The Breakfast Club | Canadian First Time Watching | Movie Reaction | Movie Review | Movie Commentary

[@daveseesmovies]

As a midwesterner raised in the '80s, I can confirm a poor kid from Chicago would have found a rich kid's sushi very strange.

[@richieb7692]

I'm in the UK, Sushi was very weird in the 80's here as well...

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

Absolutely. I grew up in the Kansas City area & graduated in ‘86. Sushi would’ve been hella weird in a 1984, midwestern lunchroom.

[@breakwoodhopper6739]

I feel like that would be kinda strange now to have unrefrigerated sushi in your bag for hours doesn't seem like a meal to store in your warm backpack or lunchbox

[@floretion]

Yes spot on: eating sushi was seen pretty much like eating caviar back then. Now there are sushi restaurants everywhere.

[@MysterClark]

I knew food from other countries existed back then but I don't think I even heard of sushi or anything like it until that episode of The Simpsons where he eats that deadly fish. But even then I didn't think it was a big thing or all that common in the US. Not sure when I realized it was a lot more popular.

[@kenrobins6262]

George, we were saying "eat my shorts" in high school in the '70s, before this movie and before Matt Groening started using it in The Simpsons.

[@BarryHart-xo1oy]

Good to know.

[@okeefe757]

The jock (Emilio Estevez) is Martin Sheen's son and Charlie's brother, but the actor uses their original last name of Estevez.

[@JeffKelly03]

Yep! Martin Sheen is a stage name, obviously. His birth name is Ramon Estevez.

[@NestorCaster]

Martin Sheen = Code Switching (GRANDMASTER LEVEL) 😂

[@JeffKelly03]

@@TrickyDicky2006 That guy looks like the pitcher from Major League, now that you mention it. Also: Martin's brother Joe Estevez starred in some of the best movies that MST3K ever did, like Werewolf and Soultaker. Truly, he's the Clint Howard to Martin's Ron.

[@jwn411]

Emilio Estevez the mighty duck man i swear to God for those that don't get the joke it's from Night at the Roxbury

[@JeffKelly03]

@@jwn411 "And I was like, 'Emilioooooo!'"

[@chadlynch1551]

I saw this when I was a kid. The scene where the guy is crawling through the ceiling and telling a joke to himself, only to fall through before he can finish it always stuck in my head. I always wondered how the joke ended, what was the punch line. Over the years, finding that out became a sort of low key obsession. Whenever the opportunity presented itself, I would read or listen to background information on the movie, or read through joke books looking for that one joke, just so I could hear what the punch line was. Year after year went by, but the joke's conclusion eluded me. Then, one day decades later, I was working on a Sunday and listening to the radio. Like stations often do on an early Sunday morning, they stopped playing music and did a couple of hours of talk; supposedly as a service to the public, but it really was part of maintaining their broadcast license. Anyway, this show just so happened to have on one of the writers for this movie. At this point, I had pretty much given up finding out how the joke ended, but I listened anyways. Eventually, there was a call in section to the show, and someone called in and asked what I wanted to know. I stopped working and became all ears. I was finally going to get my answer! "So how does that joke end?" the caller asked. "Oh, we never wrote an end to the joke" the writer answered. "We knew the character was never going to finish it, so we didn't bother making one. It's not like it was an actual joke we found somewhere. We just made it up for the movie, so we didn't waste time finishing it." My scream was so loud I'm pretty sure I scared several people.

[@guardianofsummerset451]

Brutal.

[@gregvanmatre5068]

I always wanted to know myself and now I am pissed lol. Leave it up to writers never to finish something that they started LMAO. Damn, I guess that is the joke. I got thrown in Detention trying to figure that joke out in School, damn what a waste. Now I wish I did not read your reply, just kidding thanks for sharing. I was 16 when this movie came out.

[@UCFJayBird]

in the end, we were the punchline.

[@rana1561]

And the fact that you went on a treasure hunt Odyssey to find the final punchline of the joke that doesn't exist, goddamn. It must've felt like a purgatory knowing there wasn't any end.

[@KD-cd2ck]

“One of the writers?” The film was only written by John Hughes

[@NewBritainStation]

The “extreme” teachers/adults in John Hughes movies is partly because it’s from the perspective of the kids.

[@76JStucki]

And yeah, bullies in the 80’s and 90’s were EXACTLY like this. Chaos for its own sake, pissing everyone off just because they can, saying outrageous shit to you just to see what will push your buttons, so they can push them some more. And hating themselves mostly, and probably having a terrible relationship with their parents (but not necessarily).

[@vizuz]

These bullies still exist today, at least I still encounter them in the workplace. Although a more accurate word for an adult bully is probably a malignant narcissist

[@Istanbul0687]

@@vizuz they're sometimes called "CEOs" too

[@VeryCherryCherry]

That hasn't changed.

[@spacewarpphotography1667]

The context that you were missing is, this movie was one of The Defining Moments for Generation X. We either knew those characters, or we were those characters. This, and Goonies, for similar reasons.

[@danhalstead705]

This movie was an anthem for what it was like to be in high school in the 80's. We Gen X'ers were the latchkey kids, before cell phones but after parents started working multiple jobs and leaving us on our own to be raised by the TV and each other. Between this movie and Ferris Bueller, John Hughes showed that he really got the inter-generational forces we were all being shaped by.

[@ricardorgomez]

Totally. 😁

[@08FJRPilot]

It was a wild world, but pretty awesome. I feel blessed to have grown up in that era.

[@gpaje]

Emilio Estevez is brothers with Charlie Sheen (Carlos Estevez). Their father is Martin Sheen, which is his stage name, his birth name is Ramon Estevez. Emilio decided to go into showbiz with his given name to separate himself.

[@mnomadvfx]

Lol separating himself from his brother was an excellent decision in hindsight, not that he has done all that much since the 90s.

[@What_Makes_Climate_Tick]

The movie earlier than this one that had Emilio in it was Repo Man. It was a limited release movie with a strange story, but I recommend it. I think the only other actor in it who isn't very obscure is Harry Dean Stanton.

[@lurkerrekrul]

@@What_Makes_Climate_Tick Tracy Walter has been in quite a bit of stuff. He was Jack's right-hand man, Bob, in Batman (1989), he was Conan's thief friend in Conan the Destroyer (1984), and many TV guest appearances. He's one of those actors that you don't necessarily know by name, but when you see him, you're like "Oh, it's that guy."

[@cliveklg7739]

@@mnomadvfx of course he has sort of gone down his own rabbit hole embracing far right conspiracy theories, so not really all that separating after all.

[@nsasupporter7557]

And then Charlie Sheen’s real name is Carlos Estavez

[@DP-hy4vh]

12:24 - Sushi was considered a "weird" food back in the 80s and in rural America it still is in 2023.

[@spelcheak]

Wtf is sushi weird since like 2008?

[@xevozmaster360]

It was originally titled Detention but John Hughes changed the name after he heard a friend's teenage son refer to his school's morning detention class as “The Breakfast Club.”

[@SnowyWolborg]

When Vernon said that the kids turned on him, he's not talking about the five sitting in the library for detention, he's talking about their entire generation. The movie takes place in 1984, and he mentioned that he's been teaching for 22 years, so, that means that he started his educational career overseeing a completely different generation of kids with a completely different mindset towards adults.

[@zxborg9681]

You might be too young to get it, but that theme they were all whistling while Bender had on the red scarf (at 10:54 ) was the theme song from the 1950's movie Bridge Over the River Kwai, about brutal treatment of Brisith prisoners of war in a Japanese prison camp. Kind of telling you how the five felt about being in the library for detention.

[@lazykbys]

I was a Japanese kid living in Iowa in the 80s, and only found out what the tune meant a couple of decades later. All I knew was that it was catchy and fun to whistle. I wonder what American adults thought when they saw me doing it. :)

[@zxborg9681]

@@lazykbys Crazy! And yeah, it was catchy all right. When Breakfast Club came out, it was only 30 years in the past, same as we look back at 80's movies today, so still in somewhat recent popular memory.

[@UCFJayBird]

@@lazykbys To be fair, the song is from 1914, it's called Colonel Bogey March. It was used in Bridge Over the River Kwai movie but is used quite a bit elsewhere as well. It's also used in the Lindsay Lohan Parent Trap movie. I still whistle it at times at Disney parks, lol. I always thought it was one of the tunes the Seven Dwarves whistled, but apparently not, haha. Apparently there's also some parody song for the Comet cleaning product that may include lyrics that say "Come on & join our breakfast club". I only found one page saying that though, and couldn't find an actual recording with those specific lyrics. So not sure if that's someone retconning it in, or maybe in the 80s this was a popular parody going through schools that Hughes heard of, lol.

[@Logan_Baron]

"5 actors that I don't know who any of them are" That hurt. They were part my generations "It Group" (mostly after this movie) known as the Brat Pack.

[@squeetnut]

I concur. It hurt a lot and reminded me that I'm getting a bit old.

[@visaman]

Yes I died a little inside.

[@Logan_Baron]

I'm guessing Rob Lowe and Demi Moore are the only ones that the latest generation knows of now. At least I hope that they still know those 2.

[@stevenwaning29]

I felt it too. Brat pack movies were great

[@mojoshivers]

One of the most iconic 80’s films. Indeed, the references to this film roam far and wide as this movie was a touching point for every story about a group thrown together or just any film involving teen angst.

[@retropyro]

The influence this movie has had on pop culture is immeasurable.

[@carlevans8825]

For real!

[@kJ922-h3j]

Specifically in America, this is one where you really don’t get the hype at all if you aren’t American 😂

[@BarryHart-xo1oy]

You are probably right.

[@omarharo3132]

One of the most under appreciated aspects of the film is the editing. It's so well-crafted, especially with dialog! Dede Allen edited the iconic Bonnie & Clyde and she worked on this.

[@seantlewis376]

Bender doesn't mind getting detention because it takes him out of his horrible home life for a while. The most annoying thing about this movie to me was the "makeover" scene. Allison was perfectly fine the way she was, and didn't need to change.

[@johnwolfe7596]

I remember that being very endearing and sweet back in the 1980's and watching it now it is completely jarring.

[@katwebbxo]

Yep the makeover never sat right with me. I always identified with Allison although I dressed more stereotypically goth at that age. I definitely had days where I toned it down and dressed "normal" to be accepted. But ultimately it didn't feel right. She was better the way she was before.

[@seantlewis376]

@@katwebbxo Goth wasn't called Goth yet when I was in high school. It was mostly "death punk" or just "freak", so I really identified with Allison, and was annoyed when she changed her appearance to appeal to someone else.

[@JackRabbitSlim]

That and the fact that Bender basically tries to sexually assault Claire, with John Hughes having a rare lapse of judgement and somehow thinking it would be a good idea to point the camera between her legs for one moment. Also, and lets be honest here, as quintessentially 80's as those little dance scenes were, they really do come across a bit slapstick and at odds with the rest of the film. I mean I'm listening to this heartbreaking tale of teen depression and parental abuse and now suddenly we're doing bad air guitar...even at the time it felt jarring. Still a classic though, for all its faults.

[@shayla106]

@@katwebbxoome people want to be accepted though. She also seems happy, and I believe a person should be able to make their own choose about how they dress. Maybe she just wanted to try something different for a while or even just for a day.

[@kevinmcfarland6724]

Actually Martin Sheen is an Estevez. His real last name is Estevez, he just changed it to Sheen because he was getting into acting around the Cuban Missile Crisis and it wasn't the best time in the US to have a Hispanic name. Emilio is Martin Sheen's son, he just kept his dad's birth name, but Charlie took his dad's screen name.

[@TheALX144]

I saw this movie when i was in high school, in the late 2010s. It resonated with me, because I was the class clown in my group. But a year later after graduating, everyone abandoned the clown (or I moved away to another state). This movie opened my eyes on how most kids feel everyday, it si all nice and breezy on the surface, but on the inside there is a storm of confusing hormones, misplaced feelings and short anger at everyone. I am glad that this movie exists, it shows the human side of most people in the world. And it shows if you stick around long enough, you won’t get out (just like with the janitor’s picture being in the opening montage).

[@Shawn4815162342]

The scene where they sit in a circle and tell the stories of how they got detention was not in the script. John Hughes told them all to improvise it; meaning they each came up with their own characters' backstories. Absolutely phenomenal movie...it better NEVER be remade!

[@jimtatro6550]

I was a senior in high school when this came out and I can honestly say I went to school with everyone in it. This and Fast Times at Ridgemont High were the most accurate depictions of High School in the early to mid 80’s

[@norwegianblue2017]

Fast Times was literally based on a high school not that far from where I lived. Probably the closest thing to being a truly accurate picture of how 80s kids were in southern California.

[@carlevans8825]

Fast Times is the most underappreciated and yet I feel most accurate HS movie. Like Breakfast Club deserves its acclaim, and people talk about Buehler, and American Pie, and Dazed n Confused, Cant hardly wait etc, but Fast Times is just so great.

[@norwegianblue2017]

@@carlevans8825 Dazed and Confused was also pretty accurate from what I gleaned of high school kids in the 70s from a grade school perspective. One of my favorite movies.

[@noneya3635]

I always loved that scene where Sporto is trying to put Bender in his place by saying "he has a name... what's your name?" LOL, always made me wonder why Hughes didn't have Bender laugh in his face or point out the fact that even he didn't know Brian's name.

[@yrualeg1]

If they made "The Breakfast Club" today it would be a silent movie with 5 kids looking at their cell phone.

[@theronleague7692]

This group was known as the Brat Pack in the 80s. The jock is Emilio Estevez who is Martin Sheen's son and Charlie Sheen's brother. The brothers were in Young Guns together along with several other popular actors from that period--Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Dermot Mulroney. It would be a good one for you two to watch.

[@visaman]

Mare Winningham was in the Brat Pack, she said people confused her with Ally Sheedy.

[@treetopjones737]

It's almost shocking to us older people that they didn't know any of them, they were big rising stars at that point. Then we remember "oh yeah, they're that young." The nerdy one who wrote their papers ( Anthony Michael Hall ) grew up to play Johnny in "the Dead Zone" tv show.

[@wilder11]

In a movie chalk full of quotable quotes, I still quote Vernon's random "HAGANAGA!" the most.

[@zmarko]

This is a staple for nearly everyone in my generation. Such a cinematic gem.

[@smylyface]

I love this movie. It's so accurate that I can actually picture faces of kids from my highschool in each of these roles. The early 80's were a very different time. Parents didn't hover over their kids in the 70's and 80's so most of us were able to relate to feeling ignored and the pressure of trying to be perfect so they would love us. Corporal punishment was still allowed in schools so it wasn't uncommon to see teachers pop kids on the back of their heads for not paying attention in class. The scene where the teacher threatened to beat up Bender seems crazy now but it was realistic for the time. "Wait til I see you after graduation" was a threat heard by more than one trouble maker. It was also common for kids to get high on campus back then. We had designated smoking sections on highschool property until around 1983 and students continued using them for years after they were outlawed. Pot was always rolled in a joint so if a teacher started walking over someone would eat the evidence. Potheads paid the good kids to hold their stash because no one ever searched them. The scene where Bender shoved that bag down Brian's pants was exactly what would have happened back then. I love watching shows that accurately capture my highschool years. This is definitely one of them!

[@LadyIarConnacht]

Yes, this was very much how school was in the 70's, and there were always a few teachers like this one.

[@treetopjones737]

NO IT WAS NOT. physical punishment DID NOT HAPPEN. Did you go to a Catholic school?

[@smylyface]

@@treetopjones737 How old are you? Schools were absolutely like this in the 70's and early 80's. And no, I attended a public school.

[@richerDiLefto]

@@treetopjones737 Um, yes, it most certainly was. The *public* schools in my city paddled kids all the time. It was perfectly normal. Were you even raised in the 70’s and 80’s?

[@dabe1971]

3:00 No, but the deputy chief in 'Die Hard' and the Duke brothers fixer in 'Trading Places'.

[@weirdtrashcinema]

So glad to see my favourite reactors cover one of my all time favourite movies. John Hughes was a master!

[@AuspexAO]

When I was a 14 year old kid watching this movie, I had the biggest crush on Ally Sheedy to the point where it led me to always talk to the weird girls at school. This was the best lesson The Breakfast Club taught a dork like me, ha ha.

[@Marky11694]

5:37 Martin Sheen Born Ramón Antonio Gerardo Estévez had 2 Sons named Carlos Irwin Estévez (Charlie Sheen) & Emilio Estevez

[@cliffendicott7832]

You should also check out "Pump Up The Volume". For a lot of us born in the 70s it was another one like Breakfast Club that helped many kids connect with their feelings of disconnection. It's my favorite high school movie.

[@Folgemilch21]

talk hard!

[@cliffendicott7832]

@@Folgemilch21 Are you the Eat Me Beat Me lady? ;)

[@dr.burtgummerfan439]

Heathers

[@bp51082]

I was young in the '80s, but this movie is absolutely iconic. Just the soundtrack can evoke so many memories. Thankfully good ones because I had a decent childhood, haha

[@mrtveye6682]

This was probably the movie of my teenage years that influenced me the most. Even back than, I never been a fan of teenage comedies, but this one is just so much more than just a comedy. It really hit's the right spots how it feels growing up. And it's so clever to put all those feeling into 5 stereotypes, as you can relate to all of them in some parts.

[@tommyv1270]

“Five actors on the poster, and I don’t know who any of them are”. Oof, that one hurt me. I’m old! 🤣

[@mrtveye6682]

@George "I know what the movie is trying to say, but she was so much better before" is and always was the single "let down" for me. I had a big crush on Ally Sheedy back in the days, esp. because she was that quirky and outsider-ish (the Emo-girl before there was "Emo"). Yes, it should visualize her opening up, coming out of her shell, and that's a good thing for the character. But I always felt a make-over to symbolize that was the wrong decision, as it could be misunderstood as "you have to become mainstream, give up your own style", and that's contrary to the main message of the movie. Besides, she was way hotter with "that black shit on"... ;)

[@whatareyoulookingat908]

I disagreed with that. I looked at it more as she was a reclusive outsider who lacked any confidence in herself. She was beautiful and finally felt comfortable enough with herself to show it. Self-confidence is scarce in your teenage years and it showed a big step she took. I don't understand the opposition to her being made beautiful. Maybe we both agreed it was good she opened up but not how they displayed it.

[@TheTriumfAnt]

I read Ally Sheedy didn't like the transformation either. It was a trope of its time. Usually a smart girl, wearing glasses, hair tied up, gets her friends to give her a makeover to impress a guy she likes. Guy suddenly forgets he has no interest in the girl's personality and they all live happily ever after.

[@goblintwo]

I've always felt that it would have been more thematically in-line for the jock to get goth'd up as part of his letting-loose, instead of her conforming more to societal norms

[@d3l3tes00n]

They made it pretty obv that he liked her originally anyway.

[@MaikeruNeko]

@@whatareyoulookingat908 I think the point is that we thought she was beautiful to begin with.

[@RicoRaynn]

The scene where they’re all discussing life is still one of the best performances I’ve ever seen out of a film. The mixture of darker themes coupled with the comedy always felt like such a perfect balance to me that I’ve only grown to appreciate more as I’ve aged.

[@williamirwin4154]

I love how this movie is shot as a series of close ups. Most of the time there is only one kid in the shot at a time. It's like a series of high school yearbook photos.

[@captaincran3940]

In Canada in the 80s, I can confirm that we had this sort of detention. My school called it "Ice" (like you were "put on ice"). If you skipped ice on Saturday you would just get more ice until you got suspended. Once you got suspended 3 times you were expelled.

[@anthonyguadagnino2681]

Paul Gleason plays the same character in almost every movie or tv show he’s in. Great character actor

[@Cheepchipsable]

LOL, doesn't make him great, just typecast.

[@anthonyguadagnino2681]

He’s great in this. Is great in trading places, great in Johnny be good.

[@anthonyguadagnino2681]

He’s great in this. Is great in trading places, great in Johnny be good.

[@RoguePenguin95]

I'm Canadian too, none of my schools ever did "weekend detention" or "after school detention." In elementary school detention was losing recess privilege's and in middle/high school it was losing lunch and having to eat in the classroom.

[@richieb7692]

Welcome to the generation defining film of the 80's. A perfect combination of cast, screenwriting, musical score and general awesomesauce ....

[@jennifergrove2368]

When I was in school in Canada, the school I went to from grade 4-8 was 400 kids, but that was *after* one of the nearby schools got closed down and so their kids had to merge with our school. So 400 was "a lot" to us. haha (Then I moved to the US when I was 13 and my high school was like 3,000 - 3,500 kids.)

[@kennethcadwell2124]

Yes Emilio Estevez is Charlie Sheen's brother and they play in a couple of movies together. Like "Men At Work" (comedy) and "Young Guns" (comedic western)............

[@jasonligon5937]

A yr ago, but yes. SUSHI wasn't common in the US in the 80s, except mainly on the east and west coast.

[@fakecubed]

I had a graduating class of about 110 people, and on graduation day, that night after we got our diplomas, I met somebody from my graduating class that I'd never met before, didn't know the name of, and she didn't know who I was either. We were both pretty surprised. Apparently she moved into town the year before, and we'd never had a class together and were in different social circles, so small as our school was we just never encountered each other before. For a school as big as the one these kids went to, it's not totally crazy to think they wouldn't know each other.

[@retro-robbo]

Emilio Estevez is Charlie Sheens brother, Martin Sheen's son. Emilio kept the original surname. Charlie Sheen's original name was Carlos Estevez. And Martin Sheen was Ramon Estevez. Emilio is famous through this movie and his portrayal of Billy the Kid in both Young Guns movies.

[@DesertHomesteader]

The guy you thought was the dad in Ferris Beuller was actually Mr. Beeks in Trading Places. I don't recall if you've covered that one but other reaction channels have, recently.

[@MAZZI100]

Lovely reaction guys!.

[@gerstelb]

2:10 “I don’t like Mondays” is a reference to a statement made by a girl who shot up a children’s playground in 1979 (and the Boomtown Rats song based on the incident). 10:41 John Kapelos is a phenomenal character actor. He’s been in everything from this to “The Shape of Water,” plus “Roxanne,” and the TV show “Forever Knight” along the way.

[@tomloft2000]

to the best of my knowledge it was the first widely reported mass school shooting.

[@LordVolkov]

John Kapelos is always a treat when he shows up.

[@Madbandit77]

@@LordVolkov He was the hotel manager in the "Angel" episode, "Are You Or Have You Ever Been...?"

[@lukefish4875]

The principal was in the movie National Lampoons Animal House, Molly Ringwald (Clare) did a lot of John Hughs movies, Anthony Michael Hall (Brian) was in Weird Science.

I like that the movie is not about fixing these kids' problems. It's not about making them "better" people, it's about giving them a chance to open up, to be free of all the weight of their insecurities and let themselves be vulnerable for a few hours a week.

[@danielskinner5346]

My school in the 80's Texas gave a choice detention or corpal punishment. Three licks from the paddle or 1 hour detention after school.

[@shainewhite2781]

One of the best coming of age stories ever made, about teenagers, spending Saturday detention, getting to know each other and how they deal with everyday life.

[@cstephen98]

Most of the bullies at school got beat and neglected at home. Others, like the Jock, joined them so *they* wouldn't get bullied and teachers didn't give a crap, unless it happened in front of them and then they were *forced* to have do something about it, inconveniencing them and some teachers were bullies too.

[@chevand8]

It wasn't shown here, but honestly, one of my favorite exchanges in the entire movie is the scene between Vernon and Carl (the janitor). Vernon says, "You think about this: when you get old, these kids - when _I_ get old - they're going to be running the country... Now this is the thought that wakes me up in the middle of the night. That when I get older, these kids are going to take care of me." To which, Carl replies, "I wouldn't count on it." It's the one time in the movie where Vernon (who is basically the avatar for the entire older generation throughout the majority of the movie) is directly confronted by a peer for the way he looks down on the youth generation. It's a sorely needed reality check (and one that is just as relevant now, with the tension between boomers and Millennials/Gen Z), that just because you get to a point where you're older and (maybe) a bit wiser from experience, it doesn't preclude you from having to show some basic respect to the generations coming along after you.

[@goblinqueen4991]

Way to forget about Gen X, there. You know, the one this movie is about?

[@chevand8]

@@goblinqueen4991 I didn't 'forget' about Gen X. I didn't mention them by name because, when I brought up the others, I was specifically making a point about how the movie resonates with _other_ young generations who have come since. Considering that Gen X is in their 40s and 50s now, I didn't feel it made much sense to mention them as a 'youth generation' in the present day. But yes, the original context of the movie was addressing Gen X. My apologies for any offense my exclusion of them caused.

[@LordVolkov]

I listened to this soundtrack daily on the bus to school. I do miss cassettes sometimes.

[@Serai3]

I think Andy and Allison have a much better chance of lasting than John and Claire. With the first, it's a matter of her opening up and trusting him, so if he turns out trustworthy, he could give her the support she needs to get past the idea that no one cares about her. Whereas Claire has a big social pressure to avoid guys like John, and he's sunk in his negative, antagonistic view of the world that has convinced him he has to fight for every breath. That's not an easy thing to get past, and it's not likely she would stick - though she might. It all depends on how strong a person she really is.

[@omarharo3132]

Bender is the love affair Claire would likely tell her wine club in her 40's.

[@erikjohnsen5154]

Only the coolest picture of the Brat Pack ever.. "Yeah, i dont know any of these actors". That hurt my stomach! Damn im getting old...

[@jculver1674]

Over the years, fans have asked Judd Nelson what the punchline is to his "Naked blonde walks into a bar" joke, since he falls through the ceiling before he can finish it. He admitted that he made the joke up on the spot and that it has no punchline, so it's become a fan pastime to come up with their own punchline for it.

[@marcelmoreau2733]

Actually, the Sheens are Estevez' . Martin Americanized a name when he broke into acting as no one at time was going to pay to see a movie for a Hispanic star.

[@yourneighborhoodxenos]

As someone that was suspended in middle school for attacking a bully and defending my late-mother's honor with what he had said, I can say that suspension is NOT a punishment if your parents don't care. My dad was proud and argued with the school for defending the bully (small town, popular dad), and literally nothing happened to him. We even had a history of violence in the past, where he physically attacked me the year prior. He never learned his lessons from the literal scars I gave him then, and I got to have 9-10 extra days of Winter Break in 6th grade, since the day I was suspended was the day we came back from it, there was a weekend, and we had about 2-3 snow days in that time that didn't count toward my punishment. This was around 2009-10, and just after Christmas and my birthday, so I got to play Sims 3 and Legos and listen to Fearless deluxe album the whole time. I was a good student and didn't fall behind since we picked up my work. Lovely memories.

[@KS-xk2so]

The answer becomes rather obvious as the movie goes on.... but Bender would rather be at school than home. Makes him purposely getting 2 straight months of detention make a lot more sense.

[@ddmaul]

Years ago, I was driving for Lyft. Got a request from the suburbs (of Chicago, where this is set). Didn't know the area, and the house addresses were not clearly marked. Took me a while to find the pick-up point. Also had no idea where the destination point was, and the teenager who had requested the ride had to guide me. He clearly thought I was an idiot. And I thought, "Holy shit, I've become a John Hughes movie grown-up."

[@markhamstra1083]

Dick Vernon was not a teacher. He was the Vice Principal. While a Vice Principal in the 80s would have had much the same education and credentials as a teacher and might have taught one class per semester, his or her primary role would have been handling student discipline, campus security, liaison with truant officers, etc. At a large high school like this one, those could well have been the Vice Principal’s only responsibilities. Many teachers viewed the Vice Principal as school administration, not part of the teaching staff. Many in school administration viewed the Vice Principal as a wannabe Principal who wasn’t capable of holding that position and was forced to do all the things that the Principal didn’t want to do. Because the Vice Principal was in charge of student discipline, many students had very negative opinions of the Vice Principal. Because of all of this, many Vice Principals didn’t like their jobs and lot in life. John Hughes’ Dick Vernon character dials all of that up to eleven.

[@brauliob]

As the years go by, the older I get, the more I begin to sympathize with Dick Vernon. Yes, beyond doubt, he does some shady things in this movie, but it really seems he cares about students and is doing what he can to help them mature and see high school as a growing/learning time. He wants kids to succeed. The world after high school is life on hard mode for most.

[@ChrissaTodd]

as a canadian i can confirm i had detention once it happens

[@mjkjelland13]

This movie became a ritual amongst my friends and I. Every Saturday night after the bar closed, we would head over to a buddy's house, continue to drink and watch this movie. We watched so often we all knew all the lines and would recite them while watching. To change things up, we decided to have each of us draw a character name from a hat and we would act out that character. Yes we were idiots, but we had fun.

[@constructor2763]

The point is, that every thought, that comes from every character, likely happens to every single viewer at one time or another. When the characters examine each other, and challenge each other, they are looking in the mirror asking questions of themselves. We are one.

[@dalemundy2279]

I always felt bad for Brian. He did all the work and was the only one who doesn't get a date!

[@pillar81]

Brian is pretty much like Ted in Sixteen Candles. Two movies in a row where Anthony Michael Hall, the vanilla nice guy character, who does everything right and doesn’t get into trouble like the bad boys, but ultimately becomes the dependable friend.

[@tleonard2511tl]

I also forgot that a lot of these scence was impervise like when Allison was drawing that wasn't dandruff that was parmesan cheese, Bender wasn't suppose to said anything while in the ceiling that was a joke of his own that he didn't finish telling cause he fell, Bender really did flitch because he thought that the principal was gonna hit him. There's more but im not gon say

[@ivyvandeshire]

"Hey, how come Andrew gets to get up? If he gets up, we'll all get up, it'll be anarchy!" That was my favorite movie quote for so long.

[@dustywaynemusic6297]

"Screws fall out all the time. The world is an imperfect place."

[@CERULEANSPIRAL]

I think I got more grey hair when I heard you didn't know any of the actors, lol.

[@thedefinitionisthis]

I thought at the very least they'd know who Emilio Estevez is haha. But yeah, sucks to grow old, eh?

[@sherrysink3177]

Bender: "Screws fall out. The world's an imperfect place..." is still one of my favorite lines. So random (yet true, lol), and the way he says it is so funny.

[@Grenn1471]

I find it kind of sad, but the students who most hate school and can't wait to leave it are the ones who miss it the most after they leave. Can't tell you how many "burnouts" would come back just to visit teacher and friends after they graduate. Really they were the ones that needed it most and didn't know it. Bender might be ahead of the curve by showing up to all those detentions because he craves the structure and relative normalcy of school. He's not getting that at home.

[@Billinois78]

I hated school more than anything in the world when I was a kid/teen. 26 years later, I can tell you I never once missed it. It was a miserable time socially, academically, emotionally, and spiritually. It was like getting out of prison when I left. Nobody misses prison when they get out.

[@d3l3tes00n]

That's definitely not always true. I hated high school & haven't been in the building since happily lol But for someone like Bender, teachers are certainly parents for many students & you're right about structure. My mom taught for over 25 years & had a lot "Benders" who were overlooked by other teachers because of their bad behavior or home life. Once you realize that anger/acting out is because of an underlying problem, you can truly bond with them which she was able to do & you can tell they appreciate someone just taking the time.

[@krisfrederick5001]

Saturday school sucked. I had to go a few times for skipping class. And a fun fact, John Hughes is Brian's Dad dropping him off. What's amazing is how these stereotypes still remain, I was absolutely Bender but nicer. I was the rebel with a cheerleader girlfriend. Timeless...

[@webapp31]

Do they just not have movies up there in Canada? I swear you guys must have seen some of these movies before lol.

[@stephenniehaus8635]

Sushi was considered rare in the 80s. It was new to the states, it was part of the Japanese culture invasion and the concept of raw fish was offputting to traditional palates. Sushi was connected to yuppie culture or a food for those of means, like caviar

[@grife3000]

Yes, in the 80's sushi (at least in small town south) was considered weird. Why would you eat fish raw? Disgusting. You can always roll it in corn meal and fry it up. My mom is still disgusted by it. I have found a taste for tuna, however.

[@MandoWookie]

"Why am I paying more to eat it raw? Is this a French thing? Stop trying to rip me off Mr Miyagi and fry it like God and Elvis intended!" ...Somebody in my family at some point, guaranteed.

[@sydhamelin1265]

I was in HS during the 90s and here's how it worked in California, regarding detention (it's incredibly terrible). Any minor thing would get you "detention". Detention was staying after school for 1 hour, in a classroom that was designated. In detention, no joke, you could not read, study, sleep, talk, or do anything productive. The idea was that you had to sit there for 1 hour, bored. No essays or anything. IF you failed to show up for a detention, they would give you two more. Fail to show up a second time and BAM - Saturday Work Detail (which is what this movie basically is). You were given detention on a Saturday, that went from something like 8AM to 1PM, and they would have the students doing mindless work, like writing essays, or moving school stuff around, cleaning the lockers....etc. Miss a Saturday Work Detail and you're given another one, plus the one you still have to do, so 2 total. Miss ANOTHER Saturday, and you're suspended. Once you get so many suspensions, they expel you. Yes, that all happened to me. They don't expel you from the school system, just that school, and you were sent to a more 'remedial' school, where they don't really care what you do. Sadly, this was the fate for a TON of kids I knew, simply because they were bored at school, and would ditch.

[@iluvausten40517]

This was one of the most defining films of my teenage years. We often defined ourselves in terms of these five characters. I was Brian. And that is one of the things that always bothered me about this film. Regardless of what happens on Monday, the group puts Brian back "in his place" while they are still there by, as Simone points out, having him do their homework for them. And that is one of the things that has always bothered me in this film. Still, one of the boldest and most daring teen films ever made!

[@Deathbird_Mitch]

I don't think they had him do their work. I think he is the only one who did it because that's who he is (the one who does his HW).

[@iluvausten40517]

@@Deathbird_Mitch Actually no, they clearly say that he is writing the essay for all of them, and he does write it in that way.

[@td811]

@@iluvausten40517 Claire did flatter him but he was happy to do it. He wasn’t unaware. He even said you just don’t want to write yours. Bender probably wasn’t gonna write one anyway. Nobody put him in his place. He wrote a fantastic , eloquent to the point paper. Far less than the specified thousand words.

[@iluvausten40517]

@@td811 Ok, so no one who is responding here was a Brian when they were in high school quite obviously . . . 😀

[@lazykbys]

Still, Brian is doing something that would have been unthinkable for him. He's basically giving the teacher the finger by defying his instructions.

[@robertburns4429]

An absolute masterpiece. I was that age when this came out and cannot begin to express just how much of an impact it had. We all looked at the other cliques the next Monday at school in a slightly different way even as we kept to our own.

[@christopherzadnik7028]

Spoiler alert: there is no breakfast served in this movie, only lunch

[@aagold76]

this came out my senior year in HS- and it DID have an effect- kids were identifying as this character or that and we were actually talking to each other- I remember Eric P- total brain/Physics star just gushing about the film. Never heard him talk before. We had 1200 kids over 3 grades.

[@sydneymeanstreet]

You realise that all this is leading up to you two watching Not Another Teen Movie, right?

[@grife3000]

*mouths "stop"* I dunno do they have all the prereqs yet? I know that "She's All That" was a big part of it, there's gotta be at least a dozen more. "Cruel Intentions"? "Never Been Kissed"?

[@sydneymeanstreet]

@@grife3000 More research required for sure.

[@JoeMama410]

Varsity Blues is another prerequisite.

[@hackapump]

I think speculating about the longevity of the respective romance is beside the point. How many highschool romances last anyway, right? Of course that doesn’t mean they’re unimportant, quite the opposite. Those five kids unlocked some of the tormented mystery of being a teenager, for the benefit of a moviegoing teenage audience, and those insights will stay with them.

[@flyingardilla143]

I've always thought emo Ally Sheedy was cuter than her dolled-up make over version.

[@drcornelius8275]

Sushi was uncommon in the 80's. I remember seeing another movie based in California around this time where it referenced, and I had no idea what they were even talking about. After it started becoming available in my city, I was in a major metro and we had 1 restaurant offering it, people still joked about how gross the idea of raw fish was. Funny thinking about it now.

[@martinbraun1211]

Please watch the STAR TREK movies. 🖖

[@hoekstratim]

I swear this is a group therapy session on display as a movie.

[@StormhavenGaming]

Your reactions to the Ally Sheedy de-gothification scene was perfect. She was absolutely so much better before.

[@johnscott4196]

Y'all must think homeless people are rock stars

[@StormhavenGaming]

@@johnscott4196 You must be fundamentally incredibly shallow. Grow up, sweetie.

[@gettingby365]

16:03 Your shock and disgust at Vernon's threats is actually a great thing. It means we have made some progress actually. Yes stuff like this happened in the 80s. I had a physics teacher who had a hand held Teala Coil with gator grip leads. If you fell asleep in his class he would clip it to the chair legs (those old plastic ones with the rivets to hold the seat to the legs) so that it would shock your butt and turn it on. A government teacher used a starter pistol in class to illustrate how unreliable eyewitness testimony can be (never mind the trauma or hearing damage). Both of these happened in a DoDDS (Department of Defense Dependent Schools) school on an overseas base. But I've heard of things as bad or worse in stateside schools.

[@VeryCherryCherry]

Hello from Ottawa. My schools had detention. But I mostly only got detention in grades 7 and 8 because I wasn't doing my homework. Definitely no Saturday detentions though. Just a couple of hours after school.

[@russellward4624]

I finally understood one of Simone's openings! Yeah!

[@okgo620]

Everytime i see this movie it brings back memories at all the schools that i attended. This movie shows so much truth that some teachers/principal can be bullies too cuz of the power and authority over the students.

[@heavycritic9554]

2:59 Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy in unison: "Clarence Beeks!"

[@robertshields4160]

I love how the student of the year from decades ago turns out to be the janitor.

[@TheeJasonReyes]

8:21 BROOOOOO Wtffff I was thinking the same thing and then George says "WAKE UP" and I just lost my mindddd 😭💀🤣🤣🤣

[@08FJRPilot]

Being an early 80's high school student, I related in all kinds of ways to this movie. Real enough, but exaggerated at the same time. It's a perennial favorite; John Hughes was absolutely killing it back then. I have to confess that I was crushin' on Ally Sheedy a bit after seeing this.

[@emilyreilhan]

17:45 this will forever remind me of the victorious episode where they spoof this movie and Andre is dancing around taking off sweater after sweater and he pulls off a shirt, revealing an undershirt that says "final shirt" in big letters, lmao