I think this movie hits hardest if you're just the right age when you watch it. If you're a little kid, you don't get it. If you're too much past the teen years, you don't get it. These kids are a full generation older than me, but I saw this movie when I was 16 and LOVED it.
The movie that most resonated with my high school experience is Welcome to the Dollhouse. That movie is brutal and so darkly funny. And just illustrates perfectly what a living hell junior high is.
@@zammmerjammer Ya I think it very much depends on personal experience. Breakfast Club fun movie but high school experience for me was far more relatable to Superbad. People were not complex and really F-n stupid at that age. And even those who had more serious issues or problems most of us were as emotional depth as a puddle. So we didn't really care. Not to say this was ok behavior just how it was at my high school.
This was my generation. Fortunately I went to a small school and we knew each other. These discussions were day to day not once in a lifetime. I wish everyone could spend time with different people just so they can hear the pain behind their actions.
The stuff she was putting on the sandwich was a cereal called Captain Crunch. it's sweet. The sugar thing she put on there is called Pixie Stix, a flavored and sometimes sour sugar. Basically she made herself dessert lol. When the bully asked the kid if his mom married "Mr. Rogers" I nearly had a heart attack when you didn't know who it was lol. Then remembered you are NOT American and I feel fairly sure Mr. Rogers wasn't anywhere else in the world. He was the most influential person to children across several generations with his show called Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. He talked about the joys and difficulties of life in a way that could be easily understood by very young kids, even tackling very difficult topics when they came up in the world. Like when JFK was assassinated, the adults of the nation were grieving and the kids were all left confused and probably scared by their parents change in behavior. So Mr. Rogers made a special episode to discuss with children what assassination was, who was it that was assassinated and how it was ok to feel something about it. It helped a lot of kids to understand what was happening and be ok in the end. At one point, when black people in America were still not being given the equal rights they were supposed to already have by law, it was brought to his attention that there was a community that were still segregating their public pools even though segregation was supposed to have stopped by then. He tackled that subject as well by inviting "Officer Clemmons," who was black, to put his feet in a kiddy pool with him when it was a hot day and have a discussion about it. He was a very genuinely kind and generous person and the whole country cried when he died. it was like losing a loving father figure for most of us. The show lasted 33 years. The last episode of Mr. Rogers neighborhood aired in 2001 and he died in 2003. I watched him when I was a child in the 70's and early 80's and my son watched him when he was a little boy. Lots of feels in this country about that man from so many generations. 🥰
I assumed it's Pixie Stix but I've also seen sugar in paper tubes like that. It might be a more modern invention though. Most non-americans don't know Mr. Rogers. Diane Jennings, Irish girl on RUclips, did a video about him.
1. The woman and little girl dropping of Brian are Anthony Michael Hall's real mother and sister. 2. The late Paul Gleason😇 played Beeks in "Trading Places". Also, the idiot assistant police chief in "Die Hard". 3. "Ya got fifty bucks?" was supposed to be twenty. The look on Paul's face was genuine. 4. That's not Molly's crotch, she insisted on a double. 5. I still use the term "doobage".😎 6. Even John Hughes😇 said the shattering window was a huge reach. 7. That's not dandruff, it's parmesan cheese. 8. I love Ally Sheedy. Personally, I liked her better GOTH.😍😋 9. That's parmesan cheese. not dandruff. 10. If you catch it Andrew's dad is scoping out Allison as he's picking up Andrew. 11. John Hughes is picking up Brian. 12. Hughes used this school in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "Uncle Buck".
I think there's at least one key difference in how this movie is taken now compared to when it first came out. A few very specific things Bender does that now are more likely to be seen as unforgivable were then more often seen as merely rebellious. I think if Bender just slightly toned down his harassment of Claire and made it less deeply offensive, then it would be easier to see him as annoying at first, but gradually revealing his painful background and unusually clear insight into the absurdities of high school authority. On the whole, I think the movie stands up pretty well. It wouldn't be at all strange for it to be totally untelatable today ... but it isn't.
Bender is a product of his environment, abusive home life and outcast social life led him to be this vulgar "bully" type. He leans into being hated to feel like he has some kind of control over his life so he can say "no this is how I want to be seen" likewise Allison leans into being weird and mysterious. And I do think Brian would smoke, he has overbearingly strict parents. Same kind of thing with Andrew although he did resist at first before giving into peer pressure. The makeover was completely unnecessary. Allison was fine like she was.
I went to high school in the 1980s in America. This movie is EVERYTHING!! I've never, in 40 years...heard of anyone who doesn't like this movie. WOW??!!
As someone else who grew up in Scotland ( a few years earlier than you guys!), this is iconic for me and my friends. I think it's the kind of movie you have a love for if you first see it when you're the right age to properly identify with the archetypes, probably as a teen (especially an eighties teen). Without that, you won't have the nostalgia feeling it needs to overcome the things that have not aged well at all. Another film of the era that is beloved is St. Elmo's Fire, which people love, and I saw that at completely the wrong time in my life, so really hated it.
I don’t know how everyone else views Claire and Bender but personally I never saw it as Bender getting the girl. I’ve always viewed it as Bender himself described it, she is using him to get back at her parents for the way they have been acting since the breakup divorce. It may be petty and childish but she is a child and she wants them to worry which is why she kissed him in front of her father at the end. This movie does kind of go all over the place and yes some things don’t make a ton of sense as you pointed out the Brian smoking bit that doesn’t make since with his character it was just a plot device for bonding as a group but doesn’t work in his case most of all The jock saying he could tape all their buns together I have always seen as him trying to use humor to mask the fact that he has spent so long trying to be the person his father wanted him to be that he doesn’t know himself well enough to know what his talent might be I do enjoy this film and have for a very long time but probably my least favorite change is to the transformation of the bag lady character make over. You shouldn’t have to change yourself to be considered desirable you should find someone who desires you for who you are.
It's just a cultural kinda thing. If you were in junior high or high school in the mid to late 80's in the states this movie hits hard but for later years or other countries it probably wouldn't. Great review and I always appreciate a different take on it as the world would be boring if we all liked the same thing.🤷♂️
I'm about 10 years too old to relate to the US high school experience of these characters. Also, I wasn't alienated from my parents, who were immigrants from Ireland, plus I went to an all boys private Catholic high school. I didn't share any of these problems or experiences. But, all that said, I like the movie very much. It does speak to the problems of many American middle class, suburban teenagers in the 1980s.
Yes, this is a realistic film about American high school students. Bender isn't bad; he's emotionally damaged due to child abuse. This isn't indicative of all students, but an example. The teacher is abusive because he didn't realize children change from his years of teaching. You're missing the point of the film. None of the kids are totally good or bad. They are all children with social and emotional issues. Claire gave Bender her earring because she realizes it's just an object and does not define who she is.
Thanks for your insight. We didn't miss the point of the film - We just didn't connect with it and felt it was disjointed and a bit boring. We love lots of movies set in the 80s America and other movies that came out at the same time but this one just didn't hit with us. We can understand the stereotypical tropes and where it was trying to take it but it was a miss in our opinion - which is exactly all it is, just an opinion. So essentially for us it wasn't great and there are lots of movies around that time or with similar vibes that are just a lot better (in our opinion)
No, you missed the point. Most millennials do though it's not your fault. You can't fathom the dynamics of generations that grew up without a device in their hands at all times that compromises one's ability to have empathy and imagination. I feel sorry for your generations lack of perception but don't confuse it for anything but that fact.
@@weebitreacts Ultimately, taste in movies like oil paintings, photographs, music, anything artistic has some subjectivity to it. But, still, some of it I think you did miss the point. The kinds of kids that did things to get Saturday detention where usually short sighted, and recall that in this movie the father of one of the kids cautions him to make better decisions for decisions made now are laying the foundation of the rest of one's life. Bender had a family situation where good decisions were not modeled for him so he was especially at a loss as to how to make good decisions even compared to the others. I'm surmising a bit here, but I've a hunch that the teacher character is so harsh on Bender because the teacher was a bit like Bender in his youth. Often teachers are hardest on those most like they were when young, and in that teacher something about Bender seems to bring some bitterness to the surface as if it reminds him of similar errors he made.
You’re painting with a very broad brush. It’s rarely a good idea to speak for a whole country. Especially one the size and complexity of America. It’s important to remember that this is a Hollywood dramatization of high school. I don’t know why people still don’t get that. Hollywood rarely, if ever, speaks the whole truth.
American here. I liked this movie, and some of the high schools here in the suburbs can be pretty luxurious, which is why there are some 'Taj Mahal' laws about townships spending too much taxpayer money for fancy schools. My high school was big, but old, and the facilities weren't the newest. The students in The Breakfast Club represented the stereotypes to the extreme, but these groups existed. Most of the 'detention' kids were more like Bender. The only thing I couldn't connect with is Bender and Claire getting together. There was just too much hostility for that to work for them. As for the teacher, he was probably once positive with his students, but became a burnout over the years, and is just hanging around until retirement.
It really should be up to local school districts how they want to build their schools. Personally, given how those characters were I don't picture Bender and Claire staying together, it was just a moment of madness so to speak. They, as is hinted in general with this bunch, will probably ignore each other on Monday and forget about each other over the summer. Unless Claire really got a taste for a bad boy in the process or if she happened to have some sexual abuse at home that she didn't share with the group she might see something as "normal" being with a guy like Bender. One never quite knows about people.
It really is a movie about all the contradictions of being a youth in America. These are characters that are pretty accurate on the differing social groups within high schools in America. I think as well it speaks better to those who are teenagers as well. As you grow up you hopefully learn a bit more about how to treat others and accept others who are not exactly in your social groups. In the 80's social standings defined quite a bit in and out of high school.
It’s stereotypically American. The divisions shown here were and are experienced by all Americans. I can understand being from Scotland means you might not be understood in the same way an American would. Thanks for watching!
Red head kid is Anthony Michael hall. Started in the movie, Vacation. Actually turned out to be a over 6ft tall, jock! Last seen as the reporter in Batman the Dark Knight!
I was a teen when this came out and I went to a high school that had these stereotypes. You could never tell if these stereotypes existed because that was the way teens were then or were they like that because pop culture established these tropes and we kids patterned ourselves after them. My school was big enough that it had groups that didn't interact with each other (jocks, stoners, popular people, nerds, punks, band geeks, etc.) and I graduated with people that I never met, throughout the 4 years of high school, nor all the years before.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for being honest and saying you didn’t really like it! I feel so many reactors say they like a movie when they really didn’t. Your reaction was honest and I really appreciate that! You’ve gained a subscriber!
I was a little older when this movie came out. I was a teen in the 70s but the stereo types were still basically the same in the 80s. If you combine the Breakfast Club, the movie Dazed and Confused and tv shows Freaks and Geeks and That 70s Show each has many moments that were true when I was in high school in the mid 1970s.
It is indeed Cap'n Crunch breakfast cereal and Pixie Stix (flavored sugar in a tube) that she puts on her sandwich. Cap'n Crunch cereal is good, but I'd try the Crunch Berries or Peanut Butter Crunch versions, they are both better than the original.
This is why all John Hughes movies are to be watched! Including uncredited stuff, like the Vacation movies, stripes, animal house, blues brothers caddyshack.
I was young when this came out and somehow completely missed it until my mid 40s! Loved it at first sight and have watched it multiple times...it was like meeting old friends..I was transported back to my high school days (albeit here in the UK and not the US). 😊
I was in high school when this movie came out. Pretty spot on with the 80s archetypes, although missing a few like the metal heads, punk rockers, goths, etc. In California we also had stoner surfers and mods. My high school library looked almost exactly like this one. I really love the first half of this movie and then it kind of peters out for me. The best John Hughes movies, IMO, are Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Plains, Trains & Automobiles. Two absolute iconic gems. Uncle Buck is also really good.
You guys over looked that initially no one liked Bender, but after they got to know him and understand him, they got along well. And that pattern goes for all the characters basically. Even if you don't relate to characters, you can still appreciate them if you understand them. That's the moral of the story. Not labeling people as good or bad, but appreciating them for who they are. Sending good vibes from Chicago in the USA! 😀👍
Don't try. If it doesn't resonate with them, it just doesn't. The current generation's tastes are like some of the post Vietnam, early Reagan/Thatcher era hyper sensitive, over analytic conservatives who are wary of fun and letting loose for fear of socially forbidden mistakes. It's a shame because humor and unfettered dialogue is liberating on every level.
@@marcuspi999hi Marcus! I'm almost 40, so certainly not of this generation. The movie wasn't for us, it was boring and hasn't aged well, in our opinion. Which is all it is, an opinion. Maybe if we had watched it when we were younger it might have felt a bit more relatable. Thanks for your concern regarding 'fun' we get by okay! Appreciate the kind thought ^^
@@weebitreacts okay, well that's fair then. I was obviously not talking about you then. I just hate the culture of being offended by everything in life. Not allowing yourself to enjoy anything for fear of some social offense. But if you don't relate and think it's boring, that's legit. 👍
It might be hard to connect with because this is honestly what it was like growing up in school in the 80's, 90's, and early 2000's in America. Like you mentioned the "duality" of things. I'm not sure how schools in other countries are, but in the US, the idea of "cliques" and group identity in school, you know nerds or jocks or the popular kids, was on steroids. It was seen as super important for your identity in regards to your classmates. It was very unhealthy mentally and emotionally, lead to many people growing up to have poor selfesteem. It's gotten better though as this younger generation is more understanding and accepting and compassionate. I think this film aged fine. What I think the problem is is that a lot of people don't understand the purpose of comedy anymore. Not saying that's you guys, I just mean in general. Like, the scene were Bender is under the table in between Claire's legs. That is meant to be comedy, precisely because of the fact that it's so inappropriate. Just from a technical standpoint of what comedy is, that's what it is a lot of the time. It's the juxtaposition of something extremely inappropriate being shown to you in either a manner that is overtly funny, or in a manner that is trying to get you to not feel bad for laughing, to see that it's okay to laugh. A large swath of society today thinks that when something inappropriate is portrayed in entertainment, that means that it is specifically encouraging that behavior. It's not. The point in laughing at inappropriate things is the absurdity of the idea of something so inappropriate being portrayed comedically. That's why you laugh, and that's why it's okay to laugh. I'm definitely not a cancel culture person, though I'm not conservative either, as many "anti-cancel culture" individuals are illustrated as. I hardly think cancel culture is even a real thing, at least not in the ways that anti-cancel culture individuals think it's happening. It has happened a bit, and the perfect example is the show Brooklyn Nine-Nine and it ties right into what I was saying. So I know the cast has said they chose to end the series, but they didn't, it was undeniably cancelled, and it was cancelled because it was a show about cops acting inappropriately in ways cops shouldn't behave, during a time where the public was really finally becoming aware of the abuse of powers of the police force in the US. I even remember some statements the show writers put out about how entertainment should portray cops more appropriately, which should not be an issue. The show wasn't encouraging that kind of behavior in cops, and it wasn't even causing the public to be like accepting of that kind of police behavior. So it's just unfortunate. Now there is some things from the 80's that hasn't aged well in movies. It primarily has to do with the kind of abuse culture that exists and how in many 80's films men are portrayed as being overly aggressive and in some cases abusive, not for the sake of comedy, and it was meant to be seen as loving or endearing behavior and indeed did result in people being deluded into think that was appropriate behavior. Sorry this comment was so long 😅 Thanks for coming to my TedTalk 😎🤣
Thanks for sharing. As someone who is almost 40 and grew up in 80s/90s we definitely had cliques so it's not that we didn't connect with it culturally - while we don't have the same cliques it's similar enough for us to resonate with. We just didn't get it like it felt off, the humour was boring and didn't click with any of the characters. We love other films set around the same time or about similar things. This just wasn't it for us. We appreciate though that it's a classic for some people though 😊 I (Lorna) also would like to add that I'm not a huge fan of comedy's. I like my humour delivered more subtle and naturally. I mostly watch horror / Sci Fi so I think this was always gonna be a miss for me regardless
Never apologize for not liking something. Movies, no matter how beloved, are opinion based and those are formed from personal experience, state of mind, etc. etc. This movie had far more impact for an 80's American generation. Even Post Internet age Americans wouldn't connect with this as much. But yes, American high schools are far more cliquish, and often vicious in their circles. Bender's actions now seem irredeemable, but then, almost no one would have blinked an eye, because we did not have sensitivity towards certain things like we do today. The power of this film to me, was seeing young people, communicate their frustrations with their parents, school, teachers, their own peer pressured existences. That wasn't something that had been done in a ton of movies , so frankly. Peer pressure is why Brian and the rest smoked weed with Bender. Pressure drove a lot of these students actions. Pressure from parents, abuse, wanting to be noticed etc. Good reaction though, speak your personal experiences and what formulates your opinions!
Thank you very much! I (Colin) mind reading this comment and I swore I replied to it so sorry for the late response. Very insightful comment. It has changed my perspective on it at least a bit 😊.
So...I was 15 when this movie came out. It shows so so much zeitgeist(signs of the times). Very authentic. What killed me was the misfit's sandwich, because when I was little I created a 'Buffy sandwich'( I am called Buffy); it was made up of peanut butter, Captain Crunch cereal, and pixie stix(flavored sugar in long striped straws)...So similar to hers. What was I thinking???🤢🤢🤢🤮🤮🤮🤣🤣🤣
@@weebitreacts If I was watching this without having lived it, I would totally say both of your responses regarding it as unrealistic by putting the characters in trope boxes. But, Lorna and Colin...we had cliques supreme!!!!! Sad but true. You were raised to be a cheerleader or a jock or a brain or a misfit etcetera. By the time my 2 sons were of high school age, it was sooo not like that. They had no clue who even cheerleaded, and so on.
I can't tell you how many times the nice guys get ignored by the girls/women who then go for the douche bags that turn around and beat the sh!t out of them. The movie is not far fetched to me. Of course, a normal woman like the woman reacting here wouldn't like a Bender in real life, but lots of twisted females behave like Claire did. I personally related to the jock character when I was a young jock in elementary/jr high (I was 12 when this movie came out), then I related to Allison when I was in high school. But I don't feel I have to relate to everything and every character, or every behavior they do. And I certainly don't want screenwriters feeling restrained on whatever they want to create. It's okay this channel didn't like it. They're the first I've seen that didn't like it, though.
And bender is at the same time, the greatest protagonist and antagonist, at once, in the same movie... because as awful as he goes about things, he gets them to talk about themselves, to each other, and to be honest. His final fist pump scene, and the weed smoking scene, addlibbed!
This is era movie that is fun light hearted imo that don't have to take too serious. Relatable to some people and high school experience but not all. Fine with the cheese and those who say its not serious enough is better than real alternative that happens all the time. Bender probably does die young doing something dumb, nerd actually pulls off suicide, the jock despite not liking himself is not smart enough to change and remains shitty person, and the outcast probably ODs with no one caring she is gone. More realistic but not nearly as fun imo.
I didn't read all the comments, but to answer your question about Allison's sandwich, she poured on Pixie Stix candy (basically colored sugar) and Cap'n Crunch, a yellow, sugary breakfast cereal.
I saw this when it came out, and I thought the writing was all over the place, as well. They went with stereotypes that Did exist then, but that was the end of it. Non of their actions made any sense. And I thought Clare ending up with a guy who had mentally tortured her all day was ridiculous. The weed scene was laughable. No one was acting the way we acted on weed, back then. Weed from the 70's and 80's was so much more powerful, than today, and no one would jump around and dance while high, you would have been too far gone. 😂
you can see the difference in the generations with this reaction. or maybe is an American thing. either way. I dont think ive ever seen anyone say positive things about the principal before. I was 10 when I first saw this movie and loved it ever since.
I was 18 when this movie came out. My 18 year old self liked this movie but my now self thinks it sucks. Yeah, it has a message here and there but there are some stupid moments in the movie. John Hughes made some of the most classic comedy movies of the 1980's that spoke to teenagers and young adults. Ferris Bueller's Day Off is probably one of his best works.
Hi Lorna & Colin, I recently found your channel!🙂There were actually kids like this in high school in the 80s, with the exception of Bender. I've never seen a character like that in real life. I think you liked Kong in Skull Island, a lot more Lorna.❤ Nice honest reactions to The Breakfast Club, Lorna & Colin!!!🎬👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
I totally understand why you don’t like or connect to this film. I was a kid in the 80’s, grew up in California, and was introduced to all of these ‘classic’ 80’s films by my cousin (more like a sister) that’s 10 years older. I don’t know if high school experiences in the midwest were like this but my school experience on the west coast were completely different. I love this film for the nostalgia of the music and memories of my cousin, but never connected to the characters or their stories. I guess I feel that way about all of the John Hughes films, but I much prefer the silliness of the Sixteen Candles film over all.
Damn. Younger generations grew up in a snitch culture I guess. And also I'm shocked they can't understand a character like Bender. Especially dudes. Did you not have any friends that were having a rough time with life and could be difficult?
No one ever snitched in high school but plenty of times where they should have. I (Colin) can understand and sympathise with Bender but bad actions are still bad regardless the reason behind. Thanks for the comment! 👍.
@@weebitreacts I find that these no-snitching gatekeepers come with a healthy dose of cognitive dissonance. They're absolutists in principle (unless they're the ones under the gun, then they fold like a patio chair), but then they're gobsmacked about how Jimmy Savile or Harvey Weinstein skated for so long.
Different cultures...Americans are a fast paced breed. There is no way some other cultures can relate unless you lived it. I can see why it looked alien to you both...because it was...and we LOVED it!...
Americans are certainly something. Its not that we didn't relate we have high school cliques here too - I (Lorna) also grew up in the 80s/90s so it's similar enough just felt it was boring and poorly written. We definitely love other similar movies but this was a miss for us, unfortunately. Obvs it's just our opinion and we are so glad that others love it :)
"Americans are a fast paced breed"? What does that even mean? They just watched a movie about some stereotypical American teenagers *doing nothing* for an entire Saturday. Is that what you regard as fast paced?
@@Hexon66 You must be a 3 year old ..you need to get out more. Come to New York I will show you faced paced...but then,,how can you miss what you never had or experienced. Ignorance is bliss...you must be a happy 3 year old.
As a teen girl in the US in the mid 90s watching it for the first time, I didn’t get the hype about this movie as I didn’t like the characters or the plot points (like the bad boy’s behavior is good and you need a makeover to be accepted as a girl and everyone benefits from bonding over casual drug use). It wasn’t for me either.
The quiet girls lunch sandwich had "Captain Crunch" pieces in it, a very sweet crunchy morning cereal meant for kids, and she poured flavored sugar candy on it from the straws, it was basically for the sugar rush. It was an 80's American film. It was typical stereotypes of the "cliques", and types of teens in USA High Schools. The arguments were how they were working out how they can relate. You guys are trying to force the narrative of the film to conform to UK norms of today. This was 40 years ago or so in the USA...things are very different in the USA, and especially that long ago. You need to do research on the culture of the US in the 80's. I understand why you wouldn't want to watch this again, or suggest it to your friends, etc...it is a cultural thing, and times in the 80's were VERY different. I think you guys are WAY too hard on this film. It is an iconic, dearly loved film in the USA especially for those who grew up in or nearly in the 80's. Loosen up a little guys, you seem wound just a little too tight. LOL. (this is in regards mainly to your sense of humor, this film dealt with a LOT of dark humor, and sarcasm, and it dealt with a lot of mental health, and social issues that teens dealt with mostly on their own back then...Bender was from a lower class, poor family with a physically abusive father with evidence by the cigar burn on his arm that his father did, and a rather dismissive mother who just agreed with the father and insulted her son during an argument between her son, and her husband. Then you have Brian who was a "nerd" who was being pushed by his parents to succeed academically so hard he considered suicide over a second level score of B because he failed a class. Then the compulsive liar basket case was being neglected (ignored) at home. No friends to talk to or socialize with so no socialization anywhere. The jock abused a team mate for being weak cause his Dad was pushing him so hard to excel in sports for a scholarship likely cause they were likely middle class or lower. The Princess was arrogant and spoiled, and was being used as a pawn in her parents arguments. So, the point of the film is to show that despite all the divisions, and differences we have with each other as teens in the USA back in the 80's caused by economics, social class, gender norms, culture, etc. We are NOT so different at our core as we think, and we can LEARN to appreciate each other for who we are, and be a bit more compassionate. And if not become friends, at least acknowledge each other when we meet or see each other in school, and around town/city. SORRY FOR THE LONG COMMENT....
Hey Brian! Thanks for the comment. Unfortunately us not liking it isn't down to when or where it was set, there are other movies set, filmed or out around the same time with that similar high school clique theme that we enjoyed more. I Lorna was born earlier in the 80s that I'd like to admit and UK cliques at the time where kinda similar so I can understand that. Just felt this was very lacking and poorly written. Totally get that it's a classic and loved by so many but this was just a big miss for us. However it's just our opinion and we love that so many people have this as their fav movie! Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to reply. Ps. I really wanna try captain crunch cereal Lorna
I think it's totally ok you don't like this movie so much (if you would like all movies without exception, this would also look unbelievable), tastes are different and so at least we could find out even your reactions to movies that don't excite you can be entertaining. Btw, every time I drop by here you seem to have gained 100 to 200 more subscribers and I'm glad to be among those who found this likeable channel already when you were really little :)
That's because everything today is fast cuts, handheld shaky cam, weird angles, crappy grading, poor acting, badly written and directed. This film is the total opposite it's not realistic it's a parody and it's dialogue driven, it's not a typical teen comedy it's more like a filmed theater play. Its style was oldscool (literally) even back then, this was very deliberately done so because they're spending hours in the same place it was meant to take its time. Hughes' style was always leisurely paced, that was his thing it was slow by '80s standards because the dialogue drove everything.
There's something so wrong about needing to pigeonhole people into being either a villain or a good guy. The point is that people are complicated. Stop trying to label people as good or bad.
Sorry this review is just all over the place. It doesn't matter if you don't like it but your reasoning is just out to lunch, it gave me a headache just listening to it.
When I was a kid...We ate something similar. We actually grabbed a slice of wonder bread and sprinkled sugar on the top. (No Cap'n crunch though). It's considered what a I called a "low budget wonder" 🤣Didn't eat it a lot just when we craved something sweet and nothing in the cupboard
@@valleya6114 when I was really young, I used to eat miracle whip sandwiches lol. like about five or six years old I used to take two pieces of white bread and smear miracle whip on them and make a sandwich out of them all the time
It's like you were a perfect person. I don't think you are. You're locked in your world, missing empathy and projection of yourself or maybe experience to accept the contradictions of human beings, still more when they're teenagers. That's why you can't connect to us. Finally, you could be our detention supervisor (It's the best answer the lousy guy would have if he heard you, lol). 😋
I think it's hard for folks who weren't around in the 80's, especially of high school age, to get this film. Most younger folks can't relate, whereas those of us who were in HS at that time find it much more relatable. People of this era, who are so triggered by just about anything it seems, are generally put off by what was normal back then.
Lorna here, I'm almost 40 so I grew up then! I think the only person triggered here, is yourself judging by your comment. It's okay for people not to enjoy every movie, it was boring, the characters were boring, their interactions didn't even make sense and while I understand the stereotypes of the time - they were poorly executed.
@@weebitreacts Yeah, I think you took my comment the wrong way. I wasn't criticizing your commentary. Besides the fact that you can like or not like a movie for many reasons, I was commenting specifically on the general fact that most people who have reacted to this particular film - and many others from the era - don't seem to like it much. Not to dissimilar to me not connecting with movies from eras before my time. So, sorry for leaving the wrong impression. I've watched a few of your reactions and have enjoyed them all, including this one.
I think the key thing is to watch it in your teens. I'm a generation removed from the characters in the movie, but I saw this for the first time when I was 16 and I absolutely loved it and related to all the characters so much. Things haven't changed THAT much. Cliques still exist, and teens are perpetually figuring out who they are, torn between their parents, their friends, and their own individuality.
Hmmm 🤔 Buller is unforgivable / no redeeming factors whatsoever, and the Jock can't be empathized with when he was reflecting on bullying that other kid. Interesting, this might say more about the viewers than the characters. Maybe it's a cultural context thing I dunno 🤷♂️
I grew up in Southern California in the 80s and high school in the 90s, and I also DO NOT like this movie... It's over the top in many places, and the script feels absurb at times... Overall, its an attenpt to make a social ocmmentary over clique'd highschool groups trying to understand each other since there tends to be miscomceptions... It was iconic during its time, but doesnt age well IMO
just so know its ok you dont like this, but the truth is here in AMerica, the 80s this is basically how many acted i should know tho i remember the 90s more as a teenager and brief 2000s but there was always the jocks, the smart kids, the punks, etc. So you may not like it it shows realism to how parents treat their kids and how the kids react sometimes in bad faith when they soon asa group realize they need to better themselves and not be like their parents it has realism they even when i read they had to live out their character to get realism to it. So even if hate it most Americans here love it due to its real to how teenagers at least in 80s 90s are and its usually bad how parents are if u heard the kids stories it shows how parents sometimes give bad influence and they do bad things even wanting to die. Sp they battle themselves to find out their true selves.
I think the film didn't age that well. It's a little corny and on the nose, but it became a classic because it was one of the first dramas for teens for kids that didn't preach to them. I appreciate movies of that generation because, beyond entertaining you, they weren't necessarily trying to teach you anything. Every movie nowadays is like a PSA or political treatise.
Molly Ringwald has said that watching or discussing the movie with her daughter was really uncomfortable because times have changed so much. She recognizes how inappropriate it all was. But today, people seem to judge judge judge judge and can't really place themselves in the shoes of the characters and problem-solve.
Riding unicorns all the time? I can't wait to visit!! I appreciate seeing someone's viewpoint outside the US because it is so centered around American teenage culture. I just remember it capturing some of the feelings I had in high school since it was the first time I saw it and the pressures I was under as a teen. Its also kinda great to look back and see how differently I view it now. This definitely wasn't meant to be a feel-good film. I do appreciate the honest reactions and the fact you aren't just blowing smoke.
I NEVER liked this Movie & I saw it in The Movie Theater in 1985 so overrated. You could tell COLIN didn't like this movie at all it was written all over his face during the reaction. Remember, when you watch all of these older movies that it was a different time & people did act differently & lots of thing were accepted back then that are not accepted now. I APPRECIATE YOUR HONESTY & YOU JUST DON'T SAY YOU LIKE THINGS LIKE MOST REACTORS.
Respectfully I think you guys just don't understand American culture or films of the time. Plus these are teenagers. You are looking at the film as an adult, not through younger eyes.
Not a fan of this flick. Idea: good, execution: meh. All those insufferable "Brat-packers". And Judd Nelson's nostrils just too distracting, in a not good way. Thumbs-up to Lorna & Colin, 2 of the most likeable folks on RUclips 😁
So apparently, this is a movie for Americans born in the 1970s only. Noted. What do the younger generations even like? I'm trying to figure that out with little success.
I was never a big John Hughes fan, certainly not as much of one as a lot of other people. I like this movie a little better than Ferris Bueller's Day Off, but I'm not a huge fan of either of them.
Mr. Rogers was an American children's television program host, and may have been the most wholesome, genuine man ever to draw breath.
Except on In Living Color 🤣
Mr. R was beyond words. All love and care to all people everywhere.
@@christhornycroft3686 lol
I'd say almost every American over the age of maybe 15 watched Mr. Rogers as a child.
I think this movie hits hardest if you're just the right age when you watch it. If you're a little kid, you don't get it. If you're too much past the teen years, you don't get it.
These kids are a full generation older than me, but I saw this movie when I was 16 and LOVED it.
The movie that most resonated with my high school experience is Welcome to the Dollhouse. That movie is brutal and so darkly funny. And just illustrates perfectly what a living hell junior high is.
@@zammmerjammer Ya I think it very much depends on personal experience. Breakfast Club fun movie but high school experience for me was far more relatable to Superbad. People were not complex and really F-n stupid at that age. And even those who had more serious issues or problems most of us were as emotional depth as a puddle. So we didn't really care. Not to say this was ok behavior just how it was at my high school.
This was my generation.
Fortunately I went to a small school and we knew each other. These discussions were day to day not once in a lifetime. I wish everyone could spend time with different people just so they can hear the pain behind their actions.
I watched it soon after graduating high school. It hit pretty hard and is probably one of my favorite movies of the 80s.
The stuff she was putting on the sandwich was a cereal called Captain Crunch. it's sweet. The sugar thing she put on there is called Pixie Stix, a flavored and sometimes sour sugar. Basically she made herself dessert lol.
When the bully asked the kid if his mom married "Mr. Rogers" I nearly had a heart attack when you didn't know who it was lol. Then remembered you are NOT American and I feel fairly sure Mr. Rogers wasn't anywhere else in the world. He was the most influential person to children across several generations with his show called Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. He talked about the joys and difficulties of life in a way that could be easily understood by very young kids, even tackling very difficult topics when they came up in the world. Like when JFK was assassinated, the adults of the nation were grieving and the kids were all left confused and probably scared by their parents change in behavior. So Mr. Rogers made a special episode to discuss with children what assassination was, who was it that was assassinated and how it was ok to feel something about it. It helped a lot of kids to understand what was happening and be ok in the end. At one point, when black people in America were still not being given the equal rights they were supposed to already have by law, it was brought to his attention that there was a community that were still segregating their public pools even though segregation was supposed to have stopped by then. He tackled that subject as well by inviting "Officer Clemmons," who was black, to put his feet in a kiddy pool with him when it was a hot day and have a discussion about it. He was a very genuinely kind and generous person and the whole country cried when he died. it was like losing a loving father figure for most of us. The show lasted 33 years. The last episode of Mr. Rogers neighborhood aired in 2001 and he died in 2003. I watched him when I was a child in the 70's and early 80's and my son watched him when he was a little boy. Lots of feels in this country about that man from so many generations. 🥰
I assumed it's Pixie Stix but I've also seen sugar in paper tubes like that. It might be a more modern invention though.
Most non-americans don't know Mr. Rogers. Diane Jennings, Irish girl on RUclips, did a video about him.
And she actually ate it! Dang Ally! lol
1. The woman and little girl dropping of Brian are Anthony Michael Hall's real mother and sister.
2. The late Paul Gleason😇 played Beeks in "Trading Places". Also, the idiot assistant police chief in "Die Hard".
3. "Ya got fifty bucks?" was supposed to be twenty. The look on Paul's face was genuine.
4. That's not Molly's crotch, she insisted on a double.
5. I still use the term "doobage".😎
6. Even John Hughes😇 said the shattering window was a huge reach.
7. That's not dandruff, it's parmesan cheese.
8. I love Ally Sheedy. Personally, I liked her better GOTH.😍😋
9. That's parmesan cheese. not dandruff.
10. If you catch it Andrew's dad is scoping out Allison as he's picking up Andrew.
11. John Hughes is picking up Brian.
12. Hughes used this school in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "Uncle Buck".
William! Thanks so much for all the little trivia bits, we have enjoyed reading them :D
I think Molly was underage but don't remember. Anyway, so that weebit sees this, the band was Simple Minds from Scotland.
I know a couple of people who went to that school. One of them grew up in a house very close to the Home Alone house.
@@leroylowe5921Molly was born in 1968 so would have been 17 when this came out in 1985.
I think there's at least one key difference in how this movie is taken now compared to when it first came out. A few very specific things Bender does that now are more likely to be seen as unforgivable were then more often seen as merely rebellious. I think if Bender just slightly toned down his harassment of Claire and made it less deeply offensive, then it would be easier to see him as annoying at first, but gradually revealing his painful background and unusually clear insight into the absurdities of high school authority. On the whole, I think the movie stands up pretty well. It wouldn't be at all strange for it to be totally untelatable today ... but it isn't.
Bender is a product of his environment, abusive home life and outcast social life led him to be this vulgar "bully" type. He leans into being hated to feel like he has some kind of control over his life so he can say "no this is how I want to be seen" likewise Allison leans into being weird and mysterious.
And I do think Brian would smoke, he has overbearingly strict parents. Same kind of thing with Andrew although he did resist at first before giving into peer pressure.
The makeover was completely unnecessary. Allison was fine like she was.
I went to high school in the 1980s in America. This movie is EVERYTHING!! I've never, in 40 years...heard of anyone who doesn't like this movie. WOW??!!
Ahaha! Sorry 😂🤣
The crunch in the sandwich was breakfast cereal called Cap't Crunch 😊
As someone else who grew up in Scotland ( a few years earlier than you guys!), this is iconic for me and my friends. I think it's the kind of movie you have a love for if you first see it when you're the right age to properly identify with the archetypes, probably as a teen (especially an eighties teen). Without that, you won't have the nostalgia feeling it needs to overcome the things that have not aged well at all. Another film of the era that is beloved is St. Elmo's Fire, which people love, and I saw that at completely the wrong time in my life, so really hated it.
I went to a big high school in the 80’s. This is spot on for that time.
Great movie in my eyes
Glad you enjoyed it ☺️.
I don’t know how everyone else views Claire and Bender but personally I never saw it as Bender getting the girl. I’ve always viewed it as Bender himself described it, she is using him to get back at her parents for the way they have been acting since the breakup divorce. It may be petty and childish but she is a child and she wants them to worry which is why she kissed him in front of her father at the end.
This movie does kind of go all over the place and yes some things don’t make a ton of sense as you pointed out the Brian smoking bit that doesn’t make since with his character it was just a plot device for bonding as a group but doesn’t work in his case most of all
The jock saying he could tape all their buns together I have always seen as him trying to use humor to mask the fact that he has spent so long trying to be the person his father wanted him to be that he doesn’t know himself well enough to know what his talent might be
I do enjoy this film and have for a very long time but probably my least favorite change is to the transformation of the bag lady character make over. You shouldn’t have to change yourself to be considered desirable you should find someone who desires you for who you are.
I would suggest checking out Mr Rogers. He's an American icon we share with the world. Also, Bob Ross. Just a suggestion. Thanks for the content.
It's just a cultural kinda thing. If you were in junior high or high school in the mid to late 80's in the states this movie hits hard but for later years or other countries it probably wouldn't. Great review and I always appreciate a different take on it as the world would be boring if we all liked the same thing.🤷♂️
Hey Alann! We appreciate the kind words and your insight. Thank you
@@weebitreacts don't forget, 12 days till Negan and Maggie!! Hope to see you review their adventures at some point!!
@@alanndrake2619 between you and us, we will be watching it as close to release as possible so you won't have long to wait 🥳🥳
I'm about 10 years too old to relate to the US high school experience of these characters. Also, I wasn't alienated from my parents, who were immigrants from Ireland, plus I went to an all boys private Catholic high school. I didn't share any of these problems or experiences.
But, all that said, I like the movie very much. It does speak to the problems of many American middle class, suburban teenagers in the 1980s.
Yes, this is a realistic film about American high school students. Bender isn't bad; he's emotionally damaged due to child abuse. This isn't indicative of all students, but an example. The teacher is abusive because he didn't realize children change from his years of teaching. You're missing the point of the film. None of the kids are totally good or bad. They are all children with social and emotional issues. Claire gave Bender her earring because she realizes it's just an object and does not define who she is.
Thanks for your insight. We didn't miss the point of the film - We just didn't connect with it and felt it was disjointed and a bit boring.
We love lots of movies set in the 80s America and other movies that came out at the same time but this one just didn't hit with us. We can understand the stereotypical tropes and where it was trying to take it but it was a miss in our opinion - which is exactly all it is, just an opinion.
So essentially for us it wasn't great and there are lots of movies around that time or with similar vibes that are just a lot better (in our opinion)
No, you missed the point. Most millennials do though it's not your fault. You can't fathom the dynamics of generations that grew up without a device in their hands at all times that compromises one's ability to have empathy and imagination. I feel sorry for your generations lack of perception but don't confuse it for anything but that fact.
@@weebitreacts Ultimately, taste in movies like oil paintings, photographs, music, anything artistic has some subjectivity to it. But, still, some of it I think you did miss the point. The kinds of kids that did things to get Saturday detention where usually short sighted, and recall that in this movie the father of one of the kids cautions him to make better decisions for decisions made now are laying the foundation of the rest of one's life. Bender had a family situation where good decisions were not modeled for him so he was especially at a loss as to how to make good decisions even compared to the others.
I'm surmising a bit here, but I've a hunch that the teacher character is so harsh on Bender because the teacher was a bit like Bender in his youth. Often teachers are hardest on those most like they were when young, and in that teacher something about Bender seems to bring some bitterness to the surface as if it reminds him of similar errors he made.
You’re painting with a very broad brush. It’s rarely a good idea to speak for a whole country. Especially one the size and complexity of America. It’s important to remember that this is a Hollywood dramatization of high school. I don’t know why people still don’t get that. Hollywood rarely, if ever, speaks the whole truth.
American here. I liked this movie, and some of the high schools here in the suburbs can be pretty luxurious, which is why there are some 'Taj Mahal' laws about townships spending too much taxpayer money for fancy schools. My high school was big, but old, and the facilities weren't the newest. The students in The Breakfast Club represented the stereotypes to the extreme, but these groups existed. Most of the 'detention' kids were more like Bender.
The only thing I couldn't connect with is Bender and Claire getting together. There was just too much hostility for that to work for them. As for the teacher, he was probably once positive with his students, but became a burnout over the years, and is just hanging around until retirement.
It really should be up to local school districts how they want to build their schools. Personally, given how those characters were I don't picture Bender and Claire staying together, it was just a moment of madness so to speak. They, as is hinted in general with this bunch, will probably ignore each other on Monday and forget about each other over the summer. Unless Claire really got a taste for a bad boy in the process or if she happened to have some sexual abuse at home that she didn't share with the group she might see something as "normal" being with a guy like Bender. One never quite knows about people.
It really is a movie about all the contradictions of being a youth in America. These are characters that are pretty accurate on the differing social groups within high schools in America. I think as well it speaks better to those who are teenagers as well. As you grow up you hopefully learn a bit more about how to treat others and accept others who are not exactly in your social groups. In the 80's social standings defined quite a bit in and out of high school.
It’s stereotypically American. The divisions shown here were and are experienced by all Americans. I can understand being from Scotland means you might not be understood in the same way an American would.
Thanks for watching!
No, it is not. It is stereotypically midwest bourgeoise suburban white kids. The epitome of first world problems, 'my parents ignore me'.
Red head kid is Anthony Michael hall. Started in the movie, Vacation. Actually turned out to be a over 6ft tall, jock! Last seen as the reporter in Batman the Dark Knight!
I was a teen when this came out and I went to a high school that had these stereotypes. You could never tell if these stereotypes existed because that was the way teens were then or were they like that because pop culture established these tropes and we kids patterned ourselves after them. My school was big enough that it had groups that didn't interact with each other (jocks, stoners, popular people, nerds, punks, band geeks, etc.) and I graduated with people that I never met, throughout the 4 years of high school, nor all the years before.
Chicken and egg situation eh? Thanks for the comment!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for being honest and saying you didn’t really like it! I feel so many reactors say they like a movie when they really didn’t. Your reaction was honest and I really appreciate that! You’ve gained a subscriber!
I was a little older when this movie came out. I was a teen in the 70s but the stereo types were still basically the same in the 80s. If you combine the Breakfast Club, the movie Dazed and Confused and tv shows Freaks and Geeks and That 70s Show each has many moments that were true when I was in high school in the mid 1970s.
There's an obscure movie with the wrestler. Emilio Estevez Repo Man 1984. It's a Grindhouse Punk masterpiece.Excellent soundtrack. Do I lie?
It is indeed Cap'n Crunch breakfast cereal and Pixie Stix (flavored sugar in a tube) that she puts on her sandwich. Cap'n Crunch cereal is good, but I'd try the Crunch Berries or Peanut Butter Crunch versions, they are both better than the original.
Oooh we don't have those here! Will need to see if we can try them at some point ^^
This is why all John Hughes movies are to be watched! Including uncredited stuff, like the Vacation movies, stripes, animal house, blues brothers caddyshack.
I was young when this came out and somehow completely missed it until my mid 40s! Loved it at first sight and have watched it multiple times...it was like meeting old friends..I was transported back to my high school days (albeit here in the UK and not the US). 😊
There is a movie about Mr. Rogers, played by Tom Hanks. It's called "A beautiful day in the Neighborhood".
I was in high school when this movie came out. Pretty spot on with the 80s archetypes, although missing a few like the metal heads, punk rockers, goths, etc. In California we also had stoner surfers and mods. My high school library looked almost exactly like this one. I really love the first half of this movie and then it kind of peters out for me. The best John Hughes movies, IMO, are Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Plains, Trains & Automobiles. Two absolute iconic gems. Uncle Buck is also really good.
You guys over looked that initially no one liked Bender, but after they got to know him and understand him, they got along well. And that pattern goes for all the characters basically. Even if you don't relate to characters, you can still appreciate them if you understand them. That's the moral of the story. Not labeling people as good or bad, but appreciating them for who they are. Sending good vibes from Chicago in the USA! 😀👍
Don't try. If it doesn't resonate with them, it just doesn't. The current generation's tastes are like some of the post Vietnam, early Reagan/Thatcher era hyper sensitive, over analytic conservatives who are wary of fun and letting loose for fear of socially forbidden mistakes. It's a shame because humor and unfettered dialogue is liberating on every level.
This from a full blown, bleeding heart liberal saying, lighten up! No one's judging you!
@@marcuspi999hi Marcus! I'm almost 40, so certainly not of this generation. The movie wasn't for us, it was boring and hasn't aged well, in our opinion. Which is all it is, an opinion.
Maybe if we had watched it when we were younger it might have felt a bit more relatable.
Thanks for your concern regarding 'fun' we get by okay! Appreciate the kind thought ^^
Good vibes right back!! 😊
@@weebitreacts okay, well that's fair then. I was obviously not talking about you then. I just hate the culture of being offended by everything in life. Not allowing yourself to enjoy anything for fear of some social offense. But if you don't relate and think it's boring, that's legit. 👍
It might be hard to connect with because this is honestly what it was like growing up in school in the 80's, 90's, and early 2000's in America. Like you mentioned the "duality" of things. I'm not sure how schools in other countries are, but in the US, the idea of "cliques" and group identity in school, you know nerds or jocks or the popular kids, was on steroids. It was seen as super important for your identity in regards to your classmates. It was very unhealthy mentally and emotionally, lead to many people growing up to have poor selfesteem. It's gotten better though as this younger generation is more understanding and accepting and compassionate.
I think this film aged fine. What I think the problem is is that a lot of people don't understand the purpose of comedy anymore. Not saying that's you guys, I just mean in general. Like, the scene were Bender is under the table in between Claire's legs. That is meant to be comedy, precisely because of the fact that it's so inappropriate. Just from a technical standpoint of what comedy is, that's what it is a lot of the time. It's the juxtaposition of something extremely inappropriate being shown to you in either a manner that is overtly funny, or in a manner that is trying to get you to not feel bad for laughing, to see that it's okay to laugh. A large swath of society today thinks that when something inappropriate is portrayed in entertainment, that means that it is specifically encouraging that behavior. It's not. The point in laughing at inappropriate things is the absurdity of the idea of something so inappropriate being portrayed comedically. That's why you laugh, and that's why it's okay to laugh.
I'm definitely not a cancel culture person, though I'm not conservative either, as many "anti-cancel culture" individuals are illustrated as. I hardly think cancel culture is even a real thing, at least not in the ways that anti-cancel culture individuals think it's happening. It has happened a bit, and the perfect example is the show Brooklyn Nine-Nine and it ties right into what I was saying. So I know the cast has said they chose to end the series, but they didn't, it was undeniably cancelled, and it was cancelled because it was a show about cops acting inappropriately in ways cops shouldn't behave, during a time where the public was really finally becoming aware of the abuse of powers of the police force in the US. I even remember some statements the show writers put out about how entertainment should portray cops more appropriately, which should not be an issue. The show wasn't encouraging that kind of behavior in cops, and it wasn't even causing the public to be like accepting of that kind of police behavior. So it's just unfortunate.
Now there is some things from the 80's that hasn't aged well in movies. It primarily has to do with the kind of abuse culture that exists and how in many 80's films men are portrayed as being overly aggressive and in some cases abusive, not for the sake of comedy, and it was meant to be seen as loving or endearing behavior and indeed did result in people being deluded into think that was appropriate behavior. Sorry this comment was so long 😅 Thanks for coming to my TedTalk 😎🤣
Thanks for sharing. As someone who is almost 40 and grew up in 80s/90s we definitely had cliques so it's not that we didn't connect with it culturally - while we don't have the same cliques it's similar enough for us to resonate with.
We just didn't get it like it felt off, the humour was boring and didn't click with any of the characters. We love other films set around the same time or about similar things. This just wasn't it for us.
We appreciate though that it's a classic for some people though 😊
I (Lorna) also would like to add that I'm not a huge fan of comedy's. I like my humour delivered more subtle and naturally. I mostly watch horror / Sci Fi so I think this was always gonna be a miss for me regardless
Never apologize for not liking something. Movies, no matter how beloved, are opinion based and those are formed from personal experience, state of mind, etc. etc. This movie had far more impact for an 80's American generation. Even Post Internet age Americans wouldn't connect with this as much. But yes, American high schools are far more cliquish, and often vicious in their circles. Bender's actions now seem irredeemable, but then, almost no one would have blinked an eye, because we did not have sensitivity towards certain things like we do today.
The power of this film to me, was seeing young people, communicate their frustrations with their parents, school, teachers, their own peer pressured existences. That wasn't something that had been done in a ton of movies , so frankly. Peer pressure is why Brian and the rest smoked weed with Bender. Pressure drove a lot of these students actions. Pressure from parents, abuse, wanting to be noticed etc. Good reaction though, speak your personal experiences and what formulates your opinions!
Thank you very much! I (Colin) mind reading this comment and I swore I replied to it so sorry for the late response. Very insightful comment. It has changed my perspective on it at least a bit 😊.
So...I was 15 when this movie came out. It shows so so much zeitgeist(signs of the times). Very authentic.
What killed me was the misfit's sandwich, because when I was little I created a 'Buffy sandwich'( I am called Buffy); it was made up of peanut butter, Captain Crunch cereal, and pixie stix(flavored sugar in long striped straws)...So similar to hers. What was I thinking???🤢🤢🤢🤮🤮🤮🤣🤣🤣
Hahaha sounds like a super sugar rush sandwich right 😂😂.
@@weebitreacts If I was watching this without having lived it, I would totally say both of your responses regarding it as unrealistic by putting the characters in trope boxes. But, Lorna and Colin...we had cliques supreme!!!!! Sad but true. You were raised to be a cheerleader or a jock or a brain or a misfit etcetera.
By the time my 2 sons were of high school age, it was sooo not like that.
They had no clue who even cheerleaded, and so on.
❤ I can’t recall if I watched your reaction of this but I did like the video so I think I’m re watching. This is such a great movie.
Bender is a tormented teen who is abused at home and now has to take abuse from an aggressive teacher.
16:46 I think it's Captain Crunch (a sweetened cereal)
Carl is the fully self wctualized adult version, of Bender! Bro mentioned John McClain, the principal was in what movie?😂
I can't tell you how many times the nice guys get ignored by the girls/women who then go for the douche bags that turn around and beat the sh!t out of them. The movie is not far fetched to me. Of course, a normal woman like the woman reacting here wouldn't like a Bender in real life, but lots of twisted females behave like Claire did. I personally related to the jock character when I was a young jock in elementary/jr high (I was 12 when this movie came out), then I related to Allison when I was in high school. But I don't feel I have to relate to everything and every character, or every behavior they do. And I certainly don't want screenwriters feeling restrained on whatever they want to create. It's okay this channel didn't like it. They're the first I've seen that didn't like it, though.
That janitor man named Caroline. 🤦♂️
Fun fact: The between the legs shot was a body double. Molly Ringwald was under age at the time so they couldn't actually show her.
And bender is at the same time, the greatest protagonist and antagonist, at once, in the same movie... because as awful as he goes about things, he gets them to talk about themselves, to each other, and to be honest. His final fist pump scene, and the weed smoking scene, addlibbed!
This is era movie that is fun light hearted imo that don't have to take too serious. Relatable to some people and high school experience but not all. Fine with the cheese and those who say its not serious enough is better than real alternative that happens all the time. Bender probably does die young doing something dumb, nerd actually pulls off suicide, the jock despite not liking himself is not smart enough to change and remains shitty person, and the outcast probably ODs with no one caring she is gone. More realistic but not nearly as fun imo.
Yeah good point to be fair, I think we took it more serious than we needed to. Thanks for the comment!
Girl...u almost got the point on the weed smoking scene.. Bender didn't smoke, but he got all of them to smoke!
I didn't read all the comments, but to answer your question about Allison's sandwich, she poured on Pixie Stix candy (basically colored sugar) and Cap'n Crunch, a yellow, sugary breakfast cereal.
The sandwich was Captain crunch cereal and pixie sticks
I saw this when it came out, and I thought the writing was all over the place, as well. They went with stereotypes that Did exist then, but that was the end of it. Non of their actions made any sense. And I thought Clare ending up with a guy who had mentally tortured her all day was ridiculous. The weed scene was laughable. No one was acting the way we acted on weed, back then. Weed from the 70's and 80's was so much more powerful, than today, and no one would jump around and dance while high, you would have been too far gone. 😂
you can see the difference in the generations with this reaction. or maybe is an American thing. either way. I dont think ive ever seen anyone say positive things about the principal before. I was 10 when I first saw this movie and loved it ever since.
There's no such thing as an algorithm god, it's the government making you do what they want you to do
I was 18 when this movie came out. My 18 year old self liked this movie but my now self thinks it sucks. Yeah, it has a message here and there but there are some stupid moments in the movie. John Hughes made some of the most classic comedy movies of the 1980's that spoke to teenagers and young adults. Ferris Bueller's Day Off is probably one of his best works.
Mt Generations quintessential Movie I graduated in 1985
Hi Lorna & Colin, I recently found your channel!🙂There were actually kids like this in high school in the 80s, with the exception of Bender. I've never seen a character like that in real life. I think you liked Kong in Skull Island, a lot more Lorna.❤ Nice honest reactions to The Breakfast Club, Lorna & Colin!!!🎬👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Hey Mike! So glad to have you with us. Thank you
I grew up in the 80's and knew every single one of these kids. I even knew a few Benders. One of them punched a yard duty and knocked him out cold.
There were quite a few Benders in my high school. There were plenty of the other types as well; jocks, nerds, basket cases and princesses.
I totally understand why you don’t like or connect to this film. I was a kid in the 80’s, grew up in California, and was introduced to all of these ‘classic’ 80’s films by my cousin (more like a sister) that’s 10 years older. I don’t know if high school experiences in the midwest were like this but my school experience on the west coast were completely different. I love this film for the nostalgia of the music and memories of my cousin, but never connected to the characters or their stories. I guess I feel that way about all of the John Hughes films, but I much prefer the silliness of the Sixteen Candles film over all.
They will explain that later on. In the movie
😂😂😂
Damn. Younger generations grew up in a snitch culture I guess. And also I'm shocked they can't understand a character like Bender. Especially dudes. Did you not have any friends that were having a rough time with life and could be difficult?
No one ever snitched in high school but plenty of times where they should have. I (Colin) can understand and sympathise with Bender but bad actions are still bad regardless the reason behind. Thanks for the comment! 👍.
@@weebitreacts I find that these no-snitching gatekeepers come with a healthy dose of cognitive dissonance. They're absolutists in principle (unless they're the ones under the gun, then they fold like a patio chair), but then they're gobsmacked about how Jimmy Savile or Harvey Weinstein skated for so long.
I like the way you two react.
I'm now a subscriber in the USA looking for more from you. Just do you.
Heeey welcome in! Thanks so much
Different cultures...Americans are a fast paced breed. There is no way some other cultures can relate unless you lived it. I can see why it looked alien to you both...because it was...and we LOVED it!...
Americans are certainly something. Its not that we didn't relate we have high school cliques here too - I (Lorna) also grew up in the 80s/90s so it's similar enough just felt it was boring and poorly written. We definitely love other similar movies but this was a miss for us, unfortunately.
Obvs it's just our opinion and we are so glad that others love it :)
"Americans are a fast paced breed"? What does that even mean? They just watched a movie about some stereotypical American teenagers *doing nothing* for an entire Saturday. Is that what you regard as fast paced?
@@Hexon66 You must be a 3 year old ..you need to get out more. Come to New York I will show you faced paced...but then,,how can you miss what you never had or experienced. Ignorance is bliss...you must be a happy 3 year old.
I love this movie. I thing this definitely still translates to today maybe for Canada and the US anyway.
That sugar sandwich included an American cereal breakfast called, ‘Captain Crunch’. It’s tasty with milk 👍🏼
That looked like Cap n’ Crunch breakfast cereal she was putting on her…sandwich. Along with what we call Pixy Stix. Basically sour sugar. Odd.
As a teen girl in the US in the mid 90s watching it for the first time, I didn’t get the hype about this movie as I didn’t like the characters or the plot points (like the bad boy’s behavior is good and you need a makeover to be accepted as a girl and everyone benefits from bonding over casual drug use). It wasn’t for me either.
Yeah I really didn't click with it either! - Lorna
The quiet girls lunch sandwich had "Captain Crunch" pieces in it, a very sweet crunchy morning cereal meant for kids, and she poured flavored sugar candy on it from the straws, it was basically for the sugar rush. It was an 80's American film. It was typical stereotypes of the "cliques", and types of teens in USA High Schools. The arguments were how they were working out how they can relate. You guys are trying to force the narrative of the film to conform to UK norms of today. This was 40 years ago or so in the USA...things are very different in the USA, and especially that long ago. You need to do research on the culture of the US in the 80's. I understand why you wouldn't want to watch this again, or suggest it to your friends, etc...it is a cultural thing, and times in the 80's were VERY different. I think you guys are WAY too hard on this film. It is an iconic, dearly loved film in the USA especially for those who grew up in or nearly in the 80's. Loosen up a little guys, you seem wound just a little too tight. LOL. (this is in regards mainly to your sense of humor, this film dealt with a LOT of dark humor, and sarcasm, and it dealt with a lot of mental health, and social issues that teens dealt with mostly on their own back then...Bender was from a lower class, poor family with a physically abusive father with evidence by the cigar burn on his arm that his father did, and a rather dismissive mother who just agreed with the father and insulted her son during an argument between her son, and her husband. Then you have Brian who was a "nerd" who was being pushed by his parents to succeed academically so hard he considered suicide over a second level score of B because he failed a class. Then the compulsive liar basket case was being neglected (ignored) at home. No friends to talk to or socialize with so no socialization anywhere. The jock abused a team mate for being weak cause his Dad was pushing him so hard to excel in sports for a scholarship likely cause they were likely middle class or lower. The Princess was arrogant and spoiled, and was being used as a pawn in her parents arguments. So, the point of the film is to show that despite all the divisions, and differences we have with each other as teens in the USA back in the 80's caused by economics, social class, gender norms, culture, etc. We are NOT so different at our core as we think, and we can LEARN to appreciate each other for who we are, and be a bit more compassionate. And if not become friends, at least acknowledge each other when we meet or see each other in school, and around town/city. SORRY FOR THE LONG COMMENT....
Hey Brian! Thanks for the comment.
Unfortunately us not liking it isn't down to when or where it was set, there are other movies set, filmed or out around the same time with that similar high school clique theme that we enjoyed more.
I Lorna was born earlier in the 80s that I'd like to admit and UK cliques at the time where kinda similar so I can understand that.
Just felt this was very lacking and poorly written. Totally get that it's a classic and loved by so many but this was just a big miss for us.
However it's just our opinion and we love that so many people have this as their fav movie!
Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to reply.
Ps. I really wanna try captain crunch cereal
Lorna
Hi. I think. That is Corn Pops. It is a cereal. But she made it into a sandwich.
Wrong..all cliques had a few that got high in the 80s. Drugs were taken daily in my highschool 1981 thru 1985. You had to be there
I think it's totally ok you don't like this movie so much (if you would like all movies without exception, this would also look unbelievable), tastes are different and so at least we could find out even your reactions to movies that don't excite you can be entertaining.
Btw, every time I drop by here you seem to have gained 100 to 200 more subscribers and I'm glad to be among those who found this likeable channel already when you were really little :)
Thanks so much! You are too kind 🥳
Fair reaction. I’m in the US and saw the movie 30+ years ago. It doesn’t hold up very well.
That's because everything today is fast cuts, handheld shaky cam, weird angles, crappy grading, poor acting, badly written and directed. This film is the total opposite it's not realistic it's a parody and it's dialogue driven, it's not a typical teen comedy it's more like a filmed theater play. Its style was oldscool (literally) even back then, this was very deliberately done so because they're spending hours in the same place it was meant to take its time. Hughes' style was always leisurely paced, that was his thing it was slow by '80s standards because the dialogue drove everything.
1:04 song is colin's love language.
There's something so wrong about needing to pigeonhole people into being either a villain or a good guy. The point is that people are complicated. Stop trying to label people as good or bad.
Sorry this review is just all over the place. It doesn't matter if you don't like it but your reasoning is just out to lunch, it gave me a headache just listening to it.
A bit like the film eh 😜. Sorry it wasn't to your liking, hopefully we improve on that.
7:14
In America especially at that time thats what it was. Thats why alot of people could relate .
It’s a breakfast cereal called Captain crunch
When I was a kid...We ate something similar. We actually grabbed a slice of wonder bread and sprinkled sugar on the top. (No Cap'n crunch though). It's considered what a I called a "low budget wonder" 🤣Didn't eat it a lot just when we craved something sweet and nothing in the cupboard
@@valleya6114 when I was really young, I used to eat miracle whip sandwiches lol. like about five or six years old I used to take two pieces of white bread and smear miracle whip on them and make a sandwich out of them all the time
@@kevinhayes1656 Well... bread & miracle whip is closer to a sandwich than sprinkled sugar on a slice of bread 😆
24:18 lorna likes a good hustle. 👍🏼
If you dislike these kids you'll absolutely despise the characters in St. Elmos Fire.
We have never seen it! What's it about?
@@weebitreactsComing of age for 20-30 yr olds.
It's like you were a perfect person. I don't think you are. You're locked in your world, missing empathy and projection of yourself or maybe experience to accept the contradictions of human beings, still more when they're teenagers. That's why you can't connect to us. Finally, you could be our detention supervisor (It's the best answer the lousy guy would have if he heard you, lol). 😋
35:59 i would never have suggested The Breakfast Club for a reaction. 🙂
i still gave your reaction 👍🏼.
I think it's hard for folks who weren't around in the 80's, especially of high school age, to get this film. Most younger folks can't relate, whereas those of us who were in HS at that time find it much more relatable. People of this era, who are so triggered by just about anything it seems, are generally put off by what was normal back then.
Lorna here, I'm almost 40 so I grew up then! I think the only person triggered here, is yourself judging by your comment.
It's okay for people not to enjoy every movie, it was boring, the characters were boring, their interactions didn't even make sense and while I understand the stereotypes of the time - they were poorly executed.
@@weebitreacts Yeah, I think you took my comment the wrong way. I wasn't criticizing your commentary. Besides the fact that you can like or not like a movie for many reasons, I was commenting specifically on the general fact that most people who have reacted to this particular film - and many others from the era - don't seem to like it much. Not to dissimilar to me not connecting with movies from eras before my time. So, sorry for leaving the wrong impression. I've watched a few of your reactions and have enjoyed them all, including this one.
@@bkeyser Hey I appreciate that and thank you for the clarity! Welcome in, we are happy to have you!
I think the key thing is to watch it in your teens. I'm a generation removed from the characters in the movie, but I saw this for the first time when I was 16 and I absolutely loved it and related to all the characters so much.
Things haven't changed THAT much. Cliques still exist, and teens are perpetually figuring out who they are, torn between their parents, their friends, and their own individuality.
Hello, how's it going?
We are good hope you are too
Hmmm 🤔 Buller is unforgivable / no redeeming factors whatsoever, and the Jock can't be empathized with when he was reflecting on bullying that other kid.
Interesting, this might say more about the viewers than the characters. Maybe it's a cultural context thing I dunno 🤷♂️
I grew up in Southern California in the 80s and high school in the 90s, and I also DO NOT like this movie... It's over the top in many places, and the script feels absurb at times... Overall, its an attenpt to make a social ocmmentary over clique'd highschool groups trying to understand each other since there tends to be miscomceptions... It was iconic during its time, but doesnt age well IMO
15:46 sushi and porridge
32:03 brian. 😢
can't wait to see lorna cry cry.
18:05 sludge coffee
just so know its ok you dont like this, but the truth is here in AMerica, the 80s this is basically how many acted i should know tho i remember the 90s more as a teenager and brief 2000s but there was always the jocks, the smart kids, the punks, etc. So you may not like it it shows realism to how parents treat their kids and how the kids react sometimes in bad faith when they soon asa group realize they need to better themselves and not be like their parents it has realism they even when i read they had to live out their character to get realism to it. So even if hate it most Americans here love it due to its real to how teenagers at least in 80s 90s are and its usually bad how parents are if u heard the kids stories it shows how parents sometimes give bad influence and they do bad things even wanting to die. Sp they battle themselves to find out their true selves.
I think the film didn't age that well. It's a little corny and on the nose, but it became a classic because it was one of the first dramas for teens for kids that didn't preach to them. I appreciate movies of that generation because, beyond entertaining you, they weren't necessarily trying to teach you anything. Every movie nowadays is like a PSA or political treatise.
I think it doesn't age well because high school didn't age well.
Molly Ringwald has said that watching or discussing the movie with her daughter was really uncomfortable because times have changed so much. She recognizes how inappropriate it all was.
But today, people seem to judge judge judge judge and can't really place themselves in the shoes of the characters and problem-solve.
@@sallyatticumHow inappropriate all what was ?
@@tempsitch5632 She was talking about her character and I remember her mentioning in particular the scene under the table.
@@sallyatticum Sounds like she’s pretty dumb.
It's just like being in a movie theater sitting next to the annoying couple that talks over the whole movie
43:41 you didn't miss anything.
React to Mr Rogers!
It’s ok Colin, men still don’t know everything about their women after being with them for
20 years!!!! LOL
Ahahaha love this
Riding unicorns all the time? I can't wait to visit!! I appreciate seeing someone's viewpoint outside the US because it is so centered around American teenage culture. I just remember it capturing some of the feelings I had in high school since it was the first time I saw it and the pressures I was under as a teen. Its also kinda great to look back and see how differently I view it now. This definitely wasn't meant to be a feel-good film. I do appreciate the honest reactions and the fact you aren't just blowing smoke.
We love you lots! 😍
28:20 very bizarre 🙂
Yep. It doesn't translate well to today or across cultures, but for kids of that time, it was remarkably relatable.
I NEVER liked this Movie & I saw it in The Movie Theater in 1985 so overrated. You could tell COLIN didn't like this movie at all it was written all over his face during the reaction. Remember, when you watch all of these older movies that it was a different time & people did act differently & lots of thing were accepted back then that are not accepted now. I APPRECIATE YOUR HONESTY & YOU JUST DON'T SAY YOU LIKE THINGS LIKE MOST REACTORS.
Thanks so much for the kind words. Totally agree that things were different back then, I'm nearly 40 (Lorna)!
@@weebitreacts You look much younger !!!
Worst reaction EVER 👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎
Ur audio on their voices is weak here, and not enough of it. Yall actually say kore words than they do!
13:12 it's pronounced carl
Respectfully I think you guys just don't understand American culture or films of the time. Plus these are teenagers. You are looking at the film as an adult, not through younger eyes.
Not a fan of this flick. Idea: good, execution: meh. All those insufferable "Brat-packers". And Judd Nelson's nostrils just too distracting, in a not good way. Thumbs-up to Lorna & Colin, 2 of the most likeable folks on RUclips 😁
Yeah we just didn't really gel with it I guess! You are too sweet
@@weebitreacts Can you please tell my ex-wife that?? 🤣😭😂
45:20 thank god you're not like that. refreshing.
So apparently, this is a movie for Americans born in the 1970s only. Noted. What do the younger generations even like? I'm trying to figure that out with little success.
I was born in the 80s (I'm almost 40) and I love lots of classics this one just didn't hit for me - Lorna
@@weebitreacts It's very American though. Maybe you need the American nostalgia to like it. I knew every one of these characters in high school.
I was never a big John Hughes fan, certainly not as much of one as a lot of other people. I like this movie a little better than Ferris Bueller's Day Off, but I'm not a huge fan of either of them.
Beautiful girl with a guy too lazy to shave and comb his hair!
True statement right there!