and Bender "The Misfit" (Judd Nelson) eventually discard their differences, discussing the events that brought them to detention. Gradually they come to realize that underneath the trappings of the high school social scene, the problems they face are more similar than they think. Brian suffers extreme pressure by his parents to maintain a perfect grade point average. Claire insists that being rich and the most popular girl at school has its downfalls. Andy wants only to please his father, even if it means acting against his own moral code. Allison seeks attention from her father through aberrant behavior. And Bender reacts to physical and verbal abuse at home by defying authority, committing petty theft, and damaging school property.

Is It Any Good?

Despite its occasional heavy-handedness, writer/director John Hughes' film is an earnest, engaging attempt at portraying teens and their problems in a realistic light. The film deals with very mature issues regarding family and school that both teens and parents can relate to. On the outside, the five may seem like clichhd stereotypes, yet as the film progresses, their confessions as to why they're in detention reveal a greater depth to their personas.

Ringwald, Nelson, Hall, Estevez, and Sheedy owe their careers to this film, and for good reason. The "Brat Pack's" solid performances coupled with Hughes' witty dialogue, choice direction, and his ability to balance drama and humor made it one of the most enduring, quotable teen films of all time. A great choice for older teens.