It was as if John Hughes had been watching my life in high school...and then went away, and made movie after movie about it.
The movies he made about adolescence (whether it be writing, producing, or directing) spoke to me...and to say that they spoke to me doesn't even begin to portray how they affected me.
Think about it...I was a girl with divorced parents, living in a trailer and driving a car nicknamed The Crate. I had a crush on a Country Club boy named Briggs who owned two cars (VW Scirocco, and Convertible VW Rabbit) and had an indoor basketball court IN HIS HOUSE! If that isn't a John Hughes movie...I don't know what is!
Movies like Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink gave me the courage to hope that maybe the underdog CAN get the cute guy. Seriously...how else was I able to drive that piece of sh*t car to school and park it next to all the convertible Mustangs every day of my high school career? To say it was hard, does not do it justice...and somehow, John Hughes got it.
The image of Samantha leaning over the birthday cake to be kissed by super dreamy Jake Ryan,
or of Andie running into the arms of Blaine in the parking lot at the prom...gave me hope....hope that I could be myself, and still be accepted.
Ally Sheedy in The Breakfast Club said "When you grow up, your heart dies." I feel like a piece of my heart died yesterday...or at least a part of my adolescence.
The Tribune, and The Chicago Sun Times both reported that John Hughes had become a recluse, and left the movie business after becoming stuck in a rut. I have always thought there was more to it than that...after I read this post, (seriously, go now and read it, I'll wait) I know he was the man I thought he was. (How amazing is that post, btw?)
John Hughes, your movies gave us all hope, the courage to dream, and to not be defined by our stereotypes...thank you for being the voice of my generation.
19
The movies he made about adolescence (whether it be writing, producing, or directing) spoke to me...and to say that they spoke to me doesn't even begin to portray how they affected me.
Think about it...I was a girl with divorced parents, living in a trailer and driving a car nicknamed The Crate. I had a crush on a Country Club boy named Briggs who owned two cars (VW Scirocco, and Convertible VW Rabbit) and had an indoor basketball court IN HIS HOUSE! If that isn't a John Hughes movie...I don't know what is!
Movies like Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink gave me the courage to hope that maybe the underdog CAN get the cute guy. Seriously...how else was I able to drive that piece of sh*t car to school and park it next to all the convertible Mustangs every day of my high school career? To say it was hard, does not do it justice...and somehow, John Hughes got it.
The image of Samantha leaning over the birthday cake to be kissed by super dreamy Jake Ryan,
or of Andie running into the arms of Blaine in the parking lot at the prom...gave me hope....hope that I could be myself, and still be accepted.
Ally Sheedy in The Breakfast Club said "When you grow up, your heart dies." I feel like a piece of my heart died yesterday...or at least a part of my adolescence.The Tribune, and The Chicago Sun Times both reported that John Hughes had become a recluse, and left the movie business after becoming stuck in a rut. I have always thought there was more to it than that...after I read this post, (seriously, go now and read it, I'll wait) I know he was the man I thought he was. (How amazing is that post, btw?)
John Hughes, your movies gave us all hope, the courage to dream, and to not be defined by our stereotypes...thank you for being the voice of my generation.
