When asked to think about the 80's the first thing that comes to mind for me are the Brat Pack movies. St Elmo’s Fire, Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, The Outsiders and Pretty In Pink being the most well known.
They are representative of 80's culture (fashion, music) and highlight life as an American teenager/young adult, showing that no matter what background every person has problem. They deal with issues of identity and fitting in, conforming or going against what's expected. They are intelligent, carefully thought out plots filled with realism but with a happy ending which also represent problems that till affect Americans today.
Although Hughes's films are rather white and middle class, as the Brat Pack has no members from other enthnicites. (Rob Lowe, Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy and Andrew McCarthy)
- The Breakfast Club: The brain, the athlete, the basket-case, the princess, and the criminal...coming together, realising that they are the same.
- St Elmo's Fire: University graduates trying to deal with life as adults
- Pretty in Pink: Poor pretty girl who is an outcast falls in love with wealthy popular boy.
The audience could relate and understand as the characters dealt with teenage angst and rebellion and still can today which is part of the reason I think the films are so iconic and memorable.
"These movies remain timeless because he captured teenagers perfectly — the longing, the passion, the wondering who you are."
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