Don't You (Forget About Me)
August 8th 2009 00:40
I would be terribly remiss if I did not take the time to reflect on the passing of John Hughes.
As a GenXer, Huges managed to capture everything we wanted high school to be. Whether it was Ferris taking a day off in the face of authority (and doing it in style) to the nerds, jocks, freaks, geeks all coming together and seeing a little of each other reflected across their breakfast. It was both the ideal and the hope of youth culture of the fickle 1980s.
In my memory, this did not happen, of course. I remember a very strict class system whwre everyone was afraid to stand out (so different from today's skinny jean hipsters, no?). And standing up to authority was routinely punished, not rewarded with Ferraris and art museums. Nobdy help up panties in bathrooms. We wanted to be indivduals and openly express our alienation, but we were afraid. Molly's devastating speech was perhaps the most accurate representation (if not a little melodramatic). But it was these flashes of insight that really gave Hughes the magic touch.
In retrospect, movies like Uncle Buck and Home Alone seem dated and cliche. They just do not stand the test of time. But I think the Breakfast Club will go down as one of the best of that genre for years to come. To many iconic moments and identifiable characters.
This is a music-centric blog, so let me add this comment: I seems that Hughes had a knack for soundtrack, as well. You cannot think of the Judd Nelson without hearing the Simple Minds tune. And I'l bet many GenXers were first exposed to the Beatles (and 1950s music) when Ferris lyp-synced "Twist and Shout". Let's not forget "Pretty in Pink", either. In the era when Mtv still played videos, we all started to associate music and images. Hughes captured this perfectly.
Since his passing, I have re-visited his filmography and was surprised to see his involvement in Vacation and Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Two classic, non-teen comedies that surely deserve a spot in the best of the 1980s (if not all-time). Who knew?
Anyway, he will be missed.
RIP
Simple Minds - (Don’t You) Forget About Me
As a GenXer, Huges managed to capture everything we wanted high school to be. Whether it was Ferris taking a day off in the face of authority (and doing it in style) to the nerds, jocks, freaks, geeks all coming together and seeing a little of each other reflected across their breakfast. It was both the ideal and the hope of youth culture of the fickle 1980s.
In my memory, this did not happen, of course. I remember a very strict class system whwre everyone was afraid to stand out (so different from today's skinny jean hipsters, no?). And standing up to authority was routinely punished, not rewarded with Ferraris and art museums. Nobdy help up panties in bathrooms. We wanted to be indivduals and openly express our alienation, but we were afraid. Molly's devastating speech was perhaps the most accurate representation (if not a little melodramatic). But it was these flashes of insight that really gave Hughes the magic touch.
In retrospect, movies like Uncle Buck and Home Alone seem dated and cliche. They just do not stand the test of time. But I think the Breakfast Club will go down as one of the best of that genre for years to come. To many iconic moments and identifiable characters.
This is a music-centric blog, so let me add this comment: I seems that Hughes had a knack for soundtrack, as well. You cannot think of the Judd Nelson without hearing the Simple Minds tune. And I'l bet many GenXers were first exposed to the Beatles (and 1950s music) when Ferris lyp-synced "Twist and Shout". Let's not forget "Pretty in Pink", either. In the era when Mtv still played videos, we all started to associate music and images. Hughes captured this perfectly.
Since his passing, I have re-visited his filmography and was surprised to see his involvement in Vacation and Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Two classic, non-teen comedies that surely deserve a spot in the best of the 1980s (if not all-time). Who knew?
Anyway, he will be missed.
RIP
Simple Minds - (Don’t You) Forget About Me
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