REACTION PAPER: “THE BREAKFAST CLUB”

Trends, Networks, and Critical Thinking in the 21st Century

Joice Marjonelle Q. dela Cruz Grade 12 – HUMSS February 15,
2018

The Breakfast Club is an iconic comedy-drama/teen film directed by John Hughes

released on February 7, 1985. The film is all about five students from Shermer High School
who belong to different social cliques. These students, Brian, Andrew, Claire, Allison, and
John were mandated to spend a Saturday together on detention for eight hours due to
individual reasons. They were all assigned to write an essay about “who you think you are,”
however, instead of doing the task, they let the hours pass by as they dance, argue, smoke
marijuana, try to escape, and get to know each other. Eventually, the five students found out
that they had a lot of unexpected similarities regarding their relationship with their parents
and that each had their own insecurities.
I have heard and seen a lot of posts on social media about The Breakfast Club which
made me wonder as to why many people love the film. I have been wanting to watch it, but
it’s either I would always forget to do so or I did not have the time. I am happy that I finally
had the chance to watch The Breakfast Club. I could not believe that I did not fall asleep nor
was sleepy while watching—the film kept me up and focused. I was really interested.
What I love about The Breakfast Club is its simplicity—it did not try too hard, unlike
other films. It was simple, yet very powerful and deep. I also love how realistic and relatable
it is, especially when the five students talked about (peer) pressure and their family issues. No
wonder why the film is iconic and timeless—anyone from any generation could relate to it
regardless of age, especially high school students because the movie summed up every high
schoolers’ life. Also, it still has the ability to touch the viewers’ hearts although it was
released a long time ago. It brought mixed emotions to me, mostly happiness and sadness.
I very much appreciate how the production team thought of showing that people with
different personalities and lifestyles can still get along even if it does not seem possible at
first. I am shookt until now because an 80’s film was able to bring such impact to me. It made
me contemplate about myself, my life, and my relationship with my parents and friends. I
was not expecting for it to be that relatable.
A brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal comprise the Breakfast
Club. These five students and their traits portrayed high school stereotypes. Using stereotypes
was a brilliant thing to do for me because it can help the audience have an initial view of the
characters. If their character changes later on, this will both surprise and entertain the
viewers, just like how I felt at the latter part of the movie.
I think the title “The Breakfast Club” is clever and catchy. The cast also played their
part very well and natural. Honestly, I cannot choose my favorite character because they are
all interesting and have a deep personal background. However, I think I can relate the most
with Claire and Brian—peer and family pressure.
The movie’s soundtrack “Don't You (Forget About Me)” has been stuck in my mind
for days, and I actually love it. The Breakfast Club is now one of my favorite movies. After
watching it, I craved for more. I wanted to know what would happen once it’s Monday again;
do they greet or ignore each other like they had no bond together? How I wish there were a
sequel for The Breakfast Club. I would definitely recommend this film to others and re-watch
it soon for sure.