The iconic 80s teen movie, The Breakfast Club, was first released in the UK 33 years ago on June 7th, 1985.
The coming-of-age classic stars Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Paul Gleason, Anthony Michael Hall, and Ally Sheedy as five high school students – “a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal” – stuck in Saturday detention together, who learn that they have far more in common than they had first thought. It’s a feel-good film with plenty of laughs and hijinks, with some sentimental moments thrown in for good measure, as the film really pushes the message that you are more than meets the eye.
The film opens with a quote from David Bowie: “And these children that you spit on as they try to change their worlds; are immune to your consultations, they are quite aware of what they are going through.” Far beyond it’s time, The Breakfast Club explores gender inequality, sexism, adolescent stress, parental pressure, and a teenage battle with identity in ways that make it an iconic film even over thirty years later. In 2016, it was selected by the US’s National Film Registry as being historically, culturally, or aesthetically relevant and thus worthy of being preserved. The New York Times also included it on their list of the best thousand movies ever made.
On the film, Ally Sheedy said: “Look at what this movie doesn’t have. No high school dance. No chase scene. No naked shower scene. No beer blast. No rumble. It’s about kids who are learning about themselves.”
“And it’s an ambitious picture. With a lot of teenage movies, you get the feeling the filmmakers are remembering their own youth. This movie is about right now.”
Don’t you forget about this classic film – watch the original trailer below:
