Yes, you read that right. I do not in any way, shape, or form like the 1985 film The Breakfast Club. This is quite the unpopular opinion to have, I know, but before you attempt to leave this article completely in a fit of what I can assume is extremely biased rage, give me a chance to explain myself. John Hughes’ The Breakfast Club is without a doubt one of the most popular films of that time and it quickly became a staple in the “coming-of-age” genre. Some would even consider it to be one of their favorite movies of all time, and that is okay! Film is just another art form that people can view in a subjective way. If I managed to keep you here this long, I think it is time to delve deeper into the massive hole I have dug for myself regarding The Breakfast Club.
The Breakfast Club was written and directed by the one and only John Hughes. He worked on many other beloved movies such as Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Uncle Buck. The film stars Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, and Ally Sheedy. Its story revolves around a select group of teenagers in detention for a day and all of their wacky and dramatic lives. Before I go into the main reasons why I do not care for this movie, I will tell you what I do enjoy. The movie is all around well-made for all things considered. The acting, directing, writing, etc. are all top notch. There’s a reason why John Hughes is thought to be a legend. I will also admit that when any scene needs to get emotional, it delivers. I am not heartless and I will cry every time the character of Brian denotes how overbearing his parents and grades are. The Breakfast Club is by no means a bad movie, it is just that there are a few big issues that cause me to just dislike it.
The biggest problem I have with The Breakfast Club is the concept itself. The whole point of the film is to show, through the use of extreme high school stereotypes, that we can overcome our societal divides to become something even greater. The only problem is the fact that I do not believe that any event in the film would happen. Maybe it is my social upbringing coming through, but if you put five people of those exact stereotypes in one room for that amount of time, nothing would happen. Yes, schools are boiling pots of negative attitudes of cultural differences, however I believe those students would be silent the entire time. My only other problem I have with the film comes from my lack of interest or intrigue about these students’ lives. There is good character development in the film for sure; each character has their own time to shine and grow as a person. But just like the character of John Bender implies, almost all of their problems are petty to me. It is not that I do not have sympathy for them, I just find it hard to really see myself in each of their shoes other than Brian (if you could not tell, he’s my favorite). In other words, The Breakfast Club is hardly relatable to me.
If you are a big fan of The Breakfast Club, I will not try to stop you from watching it. If it is your favorite movie of all time, I will not judge you too much. I understand why people enjoy watching these five adolescences mature over the period of two hours, but that does not mean that I have to enjoy it myself. And since I am in the minority here, I think it is important to remember that a brain, and an athlete, and a basket case, a princess, and a criminal were also looked upon negatively.
