The Breakfast Club

“You see us as you want to see us... in the simplest terms and the most convenient definitions. You see us as a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal. Correct? That's how we saw each other at seven o'clock this morning. We were brainwashed.”

This week, I’ve decided to take a break from code breaking and time crunches to explore John Hughes’ 1985 coming-to-age film The Breakfast Club. Needless to say, I finally understand the years and years of, “You haven’t seen The Breakfast Club?!” This film successfully blended elements of both comedy and drama while maintaining a level of depth and relativity that remains applicable to the typical youngster after all these years. Hughes’ ability to employ key cinematic and dramatic elements to further the characterization and relationships in the film is critical – taking teenage angst and transforming it into a timeless classic.

I always love analyzing the beginning of any film, as the opening of the film is often significant in relaying subtle hints that expose what the film plans to explore. The film begins with an almost ‘funky’ sound, if you will. Simple Minds’ stone classic “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” embodies the mid-eighties teenage generation, and stirs up a feeling of excitement and curiosity. More importantly, auditory elements are integral to the opening of the film as we hear Brian’s voice over narration speaking to the principal. He describes himself as a “brain” and goes on to describe the others around him as an “athlete,” a “basket case,” a “princess,” and a “criminal.” While he communicates ideas of stereotypes to the audience, visual elements are also at play. The camera features an establishing shot that runs through a series of shots, shown cut after cut, setting the scene of the whole film. The colors and vibrancy of yearbooks, stages, lockers, and classrooms kindle a sense of familiarity and amusement within the viewer. In one sweep, the film introduces (but really, reintroduces) the glory, fear, and craziness almost any individual can relate to. High school.

If I had to pinpoint the most important component of this film, I would definitely have to underscore the characterization and development in relationships that is so fundamental in understanding the deeper layers of this film. Every one of the five stereotypical characters are necessary in balancing out the others, and the interactions between the characters evidentially prove that. The film uses a variety of cinematic elements that help introduce the characters, and through these introductions we are later able to study the transformations the characters undergo.

So let’s discuss. Most prominent is John Bender (the “criminal”). Claire Standish (the “princess). Andy Clark (the “athlete”). Brian Johnson (the “brain”). And finally, Allison Reynolds (the “basket case”). As soon as the five teenagers are placed in the library together , we are able to connect them with the appropriate stereotype immediately because of how they are characterized. The camera angled at eye level, which not only gives us the ability to see everything that is occurring, but also helps us feels as if we are right there with the teenagers. We feel as if we are a part of the conversation. The director spends the majority of the film using both dramatic and cinematic elements to emphasize how perfectly these characters match their intended stereotypes.

Right away, we notice Bender, who fits the perfect “criminal” stereotype. His attempts to make the others feel uncomfortable characterize this stereotype, and the camera makes it a point to cut through close-ups of both Claire and Andy’s face in order to highlight the discomfort and anger they feel as a result of Bender’s rude humor. More interesting, the camera makes it a point to get multiple long shots of Bender in order to highlight the type of clothes and shoes he is wearing – the typical “bad boy” sort of look.

Claire’s pristine sense of self and need to be proper is characterized by her refusal to let Bender faze her – specifically when he is mocking her for how “pristine” she is. The camera engages in a series of eye-line matches to show reaction shots taking place in between Claire and Bender. When the camera cuts to Claire, there is a close-up to her face and we notice the discomfort she feels as her eyes keep straying away from Bender’s eyes. By noticing the way the camera moves around Claire, and her acting itself we are able to characterize her.

       For the majority of the film, Andy is the typical “athlete” we encounter in high school. He is ultimately defined by his Letterman jacket and his attempts to stand up to Bender’s attempts to make Claire uncomfortable. When Andy and Bender stand facing each other, we see medium shots of them, but the height difference is clearly noticeable (Bender is taller than Andy). Abruptly, Andy pulls a wrestling move on Bender and the camera tilts down and we see Andy in the dominant position. The camera movement shots and movements are critical in showing Andy’s internal need to use his athletic ability to show dominance over others.

Brian is the “brain” – the boy that is most usually supposed to be seen as a dorky, nerdy, blubbering genius that lacks all sense of social intelligence. The director does a fantastic job of emphasizing Brian’s stereotype by making sure there is no non-diegetic music (which often accompanies the background of other character’s conversation) when Brian speaks. This makes Brian’s stutter more obvious. Furthermore, the camera often cross-cuts over to Brian in order to illustrate his attempts to add a sense of logical input to many of the arguments that take place.

Allison is characterized as the “basket case” by her ill-fitting and dark colored clothes as well as her peculiar sense of humor. When Claire is explaining the difficulty she faces with her parents, the camera cuts over to a close-up shot of Allison’s face, as we hear her laugh for the first time. The camera also makes it a point to cross-cut over to Allison’s face when Andy claims that Bender “may as well not even exist at this school.” This cross cut emphasizes how well Allison relates to the same ideas Bender is being accused of.

It’s so important to notice how meticulously the camera framing, angling, and movement takes place in order to secure these stereotypes when we compare the teenagers after they smoke the marijuana and bond, specifically in the scene all five of them sit in a circle and admit their problems to one another. The camera moves itself on a track, in a circular fashion, in dolly motion. And soon, we become as immersed into the conversations as the individuals are themselves. There is a complete change sound with the introduction of a poignant non-diegetic tune in the background. As Andy admits his reason for being in detention the camera pans through the individuals and zooms into each of their faces. The director makes it a point to give each of the faces a soft front lighting to emphasize the tears in each of the teenagers’ eyes. These tears emphasized how each of them were not so different from the other – the idea that Claire may have her own moments of being a basket case, both Andy and Brian suffer because of pressure from their parents, and how Bender and Allison often feel secluded in their own ways. These moments define the moments in which each of the characters realizes that they are much more similar than they are different.

After this scene, when all five are done with their detentions, they walk out as new people, both literally and metaphorically. The song “Don’t You (Forget About Me) plays in the background and gives the lyrics a whole new meaning. All of them leave in such contrasting states in comparison to when they first arrived – most importantly is the use of natural light to emphasize the new found peace all five have found with their identities and with each other.

And we close with,

“You see us as you want to see us... In the simplest terms and the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain…and an athlete…and a basket case… a princess…and a criminal.”