RIP, John Hughes..... OR... A Reminder that We are Not Getting Younger!!

I was at work on Thursday, tying up a few ends before I headed home. My friend Doug sent me an instant message that John Hughes died. I was just devastated.

I was truly a child of the 80's: Espirit, Guess jeans, Duran Duran, The Police, INXS, and John Hughes movies. They are still some of my favorite movies today - when I am sick or am just down in the dumps, I pop one of those movies in and it makes me laugh. It makes me remember a simplier time in my life. It makes me remember that someone knew what being a teen in the '80's was all about. I've had his Ferris quote on my blog for a long time, because it's soo true.....

I work with some people who have no idea who John Hughes is. They are too young (or in some cases too old) to have really seen and understood his movies. I'm sure there are films that capture their youth, but no generation before or since has had someone like John Hughes.

While John Hughes either wrote or directed many great movies such as the Vacation franchise, Home Alone, She's Having a Baby, Uncle Buck, Weird Science, and Mr. Mom to name a few, I've picked the 5 that had the biggest influence on me to share with you. Indulge me as I share a few of my favorite movies:

5. Pretty In Pink (1986) - I liked this movie, but I wasn't a big fan of Andrew McCarthy, so Andrew as the romantic lead didn't do it for me. A classic story of you can't find love between social classes...... but my favorite was Duckie Dale. What girl wouldn't want a guy who's your best friend and is sooo in love with you, it's almost annoying?

4. Some Kind of Wonderful (1987) - Not one of his more popular movies, but I love this story! Eric Stoltz plays the nice guy who wants the popular girl instead of his best friend Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson) who is madly in love with him. Craig Sheffer plays such a bad ass as Hardy Jenns, I loved him (of course, I seem to gravitate toward the assholes!).

3. Sixteen Candles (1984) - I remember this movie coming out and being soo excited!! I soo loved it!! I loved Jake (Michael Schoeffling), Farmer Ted (Anthony Michael Hall), Long Duck Dong (Gedde Wattanbe)and of course, Samantha (Molly Ringwald). This movie also is one of John Cusack's first roles, though it's a small one. I have so many favorite scenes... from the dinner table ("you don't spell it, son, you eat it!") to the scene in the car in shop class ("fresh breath is a priority!") to the wedding ("it's a piece of cake!") and I could go on. If this is on TV, I stop what I'm doing to watch.

2. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) - I loved Ferris!! And I so badly wanted to be his girlfriend. I love Cameron - he's such a mess! And his jealous sister (Jennifer Grey, pre nose surgery) is hysterical as the angry one. Charlie Sheen has a brief role in this film too. I think this movie single handedly gave everyone the guts to skip school - I know it did for me!! My favorite line: "It's a little childish and stupid, but then, so is high school."

1. Breakfast Club (1985) - I loved this movie so much, I had almost the entire movie memorized!! I can still recite chunks of it.... I loved the ending where Anthony Michael Hall reads the letter to Mr. Vernon. This movie also had a lot of great lines as well: "Did I stutter?", "Demented and sad, but social.", "Does Barry Manilow know you raid his wardrobe?", and I could go on and on and on. Like with Sixteen Candles and Ferris Bueller, I will stop what I'm doing to watch this movie when it's on TV. Who was your favorite Breakfast Clubber?

There are so many things out on You Tube right now, but I like this video as it shows pieces of a lot of John Hughes's movies:


Rest In Peace, John.... thanks for being there to make my teenage years a little easier.