The brilliance of John Hughes

Is School Gate the right place to pay tribute to John Hughes, the film director and writer, who's died, aged 59? I think so. For Hughes was responsible for some of the most fantastic films set in the world of education, and I thank him for that. He seemed to understand the complications of the teen years, and was responsible for a run of funny, insightful and never condescending classics.

I grew up with John Hughes. To me, he epitomised the 80s. Growing up in London, I wanted, more than anything, to be American. His films, from Sixteen Candles onwards, somehow brought me closer to that dream. Hughes made red-headed Molly Ringwald America's teen princess, and fashioned an unlikely star out of Anthony Michael Hall. He also helped to cement the idea of an 80s "Brat Pack", particularly with the fantastic Breakfast Club (the trailer for which you can see above), and stars like Ally Sheedy, Emilio Estevez and Judd Nelson. I was hooked.

For a while, John Hughes seemed not only to have a sure-fire blockbuster touch, but also an ability to understand young people. Sixteen Candles was about unrequited teen love, Pretty In Pink was about the divide between rich and poor students, while the Breakfast Club had everything (including, like Pretty in Pink, a great, well thought out soundtrack). All of them included tales of cliques and fitting in at school, and they heralded an era of teen films which has continued to this day.

I'm not, ironically, such a huge fan of Hughes' greatest successes, Home Alone and Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and recognise that his career tailed off, after these, in later years. However, I really think that he gave so much to an era of American cinema, and invented a genre of "high school movies" which has never been bettered.

Read about School Gate's worst teachers in films, featuring two John Hughes classics

And read about the most inspiring teachers in films.

Comments

[William]

I love it - you saw the films and wanted to be American. I heard the soundtracks and wanted to be from the UK (Echo, New Order, among other "not easily heard in America" UK bands found their way into his soundtracks.

Truly underrated films (especially the earlier ones). The only thing he got wrong was Molly ending up with Andrew in "PIP", how could she not roll with the DuckMan?! RIP John, you will be missed!

[Sarah Ebner]

Hi William,
Totally agree about PIP (and the great soundtracks).

[Heidi]

William is right - the Hughes films were, for many of us, the first introduction we had to UK music. New Order, Echo & the Bunnymen, The Smiths and even the Thompson Twins made their first inroads into our psyches via John Hughes movies.

[Lucy Locket]

When I really think about it, watching Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's day off and Pretty in Pink were the films that fascinated me most about America and American High Schools (freaks, geeks, jocks, hall passes, lockers in the hall, homecoming queen, the prom, shop class...) Deep down, maybe I always knew that I would marry an American because of those films......I feel like a little bit of my youth died today.

[Simon McKeown]

'What do you think John Hughes is gonna do? He's going to be a fry cook on venus'

[sri]

My Condolences to his family, I loved some of his movies especially the breakfast club, Home Alone and Home Alone 2. Definitely his movies defined a generation as well as gave us plenty of chuckles. For all his fans I have collected some good sites and articles (more than 250 sites ) related to his latest news coverage, biography, Movies, Movie Quotes and Interviews. If you are interested take a look at the below link
http://markthispage.blogspot.com/2009/08/all-you-want-to-know-about-john-hughes.html

[Ed Rooney]

What do you mean? That man made my life a misery!!!!

[Rob]

PIP, Sixteen Candles and Breakfast captured elements and complexities of teen life to which many at that age and of that era could relate. Brilliant! My personal favourite, however, will always be Ferris Bueller's Day Off.....the one to which everyone wishes that they could relate....Genius!!!

[Geoff]

If anyone wants to know what John Hughes is about, find yourself a copy of "Planes, Trains & Automobiles".. starring the normally unfunny Steve Martin and the late great extremely funny John Candy.
If they don't have you laughing till it hurts, with tears rolling down your face, & so funny that you can no longer look at the screen - then there's no hope for you..