Memories of John Hughes

"They bought it."
- Ferris Bueller to the audience once his parents leave

Was browsing around the Internet today, and found the following:

http://movies.msn.com/story/john-hughes-revisited/


Ahhh... memories of John Hughes.  I read with interest what the reviewer felt would still work and not work if John Hughes's movies were made today.  Especially the language... yes people, they really did say faggot and retard in movies in the 80s without somebody being offended.  Hate to say it, but life is offensive folks, you have to expect that and can't go crying every time you get offended.

Of the six movies reviewed, "Sixteen Candles", "The Breakfast Club", "Weird Science", "Pretty In Pink", "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "Some Kind of Wonderful", the highest durability marks went to "The Breakfast Club" and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off".  The lowest going to "Weird Science", with the other films scoring between six and seven out of ten.

I'd say have to agree... admittedly, its been a few years since I've seen some of these films, of them, those two certainly capture the essence of being a teenager, and are quite honestly time-less in theme.  Granted, the visuals and the music hearken back to a simpler pre-Internet, pre-cell phone era, the issues and themes explored are good ones.  One is more serious, the other light hearted, but combined, they make a great pair.

When I look at myself, I see who I was in these characters.  I was most definitely the Cameron and Brian characters from the two films.  It's actually scary how much my life was kind of like Cameron's possible future as outlined by Ferris near the end of the film.  I did end up marrying my high school sweetheart, and gave up just short of 10 (arguably what could have been my best) years to that relationship.  I still remember my father telling me the first day I told him about that relationship that she wasn't "right" for me.  One of the few times I didn't listen to him.  When I look back on it, I probably should have left that relationship right after my dad died, but too much was going on, and I just wasn't thinking. Oh well... I finally did get out of it, and am glad for it.  One a side note, I had spoken to her about a year ago, and sadly, it seemed she hadn't changed at all in the years we'd been apart - evasive to questions, roundabout in her answers, and just plain not making sense at times.  It's sad, but quite frankly, she is not my problem anymore and am happy she isn't.

I often push the values of older films on my students, and most still pretty emphatically love these two films, about 25 years after they were made.  Despite the passage of time, they can still identify with these characters.

I loved the reviewer's comment about what wouldn't work from "Ferris" today:
 "This much intelligence in a teen comedy, coupled with the absolute lack of smarm. Nowadays, Ferris and Sloane would probably stop to have sex in a fancy hotel, but back then, it was enough to be knowing and sexy and, somehow, a little discreet. The simplicity of the movie's message: "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."  

That was one thing you could always count on in a John Hughes film - intelligence.  So much of the movies that revolve around teen culture these days are so brainless (not to mention other aspects of teen culture... Justin Bieber... need I say more? ;) ). I remember watching Twilight a couple of Christmases ago (not by choice and had to endure it THREE TIMES) and was appalled by how dumb it was.  It felt like my brains were liquefying and spilling out of my ears.  Not to mention the fact that Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson couldn't act their way out of a paper bag.  

And the casting  in John Hughes films was always inspired.  As the reviewer noted: "These kids, Hughes' kids, actually looked like kids, not hydroponic humans grown for our maximum aesthetic enjoyment."  Let's face it, very few high school kids fit that "perfect" mold.  I meet them everyday, and know this to be true.


Not to mention that back in the 80s, kids could go out for an entire day and not have to have contact with their parents for the entire time.  I see students as young as grade 7 with cell phones... for real?  I remember going out with my best friend, we'd be gone all day, and the only thing we had to worry about was being home in time for dinner.  Our parents did not need any kind of leash, electronic or otherwise.  It seems these days that kids are more and more being monitored by their "helicopter parents", constantly hovering around, not letting them be kids.  They need to live, and learn, from the things that they do.

And here are some bits of wisdom from "The Breakfast Club" & "Ferris Bueller's Day Off":

Brian: I'll take shop, it'll be such an easy way to maintain my grade point average.

Bender: Why'd you think it'd be easy?

Brian: Have you seen some of the dopes that take shop?

Bender: I take shop. You must be a fuckin' idiot!

Brian: I'm a fuckin' idiot because I can't make a lamp?

Bender: No, you're a genius because you can't make a lamp.

Brian: What do you know about Trigonometry?

Bender: I could care less about Trigonometry.

Brian: Bender, did you know without Trigonometry there'd be no engineering?

Bender: Without lamps, there'd be no light.

---

Andrew

Claire: [teary] Not me...ever

Allison: It's unavoidable, it just happens.

Claire: What happens?

Allison: When you grow up, your heart dies.

---

Brian: Dear Mr. Vernon, we accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. What we did *was* wrong. But we think you're crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. 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...

Andrew: ...and an athlete...

Allison: ...and a basket case...

Claire: ...a princess...

Bender: ...and a criminal...

Brian: Does that answer your question?... Sincerely yours, the Breakfast Club.

---

And Now for "Ferris":

The key to faking out the parents is the clammy hands. It's a good non-specific symptom; I'm a big believer in it. A lot of people will tell you that a good phony fever is a dead lock, but, uh... you get a nervous mother, you could wind up in a doctor's office. That's worse than school. You fake a stomach cramp, and when you're bent over, moaning and wailing, you lick your palms. It's a little childish and stupid, but then, so is high school.

---

 I do have a test today. That wasn't bullshit. It's on European socialism. I mean, really, what's the point? I'm not European. I don't plan on being European. So who gives a crap if they're socialists? They could be fascist anarchists. It still wouldn't change the fact that I don't own a car. Not that I condone fascism, or any ism for that matter. Isms in my opinion are not good. A person should not believe in an ism, he should believe in himself. I quote John Lennon: "I don't believe in Beatles, I just believe in me." Good point there. After all, he was the Walrus. I could be the Walrus. I'd still have to bum rides off of people. --- Cameron has never been in love. At least, nobody's ever been in love with him. If things don't change for him, he's gonna marry the first girl he lays, and she's gonna treat him like shit, because she will have given him what he has built up in his mind as the end-all, be-all of human existence. She won't respect him, 'cause you can't respect somebody who kisses your ass. It just doesn't work. --- Of course, the best must be saved for last: "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." Indeed, Bueller... Bueller... Bueller...