Back in July, I wrote a blog post about John Hughes and his contribution to our generation. Yesterday, Mr. Hughes sadly passed away from a heart attack while walking in New York. We were blessed to have his opus of work and his artistic contribution. He will live on. But, like many great talents, he died too soon. Mr. Hughes spent the latter part of his life in relative seclusion. Perhaps he felt he could not top his earlier hits of the 80s and 90s. We will never know. We do know that Hughes saw teens as young adults with all the insecurities, emotions, and feelings of their elders.
In a 1992 interview, Hughes said he "stumbled into teen films" because he had figured the younger the actor, the less likely he would question his abilities. Mr. Hughes truly changed the landscape of the teen genre, for better or worse. Countless films and television shows from "Beverly Hills 90210" to "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Gossip Girl" owe so much to Mr. Hughes' vision of teens as real people, just younger.
Rest in peace, John Hughes. You will remain forever young.
This summer, I have decided to introduce my twelve year old daughter Emily to the intricacies and plot lines of John Hughes' films, beginning with 16 Candles, Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink. I remember seeing these films over and over again, in the theater, on cable, on video. I know complete lines of dialogue and own every soundtrack. I had already passed my high school years by the release date of these films. Nevertheless, I found inspiration in Hughes' portrayal of teen angst and the universal themes of being accepted and finding love.
16 Candles (1984)
Samantha Baker, the kind of girl who travels through high school without much notice. She has friends but isn't really part of a clique. She has a crush on Jake Ryan, a wealthy Matt Dillon lookalike who would have had legions of girls sighing and fantasizing. He is tired of his prom queen girlfriend whom he could "violate ten different ways." (Nice sensitivity!) When her family forgets her sixteenth birthday because of the hoopla surrounding her sister's wedding and the tumult brought be Long Dok Dong, a Chinese exchange student staying with her grandparents, guess who saves the day?
My takeaway? In a crisis, let's hope an insufferably cute guy shows up in a red Porsche to whisk us away. (Not really.)
Flash ahead maybe ten or fifteen years and Samantha is in therapy to resolve her family's lack of attention. Conflict resolution doesn't happen when a cute guy picks you up in his upscale auto.
As I watch this film as an adult, I have a different view. I wouldn't have rooted for the crush who laughs off date rape and encourages a 14 or 15-year old to drive his former girlfriend around in his father's Rolls. I think maybe Samantha should have ended up with Farmer Ted who might have become a successful entrepreneur. He did manage to get Samantha to give her panties to a "noble cause." In looking back, the popular sexy guy is the obvious choice. The more interesting, intelligent guy is the better option.
The Breakfast Club (1885)
This film details a Saturday detention for five Detmer High School students who represent each stock clique. One of the students writes:
Brian Johnson: Saturday, March 24,1984. Shermer High School, Shermer, Illinois, 60062Dear Mr. Vernon, We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. What we did *was* wrong. But we think you're crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. What do you care? You see us as you want to see us - in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. You see us as a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal. Correct? That's the way we saw each other at 7:00 this morning. We were brainwashed.
In essence, The Breakfast Club is about the roles we hide behind when we are unsure of ourselves. John Hughes examined this phenomenon in a high school setting. We continue to hide behind our adopted roles throughout our lives. Hopefully, we become secure enough as we age to lose the masquerades or the desperate need to fall in with a self-identifying clique. In the imaginary high school created by John Hughes, teens blur the distinct lines between their cliques, at least for a Saturday in March or an occasional date. As Andrew, portrayed by Emilio Estevez, notes, "We're all pretty bizarre - some of us are just better at hiding it, that's all." Life's shared experiences, marriage, parenting, losing a mother or father, divorce, careers, are all equalizers. We are not so different, after all.
Pretty in Pink (1986)
Named after the Psychedelic Furs single which plays heavily in the soundtrack, Pretty in Pink was basically Romeo and Juliet with peers. Second hand fashion queen Andie falls for Blane McDonough, the self-described "crown prince of McDonough Electrics," despite protests by his and her respective friends. How dare they cross the line and test how they are defined? Blane is a "richie." Andie lives on the wrong side of the tracks. Andie's best friend Duckie has a thing for her. "May I admire you?" he so suavely declares.
When I watch this film today, I find myself rooting for Duckie. He's an original with a sense of humor and unique style. Maybe in the 1980s, we were blinded by the BMW and linen sports jacket? The movie originally ended with Andie and Duckie falling in love, dancing to Bowie's Heroes. The film was re-cut to end with Blane showing up at the prom, unescorted, with his posse, despite telling Andie he had forgotten about an earlier promised date. Duckie says, "This is an incredibly romantic moment. Don't ruin it for me....He's not like the others." Blane aka Andrew McCarthy, looks tortured, rolls his eyes, puffs out his lips. The two share a kiss by his BMW.
On a personal note, I would have thought even Steff (James Spader) would have been a more interesting choice for Andie. At least he had an edge, a cool haircut, and a Duran Duran style white linen suit.
A side story involves Iona, Andie's adult friend who runs the record store where she works. Like Andie, Iona sells out for the Yuppie pet shop owner, Terence. (Do I detect a trend here?) Iona was a character, with her Chinatown apartment and wig collection. Did she really need to end up in the Chicago suburbs with 2.2 kids and a Volvo?
My takeaway from Pretty in Pink relates more to John Hughes original ending than the Paramount's marketing department push for the "happy ending." Stay true to yourself. I will admit applauding back in '86 when Andie ended up with Blane. Maybe we all had this high school fantasy of crossing the clique line. Today, I see Duckie as a great guy, compassionate with a wonderful sense of humor, a quality Blane was sorely lacking. Besides, Jon Cryer currently stars on a hit CBS sitcom while Andrew McCarthy is lucky to have a role on a cancelled mid-season replacement!
No comments:
Post a Comment