Written and directed by John Hughes, The Breakfast Club (1985) is a comedy-drama film about five teenagers who forge unexpected bonds over the course of an all-day detention.
Taking place over eight hours inside a fictional Illinois high school, the film depicts five students, each representing a different high school stereotype, spending their Saturday in detention. The group includes the popular and self-centered Claire Standish (played by Molly Ringwald), the rebellious and aggressive John Bender (Judd Nelson), the brainy and socially awkward Brian Johnson (Anthony Michael Hall), the weird and introverted Allison Reynolds (Ally Sheedy), and the jock with a hidden sensitive side, Andrew Clark (Emilio Estevez). Under the supervision of the strict Vice Principal Richard Vernon (Paul Gleason), the students are instructed to write an essay about who they think they are. Initially, the students are hostile toward one another. Claire and Bender engage in heated arguments that represent the divide between the popular kids and the outcasts. Andrew shares his guilt over bullying another student, exposing the pressures placed on athletes. Brian expresses his fear of academic failure. Allison, who is initially quiet and enigmatic, reveals her desire for attention and her struggle with neglect at home. As they bond and break down the barriers that separate them, the characters develop a sense of camaraderie and friendship. Romances are kindled between Claire and Bender, and Allison and Andrew. The film ends with a voiceover of the essay Brian writes on the group's behalf, in which he rejects Vernon’s unsympathetic antagonism toward them.
With its depiction of teenage angst, social pressures, family dysfunction, rebellion, and bonding, The Breakfast Club has resonated with audiences by emphasizing the importance of seeing beyond superficial labels. Considered a cult classic, the film ranks high on various lists as one of the best teen movies ever made, thanks in large part to the power of the script and the talent of the ensemble cast, who ad-libbed certain scenes.
