The Breakfast Club as Cinema

Written and edited by me, Julian Rhodes.
All music, images, and clips are used for the purposes of commentary in conjunction with the Fair Use Agreement under U.S. Copyright Law.

[@IvanLendl87]

“When you grow up your heart dies.” “Who cares?” “I care.” That’s the best. P.S. Alison’s ‘makeover’ is totally misunderstood. The girl was depressed and trapped within herself. Her ‘makeover’ is Alison coming out of her shell.

[@razkable]

or maybe she always looks that way and the makeover was actually what she wore to the detention that day aka not her normal wear aka what she wears at the end of the film or she changes daily what she looks like.....thus no one knew her

[@williammatthews693]

That exchange is so great and shows how Sheedy is probably the most genuine of the five members. She'll be holding up her end of the bargain come Monday no doubt. Her, Brian and Andy I feel good about. Bender and Claire I'm not quite so sure.

[@Fireglo]

@@razkable No. It's clearly shown that Claire gives her a makeover.

[@meow8213]

Totally

[@mattslupek7988]

@@razkable Actually, near the beginning, Bender said to her, “I’ve seen you before, you know?”.

[@fabooshka]

Andrew doesn't like Allison because she got hot in the end. He likes her because he learnt that he could relate to her and empathizes with her

[@jefgir]

Their relationship growth is more suble, but is definitely there, in various scenes when someone else is talking, they are in the background exchanging looks at each other, sometimes reciprocated, sometimes not. And Andrew never compliment her looks after the makeover, he says that he can now see her face, and that's a good thing.

[@mattslupek7988]

@@jefgir “Andrew never complimented her looks after the makeover, he says that he can now see her face, and that’s a good thing.” Much, much, MUCH better than “Wow!! I had no idea you were so pretty.”.

[@jefgir]

@@mattslupek7988 Yes, it is much better. He's saying that he's glad she stopped hiding herself behind the hair and clothes, and was able to "Open up".

[@Grymbaldknight]

I don't think that Andrew only values Alison for her looks. The scene where they both talk about "their problems" is one where they actually connect as people. Andrew also has a character arc about "coming to terms with himself", and finding others who will pay attention to him, and not just his persona as an athlete. Maybe the relationship will last, maybe it won't. Either way, i think their mutual attraction is more than just skin deep.

[@learn2draw716]

I wish I could connect with others. Instead, I just get cold glares and dismissals.

[@thebc5754]

No joke, this is my favorite movie of all time.

[@Ben-fx9kx]

You have terrible fucking taste. All the characters are shit. John fucking bender is a random loser who only self pities himself and makes it out like no one else can have problems

[@thebc5754]

@@Ben-fx9kx Okay, that's your opinion. Bad taste would be saying my favorite film is The Cat in the Hat. I don't know about you, but I don't think Breakfast Club is that bad of a movie to call my favorite. I just don't understand how someone can say someone else has a bad taste in movies. Movies are meant to be subjective. If you can reply without as many f words, and we can have a peaceful debate, I'd be all for that. Stay safe, man.

[@arrangormley5594]

The BC- Film Reviews and More that is a good response why tf is he so toxic towards you

[@Ben-fx9kx]

@@thebc5754 Honestly its not because I don't like you or anything hell I don't even know you. I'm just trying to improve your taste in movies or in the words of John Bender "I'm trying to help her" do you see how insufferable that is? He's terrible. And not exactly enjoyment is subjective but you can assess how good a movie is made it's cinematography, pacing, story, whether it makes logical sense etc. It's like this being fat is subjective, being unhealthy is objective. Enjoying a movie us subjective, whether it's bad or not isn't really

[@Ben-fx9kx]

John Bender literally goes under a desk and starts harassing the female lead character and she says nothing to the principal despite not liking John or having a reason to protect him. No one there had a reason not to snitch on him and yet they protect him it's just stupid.

[@SEAL341]

I can't tell you how much time I spent rewatching this film as I was finishing my own school life. "Does Barry Manilow know that you raid his wardrobe?"

[@razkable]

bender vs the vice principal is the highlight of the film for sure...when hes singing in the vent lol and falls out...and at the court and in the closet

[@mattslupek7988]

@@razkable That closet scene!! During the movie, we’re supposed to hate Bender and Vernon, but after that closet scene, my hatred for Vernon grew stronger, and I started feeling bad for Bender. He was so happy to have all those Saturday detentions all in a row like that, because he doesn’t have to be at home with his abusive father. Now Vernon threatens him with violence, and he realizes he isn’t safe anywhere.

[@aebhosor4835]

I'll give you an answer to that question, young man. Next Saturday

[@cabahab2996]

Alisons armour is her weirdness and clothes she finally let's her guard down and opens up..x x 💓💛💙💜

[@thatoneweirdkidwhosobsesse3494]

Finished it today. It's honestly a masterpiece. I wish I would of seen it earlier.

[@EnglishTeacher1998]

Watch the movie again. Andrew likes Allison long before her makeover. He likes her from the beginning of the movie.

[@loading7494]

When they got sent to get the sodas 👌🏾 that’s when he started having feelings

[@mattslupek7988]

@@loading7494 Let’s get real. He was digging on her as soon as she said, “HA!”. Remember, Claire, Bender, and Brian turn their heads in shock, but Andy slowly turns his head and smiles.

[@windgod2008]

i like your conclusion - kind of "what i see myself in somebody else and what i find somebody else in myself" embrace (appreciate) the differences from others and not too exaggerate / indulge in oneself's pain as there is someone probably has the same suffering as well thank you for your clips!

[@rodrigo3732]

i love this movie,damn.

[@razkable]

you forgot what is Allison's reason to be there in the first place?..oh she chose to be because she feels its better than being ignored at home by her parents as she has no friends.....so one could say her getting a bf and makeover shows shes comfortable with herself and love again and chose to look how she felt aka good and to attract a mate and look normal in society now that she isn't just representing herself and to her that is normal and what she wants instead of the image she faked before being angsty and weird by choice feeling unloved and thus looking like it too showing whats he felt on the outside...acting on it as well seeing that her weirdness is not who she is and is bad she isn't stubborn in her ways as most kids can be..shes matured like an adult would and will...she changed because she felt love and was feeling love for someone..thats cool...she didn't just change for no reason

[@mattslupek7988]

Not buying it. I don’t think she was there because she “had nothing better to do”, as she claimed. If she wasn’t supposed to be there, why did Vernon hand out 5 sheets of paper? He would’ve questioned why she was there. I think she stole. Remember, she was a kleptomaniac. She stole Brian’s wallet, Bender’s knife, the padlock off of Bender’s locker, and took the patch off of Andy’s jacket while he was wearing it. She also said that she was a compulsive liar, another reason not to believe the “nothing better to do” story. FTR, she was hotter before the makeover.

[@mafaldadavidesilva6197]

I have never seen someone explained this movie better than you! Congrats!

[@kensmith8152]

Excellent discourse on on of my favorite movies

[@VaryingViewpoint]

Great review!

[@paVlo711]

great vid as always

[@thatspiritualhumane]

I must've seen this masterpiece over 25 times..but the 26th time I know I will see something better !

[@mattslupek7988]

I’ve noticed that TBC is kinda like “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “ “Back to the Future”, because each time you watch it, you see something different.

[@frankiegee6135]

Who else craves a sandwich every time they watch Andrew about to eat that huge lunch!

[@mattslupek7988]

I could’ve done that about 40 years ago. 😆

[@steveneardley7541]

This movie dealt with serious issues, like alienation and the risks of honest communication. It was made for one million and made over 50 million. So it was obviously a success, not only commercially, but in getting across an important message. It may have its limitations, but it is certainly not a piece of trash.To begin with, the acting and direction are excellent.

[@mattslupek7988]

That movie was ahead of its time. As you said, it dealt with a lot of serious issues, and these were issues that weren’t talked about back then. These issues included abuse (physical and verbal), teen suicide, peer pressure, et cetera. To some extent, each of these students got in detention by committing some infraction as a result of bad parenting. Bender’s always in trouble for doing X, Y, and Z, (in this case, pulling a fire alarm), so he acts out as a form of rebellion against authority due to the abuse he takes from his father. Brian’s parents put pressure on him about his grades, not accepting anything below an A, so when he found out that he was failing shop, he contemplated suicide, thus the teacher finding the gun in his locker (which went off and destroyed the elephant lamp that didn’t work). You get the idea. Personally, I would suggest that every high school kid should be forced to watch it. In fact, I’ll even say that every first time parent-to-be should watch it so they know what NOT to do.

[@freddyrichards878]

God this movie is so great

[@subliminalvibes]

Brilliant! 👏 Please could you share your thoughts on the Coen Brothers Blood Simple? If you haven't seen it, I think you'll like it not just because of the acting and story but because of the movie's overall LACK of dialogue. Keep up the great work. 👍😎

[@steph.li3]

It’s about time

[@JuliaMinervaRhodes]

Tiffany Mayer Yeah, the movie is about time. That’s why the clock features so prominently in the shots.

[@williammatthews693]

I don't know if this movie is on any "best movies of all time list" but it should be in at least the top 20 of any self-respecting list.

[@RottenDoctorGonzo]

I'm sad that the era has long past and that once I reached my teens (1990s), my life wasn't like a John Hughes pic.

[@MC-yq6us]

The 80s was not a John Hughes pic either, life is not a movie, don’t waste time idealising a fictional youth. Be happy about the memories you made in your own youth

[@kalakritistudios]

I see the makeover as, teenagers who are still finding them as a person... this ain't permanent, this will change too. This is the starting phase of their stories.

[@FhargaZ]

I liked it. I watched the Netflix one and i think i would check the deleted scenes, and also at 46:20 there is a sound that is like from other source could be from a sex scene from another material 😂

[@maxeyre2024]

I believe that sound is Allison’s squeak

[@backisayback5147]

It’s Allison

[@tapititytap]

Ngl I’m here because of my film studies class which is so fucking awkward because I have to write a 1000 word review for this fucking movie in an hours and a half

[@mattslupek7988]

A 1000-word essay about 5 kids assigned to write a 1000-word essay? What are the odds?

[@tashawaits5383]

I thought this film was awful. regardless, this is a great video 👍🏻

[@squidwardsdiary2776]

It sucked for you

[@NoahVIP]

it was pretty awful lmaoo

[@iamrozay4511]

Yup

[@backisayback5147]

Can I ask why you thought it was awful?

[@mattslupek7988]

How was it awful? Maybe awe-SOME, but not aw-FUL. Please explain.

[@tomtomtom6970]

I was born in 2001, so when I got myself a Netflix account I thought I'd put some of these cult classics they had in my watchlist. I have just watched it, and I am not a critic or anything, but where is the appeal of this movie? In my opinion it aged horrible, because all of these cartoon stereotypes dont even really exist anymore. The message of the movie is pretty off and the ending is even weirder. I mean the rich girl gets with the bully that verbally abused her for the whole day and the jock only gets with the weird girl after she gets a make-over by the rich girl? What... The peanut butter sandwich scene is kinda dumb as well, I mean what does that say about the writing when you need a scene like this to show that the girl is weird. Also there's a scene where she steals Johnnys knife? But what for? Was it meant to be a joke? It doesnt mater later in the movie which i totally expected. A lot of people seem to really like this one because it reminds them of their high school years, and I am not american (german) so maybe I just cant identify with a lot of things in the film but still, I think that one is dramatically overrated and definitly outdated. Please anyone tell me why you like that movie, I am genuenly curious what people like so much about this

[@rantme8765]

I think the movie is just about the 80s life and the different characters back then. It doesn't necessarily have to age well since it's just showing the culture of that specific time, we can't relate to it because it's not our generation but the people from then probably did. And the knife scene was just a gag, I found it funny. But I totally get it if you don't like the movie, not every likes that retro vibe.

[@tomtomtom6970]

@@rantme8765 Yeah, i guess. i just find it weird when people call it the best movie ever or something. Like, it's just not that good.

[@marinmilevoj4829]

@@tomtomtom6970 idk dude I also just watched it and I loved it. I come from Croatia which is very different from American lifestlye and such. But the specific stryotypes I don't think are that important. I kinda feel the point of the movie is that you realize how all of us have our own problems and to explore how our parents and such affect us. Another thing is that at the beginning I related most to the smart guy (I don't remember any of their names). And still when looking at him on a surface level he is the closest to me. What I see when I look at him is what I feel people see when they look at me. But by the end I saw myself in all the characters. The crazy girl in particular suddenly became so reletable. It feels like if I went down different paths I could have become any one of those characters. It just shows how even when we are compleatly different we are still weirdly exactly same.

[@tashawaits5383]

I agree 100%

[@philipwapano8496]

I think the very core of the movie was to mock the stereotypes in order to break out of those stereotypes and be what one wants to be. It was very very exaggerated because they wanted to show us the very core of those stereotypes. I view it kind of like the Inside Out movie where every emotion is BEST at what they are for. And at the end, we get to see them out of their element, where they learn to find sanctuary in identifying not only as one thing but as a person with a colorful identity. That was what the walk in the hallway at the end meant for me since it was a big contrast to the running scene where they were scattered, and even debating which way to go. Idk just me.

[@praggyab]

I didn't like this film.

[@squidwardsdiary2776]

Who cares

[@robertisham5279]

Why

[@kingexclusivo]

I came into this movie with high expectations, especially after the first 10 minutes. But damn this movie sucked, at least for me. The ending makes no sense. And through the whole movie they stayed in the same place doing nothing but talking.

[@squidwardsdiary2776]

Your in the small handful of people who dont like it. But I understand that it can get boring for some people

[@kingexclusivo]

@@squidwardsdiary2776 I'll watch it again sometime to see if I end up liking it, I hope i do.

[@lewishorsman2219]

The ending was perfect. They all had a new found mutual respect for each other but at the end of the day life must go on. At least they can understand each other when they walk past each other in school on Monday. They finally managed to solve an individual problem in their lives and even if they never have moments like that again with each other they’re better people because of them. For me watching at 25 I cried. I cried because I was, not the jock, but I not necessarily bullied people but wasn’t exactly nice to people either and joined in on certain acts for fear of ending up on the receiving end. Him crying about what he did, his shame really resonated and I cried with shame.

[@hgoodin1013]

This is what life was like before cell phones and social media. This movie, which at its core, is about people communicating with each other and breaking through the stereotypes and misconceptions we may hold about each other, to learn that we likely have a lot more in common than we think. People today are always so engrossed in their phones and communicating in ways that are other than face to face, that I think so much of actually connecting with other people has suffered.

[@christinacascadilla4473]

I watched this movie in high school with four female friends when it first came out. None of us realized how disgusting and lame it was. And the saddest part of this is that we were not dumb. Two girls of the group would go into to be valedictorian of the school, one got a PHD in Chemistry, and I was the third best math student in the history of the school. Yet somehow John Hughes had the power to keep us from realizing just how terrible this movie is. 35 years later, it is oh so apparent.

[@squidwardsdiary2776]

ok

[@jefgir]

why?

[@Ben-fx9kx]

This movie is a joke. It's genuinely trash

[@zfurr8629]

You're alone

[@zfurr8629]

Just curious what's your top 10 list of favorites

[@squidwardsdiary2776]

bruh who cares

[@michaelramos810]

Flip you

[@triple7marc]

I despise this movie.