Movie Review: The Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club (1985) - Directed and Written by John Hughes
Five high school students from completely different worlds are thrown together for one day in detention where they end up learning more about themselves than the other students.

I finally watched it. In the past, I had been told countless times that it was such a good movie, and that it would even change my life. Needless to say, my expectations were just a little bit high. Then, I watched it. I watched it straight through. I watched the entire movie.

And I don't get it. It's not like I thought the writing, cinematography, or acting was bad (per se), I just don't get it. Why did this movie need to be made? It taught me absolutely nothing, and it most certainly did not change my life. In fact, I was utterly bored watching it. I just don't get the movie.

I am the only person I know who doesn't like this movie, and I have been outcast because of it (see my book, All Alone in Rightville). However, I explained my case, and one of my friends re-watched the movie with what I said in mind. When she finished, she came back to me quietly, and her words were, "Why did that movie need to be made?"

I'm not saying all movies have to change my life, but for a movie considered as such a classic, I'm just confused as to why it lacked purpose. I learned nothing from it, and nobody will tell me what they learned. I'm at the point where I just want somebody to explain to me why it's a good movie. Maybe it'll be my favorite when I am just able to GET it.

The main thing that bugged me was the lack of change. If these kids were supposed to change each other then why was the jerk still a jerk, the bully guy still a bully, and the nerd still my least favorite character at the end? And the girls just fell in love with the guys, but the five of them are never going to see each other again. Even people who have seen the movie agreed that they'll absolutely go back to being the people they were before. Then what's the point of watching it? If there is no theme, no character change, no climax, and practically no plot, why am I watching this?

I just don't get it. If you do, please explain it to me. I would love to love the movie. But I can't really love something that has no purpose.

Unless that was the movie's purpose. To have no purpose.

Then I just don't like the movie.