The Breakfast Club (1985)

When done well, placing a small group of characters in a single setting for most of a movie’s runtime is a clever narrative technique for forcing conversation between a varied group of characters. The Breakfast Club is one such movie. Five teenagers are stuck in detention. We slowly learn about the cast through their mannerisms and interactions with each other and their speech. And it’s done in such a way, that all these years later, this classic of the ’80s remains just as charming, funny and entertaining as the day John Hughes released it to the world.

Both the script and direction are on point, with John Hughes channelling his inner teenager to get the mood of the film exactly right. But what’s odd is how timeless the film remains, not just in look but also in the school character types. Though the nicknames may have changed, almost 30 years later, you will still find the jock, geek, princess, basket-case and criminal in most high school classrooms.

What also gives The Breakfast Club its everlasting charm is the excellent acting, with top honours going to Nelson, in one of his more flamboyant roles, and Estevez, who delivers the powerful closing monologue. While the rest of the youngsters play their parts to perfection, Anthony Michael Hall is great as the judgemental nerd, Molly Ringwald, adds just enough depth and charm to the character of Claire, that you’re able to forgive the character her spoiled nature and Ally Sheedy is timeless as the loner (though I must admit that I thought she looked better before the make-over).

The only real flaw with the film is the lack of action and overreliance on dialogue caused by the choice of focusing the movie in one location, which although works for most of the film, there are definitely times when it slows the plot to a crawl. That said, The Breakfast Club remains a funny and enjoyable coming-of-age movie that even the youth of today should be able to connect with. After all, there’s something for all in “The Breakfast Club”.