John Hughes Retrospective

Films: John Hughes Restrospective: "Sixteen Candles," "The Breakfast Club," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "Christmas Vacation"

Summary: Everyone forgets Samantha Baker's "Sweet Sixteen" birthday, five high school students from all walks of life spend an entire Saturday sharing their secrets in detention, a precocious high schooler spends one glorious day playing hookey with his friends, and Clark Griswold does his best to have an old fashioned family Christmas complete with all the festivities and dysfunction the season offers.  

Review: With the passing of legendary 1980s screenwriter John Hughes this week at the age of 59 from an apparent heart attack, I scrapped my planned column and opted to do something a bit out of the ordinary in tribute to on of my teen idols. My formative years simply would not have been the same without the impact and influence of Hughes and all of his memorable, realistic and enviable characters.

While Hughes was also a director and producer, his real gift was his writing. Through the magic of his words, Hughes made characters like Ferris and Sam and Clark come alive. The writing, especially in those films featuring the "Brat Pack," sparked much of the lingo I used throughout high school. Hughes also shot such 1980s' stars as Molly Ringwald, Emilio Esteves, Ally Sheedy, Anthony Michael Hall and Judd Nelson to household-name status.

Watching those actors back in their own youthful years transports me immediately to summers at the beach with my friends, hours spend trying to perfect the amazing Molly Ringwald fashion look I coveted, endless fantasies and gossip sessions about the ideal boyfriend known as Jake Ryan (played by the yummy Michael Schoeffling, who is now building furniture in Pennsylvania). The ending of "Sixteen Candles" is still my all-time favorite conclusion of any movie. Hands down. As a teen, I must have watched my VHS tape of that movie a hundred times, never once tiring of it. I dreamed of having a play day with friends like Ferris, and I so wanted detention to be as cool as that featured in "Breakfast." And the soundtracks! Instant happy music.

"Christmas" is another movie I never, ever tire of watching again and again. I can quote much of the film's impeccable banter and one-liners with pride, and I know I'm not the only viewer out there who has holiday memories that are more than a little bit similar to those had by the Griswolds. It's a holiday tradition in my family to watch "Christmas" every Thanksgiving night to ring in the holiday season. Some families may enjoy "A Christmas Carol" or something else traditional, but to me, there's nothing more festive than Randy Quaid emptying his chemical toilet into the street sewer.  

There are so many other Hughes films I could also recommend, but the weekend, alas, is short and so I'm giving you my top four choices. John Hughes was a legend, and his passing leaves a gaping hole. For all of you babies of the 1980s out there, our youth is now officially over. But we'll always have the memories. Thanks, John.  

Extra highlight: Instead of watching any extras tonight, just call up the soundtracks on your iPod and rock out to the tunes of David Bowie, Spandau Ballet and Billy Idol. Toss in a "Danke Schoen" and "Mele Kalikimaka" for variety.

What to serve for dinner: It's 80s' night, folks. Order what you would have as a teen: pizza. Lots of pizza. And beer. And pretzels.

What to talk about over dinner: What is your favorite John Hughes movie? Who was your favorite Hughes character? Favorite ending? What movies and characters influenced you the most during your younger years? Why? Whose fashion sense did you try to copy (thanks Molly Ringwald!)? Who adored Judd Nelson's bad-guy image? Is there a "Brat Pack" today? Who, or why not? What 1980s' movie has the best soundtrack? See who can spout off the most John Hughes quotes. Admit it: who had a crush on Farmer Ted? And who cried when Cameron's dad's car bit the dust? Who thought Mrs. Griswold was a hottie? How many boys did you go out with in high school who tanked just because you compared them to Jake Ryan? (Or am I just airing my own teen dysfunction here?) Can you name what films Hughes appeared in? What about Hughes' later films, like "Drillbit Taylor?" Like, or not? When you run out of things to say, just raise a glass to John Hughes. In the words of Ferris, "Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."