John Hughes: Death of a Teen Icon

When we get together to discuss topics for English lessons, it seems that lately I am constantly bringing up celebrities who've passed away as potential topics. There have been a lot of celebrity deaths this summer, but one that has me particularly saddened is the passing of filmmaker John Hughes. We did not do a lesson on John Hughes because our main man Jason, said, "Who's that?" If you, like Jason, have no idea who John Hughes is, then I suggest you run to your local video store, netflix cue, or whatever means you use to watch movies these days, and watch one of his films. 

John Hughes defined what it meant to be a teenager in the '80s. Most of his films were stories about American teenagers sifting through the emotional filth of being a teenager. Some of his classics are Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

If you haven't seen any of these films, then I might suggest starting with The Breakfast Club. The Breakfast Club is a classic because of its central message. The film is about five teenagers serving a Saturday detention. Each character is the embodiment of a certain high school stereotype.  You have the popular girl, the jock, the nerd, the weirdo girl, and the burnout or "criminal" as he is referred to in the film. Throughout the movie these five teens realize they have more in common than they thought and they come to rely on each in ways they never imagined. I think that this film stands the test of time, even though it was made in 1985, because teenagers today still grapple with the same issues of fitting in and feeling like outcasts.  

John Hughes was a film maker who made being a teen more manageable for those of us growing up in the '80s and '90s.  His style is unlike any teen movie or shows being made today.  He will be missed but his legacy will live on in his films.