Summary
- Anthony Michael Hall believes The Breakfast Club's anti-bullying message makes it ripe for a remake.
- Female stars like Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy have spoken out about the film's portrayal of sexual politics.
- The Breakfast Club, a quintessential '80s movie, still resonates with audiences after almost 40 years, though some elements are viewed as problematic.
Anthony Michael Hall thinks the beloved 1980s teen movie classic Hughes' The Breakfast Club was made for just $1 million, and went on to gross $51 million at the box office.
Almost 40 years after he and his castmates made one of the most iconic movies of the ‘80s, and one of the central works in Hughes' filmography, Hall thinks The Breakfast Club is due for a remake, given what he perceives to be its still-relevant anti-bullying message. Check out his remarks below (via Inverse):
“The Breakfast Club is another one that comes up. I think that’s really interesting because there’s a real strong anti-bullying message to the film, which became clear to me over these decades, and I think is powerful. So that’s another one that might be remade in the future. It’s not for me to decide that. Obviously, it’s Universal and the estate of Mr. Hughes, but I think that one could be right for a remake.”
Why The Breakfast Club Is Controversial Today, Despite Its Positive Themes
Writer-director Hughes seemed to capture something essentially true about 1980s teenagers with The Breakfast Club, though in four decades there are aspects of the film that have come to be widely viewed as problematic. The film’s female stars have both, in their own ways, spoken out about elements of the movie that, in their eyes, run counter to today’s notions of sexual politics.
The Breakfast Club was originally titled The Lunch Bunch
Ringwald wrote a Brat Pack member Sheedy also addressed The Breakfast Club’s “cringey” elements, singling out the scene where her “basket case” character is given a makeover by Ringwald’s (via Behind the Velvet Rope podcast):
"It is one of the things that surprises me about people still loving it, even now. That is actually an aspect of the movie that's problematic. It's a mixed bag."
Despite the parts of The Breakfast Club that have come to be viewed as embarrassing in the four decades since its release, there are still positive messages to be gleaned from the film, at least in the eyes of Hall. Remaking The Breakfast Club would, presumably, give new filmmakers a chance to address the original movie's problems, and strengthen the story’s stance against bullying behavior. On the other hand, perhaps the film isn’t as ripe for a remake as Hall seems to believe, given how much the world has changed since it came out.
Source: Inverse
The Breakfast Club
- Release Date
- February 15, 1985
- Runtime
- 97 minutes
- Director
- John Hughes
Cast
Molly Ringwald
Ally Sheedy
WHERE TO WATCH
After receiving detention, a group of five high-school students bonds as they realize they have quite a bit in common despite being from different friend groups. Despite being over 35 years old, The Breakfast Club still stands as one of the quintessential movies of the ‘80s and one of director John Hughes standout films.
- Writers
- John Hughes
- Studio(s)
- Universal Pictures
- Distributor(s)
- Universal Pictures
- Budget
- $1 million
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