(NEXSTAR) — John Hughes’ coming-of-age classic “The Breakfast Club” may be forever young but the so-very-eighties movie actually turned 40 this year. In celebration, Universal Pictures is releasing the iconic “Brat Pack” film back on the big screen.
Although the film was a huge hit when it was released in February 1985, the teen comedy-drama has gone on to become only more beloved in the ensuing decades. The Hughes-written and directed film followed five students from different backgrounds (and different cliques) who come together during one Saturday detention — and the rest was history.
Quite literally.
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“The Breakfast Club” has often been cited in “Best of” lists, including Empire’s 2014 list of “The 301 Greatest Movies of All-Time” (where it placed 38th) and the New York Times’ 2004 list of “The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made”. The movie ranked no. 1 in Entertainment Weekly’s 2006 list of the “50 Best High School Movies,” too.
Theatrical poster for John Hughes’ 1985 film “The Breakfast Club (Universal Pictures)
The film also helped change the way movies were made for teens, as Hughes’ script was lauded for displaying teenagers talking to each other and dealing with real issues.
The film is viewed as such a landmark in coming-of-age movies, film scholar Björn Sonnenberg-Schrank described the film as “the ‘Citizen Kane’ of the teen film genre,” in his 2020 book “Reassembling the Contemporary American Teen Film with Latour.”
Outside of the film itself, its cast equally were propelled to stardom, with the young Hollywood crew of Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy becoming part of the mythologized “Brat Pack.” The moniker was given to these actors and others, who were popular at the time and starred in a string of popular teen films through the ’80s.
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Adding to the film’s place in Hollywood history is its soundtrack and theatrical poster — both of which are as well-known as the film itself. The soundtrack featured the hit “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Scottish band Simple Minds, which plays during the film’s legendary (and often-imitated) final scene. The song was a smash hit, hitting no. 1 on multiple major charts worldwide (including U.S. Billboard Hot 100) and it continues to receive airplay today.
Meanwhile, the film’s poster, which shows the cast in a close but intricate positioning may be one of cinema’s most recognizable. The photo, taken by world-famous photographer Annie Leibovitz, has been widely referenced and replicated in a variety of forms.
Now, 40 years later, it’s time to return to detention (or your nearest participating theater) to reunite with the Breakfast Club on the silver screen.
“The Breakfast Club: 40th Anniversary” theatrical run will begin Sept. 7 and conclude Sept. 10. For information and showtimes, visit Fandango.
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