The 80s has a lot to show for the decade: big hair, Madonna, strangely bright windbreakers, Simple Minds, and John Hughes’ infamous film, “The Breakfast Club”. We all agonized over whether or not Claire Standish and John Bender would actually fall for each other, yet at the same time wanted to hate Claire because she was so petty. We wondered why on earth Allison Reynolds was even in detention at all. How the brain of the group got there in the first place, and fell in love with Andrew Clark somewhere along the way. An emotional rollercoaster that scarily reflects some of our own times in high school, this movie is more than a classic; it’s a life lesson of self-reflection and acceptance.
“We’re all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it, that’s all.” – Andrew Clark
Probably the truest statement in the entire film (or am I biased? Let’s be honest, Emilio Estevez was a heartthrob). He really hits the nail on the head. People can go through some heavy measures to hide their imperfections, all for the sake of trying to be the best they can be. And while there are those who hide their quirks and kinks, there are equally the amount of people who do not mind letting their colors show. Those who love their imperfections and different traits, and those who want the world to believe they are perfect. At the end of the day, though, people are “pretty bizarre”. Whether or not they admit to who they are, everyone has something funny to say, or a weird thought, a different interest- “some of us are just better at hiding it, that’s all”. In the end, that is the only true difference- who hides their real personality, and who lets it out.
“Screws just fall out all the time, the world is an imperfect place.” – John Bender
Okay, John Bender is an arrogant, bitter trouble maker whose future (even though we just pray to the heavens he ends up with Claire) is a little shady. Nevertheless, his smart-aleck response to Principal Vernon disguises a powerful, underlying life lesson: in the scheme of life, things are going to fall apart, accept it and move on. “Screws” are the heartbreaks, the failures, the hope, everything in between happiness and complete distraught. There is no guarantee they are going to keep everything together perfectly. Unpredictable things happen everyday without warning, and cannot always be fixed. Accepting the imperfections make it that much easier to get through life. Who knew John Bender had such wisdom?
Do you know without trigonometry, there’d be no engineering?– Brian Johnson
Without lamps, there’d be no light.– John Bender
After Brian explains his “F” in shop class, this exchange has a lot heavier a meaning than one might think. Both statements are completely true- one is not functional without the other. The only difference is, one is a lot more simple. Of course, the world needs engineering for architecture and planning. But in the big scheme of life, the world always needs light. Light, the simplest of necessities, is what John Bender values. That without the simplest things in life, there would not be the things we take for granted. The lamps and lights of the world are what we truly need in life: a home, loved ones, water, food, the list can go on. It is a matter of putting life into perspective to see what is truly important.
“You see us as you want to see us… In the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain…and an athlete…and a basket case…and a princess…and a criminal…” – Brian Johnson, Andrew Clark, Allison Reynolds, Claire Standish, and John Bender.
Honestly, could there be a more powerful ending to a movie than this? Through all of the differences, the disagreements, in the end everyone is the same. We are ALL the brain, the athlete, the basket case, the princess, and the criminal. Those silly high school stereotypes make up who we really are; taking a piece from each and making them our own. We are all different in unique ways that not everyone will understand. People are going to view one another however they please, and maybe there is no way around that judgement. If we look close enough, though, we can see that we are one in the same: people with emotions, hopes, dreams, and character. Unique individuals, with more in common than we will ever know.