FILM COLUMN: THE TEN BEST BRAT PACK MOVIES
Two Decades On, A Look At Teen Rebellion: 80's Style
The sudden death of John Hughes shocked the film industry. With a rumored sequel to The Breakfast Club in the works, the 59-year-old director, producer, and writer was best known for giving stars like Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, and Andrew McCarthy their big breaks.
While that core group will always be fondly remembered for their roles in John Hughes' classic '80's movies, other directors successfully added to the zeitgeist and so here at Buzzine, we choose to celebrate the genre founded by the late great director in his honor. Here follows a list of ten movies that we all should see again, buy and cherish for so perfectly capturing a moment in time.
Film includes: Ringwald, Hall, Nelson, Estevez, and Sheedy.
Most Memorable Line:
“Does Barry Manilow know that you raid his wardrobe?” – John Bender
2. The Outsiders (1983). Based on S.E. Hinton’s bestselling novel, the world is introduced to the Greasers and the Preps as they battle it out to see which class is superior. Brat Packers Estevez and Lowe shine along with other young talents, including: C. Thomas Howell, Patrick Swayzee, Tom Cruise, and Ralph Macchio (aka the Karate Kid).
Most Memorable Line:
“Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold.”
3. Sixteen Candles (1984). What could be more humiliating than having your entire family forget your 16th birthday? Try giving your panties to a geek at a school dance and see how that makes you feel! One of Hughes’s funniest teen films — thanks to the presence of character Long Duk Dong, a foreign exchange student who misplaces his host father’s automobile in a lake, a very big lake, after a long night of partying — and Farmer Ted, a not-so-secret admirer with a heart of gold.
Film includes: Ringwald and Hall.
Most Memorable Line:
“What’s happening, hot stuff?”
4. Pretty in Pink (1986). Welcome to the world of teen angst. Despite her good looks, Ringwald plays a misunderstood outcast who works in a record store, makes her own clothing, and somehow has time to catch the eye of Blaine, a filthy rich high school student who asks her to the prom. Along with Ringwald and McCartney, Hughes’s dramatic film includes roles played by Jon Cryer, Andrew “Dice” Clay, and James Spader.
Most Memorable Line:
“You told me you couldn’t believe in somebody who didn’t believe in you. I believed in you. I always believed in you. I just didn’t believe in me. I loved you. Always.”
5. St. Elmo’s Fire (1985). In slightly more grown-up roles, Sheedy, Nelson, McCarthy, Moore, and Estevez play a group of Georgetown University graduates trying to find their place in the world. The film was written and directed by Joel Schumacher and came out the same year as The Breakfast Club.
Most Memorable Line:
“It’s St. Elmo’s Fire. Electric flashes of light that appear in dark skies out of nowhere. Sailors would guide entire journeys by it, but the joke was on them… there was no fire. There wasn’t even a St. Elmo. They made it up. They made it up because they thought they needed it to keep them going when times got tough, just like you’re making up all of this. We’re all going through this. It’s our time at the edge.”
6. Weird Science (1985). Two nerdy teenage boys put underwear on their heads and create the perfect woman to conduct experiments on in the comfort of their own bedroom. Hall plays one of the lead roles alongside Ilan Mitchell-Smith and Kelly LeBrock. Written and directed by Hughes, a television series inspired by the film ran from 1994-1998.
Most Memorable Line:
“So what would you little maniacs like to do first?”
7. One Crazy Summer (1986). Written and directed by Savage Steve Holland and starring John Cusack, Moore, and Bobcat Goldthwait in lead roles, the film proves that disappointing your parents by not getting a coveted basketball scholarship can lead you down a much cooler road to true love.
Most Memorable Line:
“Do you realize for every lost, mangled doll there’s a little girl with a broken heart?”
8. Less Than Zero. Learning of his girlfriend’s infidelities, lead character Clay tries to reconcile the relationship and get his drug-addicted friend from high school, Julian, to clean up his act. Loosely based on a Bret Easton Ellis novel, the film version stars McCarthy, Robert Downey, Jr., Jami Gertz, and James Spader.
Most Memorable Line:
Clay: “Are you happy, Blair? You don’t look happy.”
Blair: “But do I look good?”
9. Fresh Horses (1988). The classic rich kid falling for a girl from the wrong side of the tracks storyline which defined this generation plays a central role in this film directed by David Anspaugh and starring Ringwald and McCarthy.
Most Memorable Line:
“Look, when the horse underneath us drops, we take a fresh one.”
10. The Pick Up Artist (1987). The film focuses on a relentless womanizer and his inability to impress the daughter of an alcoholic gambler who owes the mob money. Starring Ringwald and Robert Downey, Jr. as lead characters, the romantic comedy was written and directed by James Toback.
Most Memorable Line:
“Did anyone tell you that you have the face of a Botticelli and the body of a Degas?”
All these films can be found on Blu-ray, DVD and in semi-regular recurrence on cable.
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