Let me just cut to the chase- if you don’t know who John Hughes is, you should. John Hughes was one of the greatest film screenwriters of all time, having written some of most successful comedies of the 1980s and early 1990s. Hughes was the mind behind classics like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, and National Lampoon’s Vacation just to name a few.
Hughes was a great writer and not only did he understand comedy, but he also had a knack for writing teen movies. Hughes wrote some of the greatest and most iconic teen films ever made. He really captured how it felt to be a teen, the insecurities, unnecessary drama, the cliques and situations that teens often fall into.
One of his most famous films, The Breakfast Club, really showed off his talent of writing teenage characters. If you haven’t seen the film, I’ll give you a brief summary. The film is about five teenagers who are all from different high school cliques and they all spend a Saturday together in detention. Throughout the film, they come to realize that they aren’t the average high school stereotype that they seem to represent.
That’s all I can say about the plot because I don’t want to spoil it, but if you haven’t watched it, go see it. What makes this film so great is Hughes doesn’t just develop these characters around their stereotype of the nerd, the jock or the delinquent, for example, but he develops them around the person they are. He teaches us all one of the greatest life lessons: don’t judge a book by its cover. At the same time, he also shows how hard being a teenage can be when you are put under certain pressures or you’re trying to live up to the odd expectation of the cliques in the film.
The Breakfast Club is regarded as one of the best teen movies of all time, but Hughes is known for multiple other films. Like I mentioned earlier, he’s responsible for Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, along with Weird Science, and Sixteen Candles along with holiday classics like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and Home Alone. The one holiday movie classic that always stood out to me was the film Planes, Trains and Automobiles, starring Steve Martin and John Candy.
Admittedly, the holiday factor is not super heavy in this film, but it is about two guys trying to get home for Thanksgiving. The film is about a high-strung man named Neal who runs into a very talkative, clumsy, overly optimistic guy named Del. Due to a certain set of comedic circumstances, the two must help each other get home for the holidays, facing many misadventures along the way.
The film is a comedy classic, and again really displays Hughes’ talent for writing characters. This film is just as funny as it is heartwarming, and that all stems from both Neal and Del. Despite the circumstances they’re in, the two characters have a very natural relationship and chemistry.
Many films that go with this type of formula-the funny fat guy and the straight man- usually try to go for more laughs or try to really push the boundaries of each character to the point where their performance seems unbelievable. But in this film, the two characters have a relationship that truly feels natural and it’s delight to watch. I won’t spoil the ending for you, but it is one of the most sweetest endings I have seen in film.
I guess the purpose of this article is to express how incredible it is that one man could write so many classic films and even help direct or produce them. Sadly, John Hughes has passed away, but he left behind so many great films and a legacy that is hard for anyone to follow.