It was startling to learn during the last session of the death of John Hughes -- one of the most beloved writer/directors of my generation, particularly for his mid-'80s troika of "Sixteen Candles," "The Breakfast Club" and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," but I'm also too caught up in press tour to really put my thoughts on the man into words. Fortunately, the good people at Throwing Things have done a fine job of saying many of the things I would have. So go read them. And, if you want, feel free to include your favorite John Hughes movie memory (or memories). For me, it's either "Ed! Ferris Bueller on Line 2!" or "You're not dying, you just can't think of anything good to do." But that's just me.
Thursday, August 06, 2009
John Hughes, RIP
It was startling to learn during the last session of the death of John Hughes -- one of the most beloved writer/directors of my generation, particularly for his mid-'80s troika of "Sixteen Candles," "The Breakfast Club" and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," but I'm also too caught up in press tour to really put my thoughts on the man into words. Fortunately, the good people at Throwing Things have done a fine job of saying many of the things I would have. So go read them. And, if you want, feel free to include your favorite John Hughes movie memory (or memories). For me, it's either "Ed! Ferris Bueller on Line 2!" or "You're not dying, you just can't think of anything good to do." But that's just me.
That's sad news. It would be hard to count all the teen movies, kid's movies and romantic comedies over the past couple of decades that were influenced by Hughes in one way or another.
ReplyDeleteHis family was so wrapped up in his sister's wedding that they didn't notice he was gone until the next morning.
ReplyDeleteI am very sad about this all. John Hughes movies were formative parts of my life. Andy in Pretty in Pink was my hero for years - though I never understood how people thought she should be with Ducky, he was stalkery and slightly cute, but hey, Andrew McCarthy! Though his performance of Try a Little Tenderness rules. True. And I was a bit in love with Cameron from Ferris for a while - I like the nerds (Ferris always slightly on the wrong side of smug). I think you could draw a straight line from my love of his films to my choice of career in film and tv academia.
ReplyDeleteWhen I have a crappy day, or when I want to cheer up morose students I always put on Twist and Shout. That is a whole lot of win there. Shall be watching Ferris this weekend in tribute.
Now in my mid-40s, The Breakfast Club still speaks loudly to this freak.
ReplyDeleteRIP.
I know he's probably wildly offensive now, but Long Duk Dong has all my favorite lines:
ReplyDelete"No more yankie my wankie. The Donger need food."
"Very clever dinner. Appetizing food fit neatly into interesting round pie."
"It's a quiche."
"How do you spell?"
"Well you don't spell it, son, you eat it."
And, of course, from The Breakfast Club: " Could you describe the ruckus, sir?"
It's amazing that as much as those movies are all landmarks of the Eighties, they all hold up extremely well now. RIP, John Hughes, you brought us all a lot of joy.
Very sad news indeed. I'm 40, so I was definitely of the same generation as Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller, and many of the others, but Hughes will forever hold a place of honor in our family for writing the original "Vacation" - we swear it's a documentary of our road trips, not a comedy. RIP.
ReplyDelete"Merry Christmas! Shitter's full!"
ReplyDeleteRIP
His 80s teen output is undeniably iconic, but how I love "Planes, Trains & Automobiles". Rarely has a movie made me laugh that hard and then gut-punched me with Del's (John Candy) lonely confessions, all in one of my favourite road tripper. He just managed to embue such heart in his material in between punchlines.
ReplyDeleteI remember watching Christmas Vacation this year and for the first time noticing John Hughes was credited as the writer. "Oh course" I thought, "that makes so much sense."
RIP John Hughes and thanks for everything.
"They could be Fascist Anarchists for all I care. It still wouldn't change the fact that I don't own a car."
ReplyDeleteIt's funny to say "He'll be missed" since it's already been 15 years or so since his last published work. But the legacy is, obviously, undeniable.
Saw Ferris Bueller when I was far from home, and loved saying to my friends --Look this is where I'm from. And Saw The Breakfast Club at a midnight show, still remember how surreal it seemed, probably because I was half asleep.
ReplyDeleteThrough FB, coincidentally, there's a NYC event being held all day this Saturday, over at Sheep's Meadow, for all NY'ers who went to high school in the 80's. It was meant to be an irreverent challenge to see how many 40-somethings we could squeeze into the park that shared a youth growing up in the boros of NYC. I can imagine that now we may use the opportunity to hold a moment of silence in respect for Mr. Hughes who helped many of us realize there were 'grownups' that understood where we were coming from.
ReplyDeleteFacebook event "I Lived the 80's - NYC 1980's Multi-Year, Multi-High School Reunion" Went to a NYC high school in the 1980's? You're invited.
"Dong, where is my automobile?"
ReplyDelete"Automobile? Lake, big lake!!!!!"
He was a genius. Gone too soon...
^You mean Simple Minds. The merry band of exchange students I hung out with in Europe sang that to each other before we all had to go back to our separate colleges. We were totally doing a "Breakfast Club" homage. John Hughes was like our king back then. R.I.P., indeed.
ReplyDeleteOh, and besides "The Donger need food," I love "You're stewed, buttwad." And "I can't believe my grandmother felt me up!"
We chose The Breakfast Club to watch tonight as we were also thinking of Paul Gleason passing away in spring of 2006. Thank you to John Hughes for his talent an dunderstanding and for being the reason for 25% of my current 39 year old vernacular.
ReplyDelete"Show Dick some respect."
everyone should see this fantastic video for Phoenix's Liztomania featuring dancing clips from Pretty In Pink & The Breakfast Club
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtRQsCgYmtc
i've been rocking out to it for a while now, and its a great tribute
W
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and take a look around once in a while, you could miss it."
ReplyDeleteTruer words were never spoken. And while "The Breakfast Club" may be my favourite "teen genre" movie, I'll always have a special place in my heart for Ferris. One of the most joyous, life-affirming movies ever made, I think.
RIP John Hughes. So long, and thanks for all the flicks.
Filmcricket just posted one of my fave lines, but then this one always makes me crack up:
ReplyDelete"I did not achieve this position in life by having some snot-nosed punk leave my cheese out in the wind."
RIP John Hughes...and thank you for "getting" us.
I must be the only child of the 80s who despises The Breakfast Club. It always rang false to me, even before I began inviting kids to get off my lawn. The Shermerverse's lily-white affluence seemed like another planet.
ReplyDeleteHis truths came through when he's wasn't aiming for reality. Where Ferris Bueller is a filmed daydream (and it reallly only works as fantasy, otherwise, you realize what a manipulative d-bag is, even to his best friend) Sixteen Candles is a teen nightmare come to life -- the only thing missing is a big test Sam forgot to study for.
For me, Hughes' best work was as a writer for National Lampoon, where he had a great Jean Shepherd on dope vibe. Of his teen pics, only Weird Science comes close to that sort of feel. And Vacation, of course -- itself taken from this.
"What's happening hot stuff?"
ReplyDeleteDonger
Not really a Hughes fan, but I did want to add that his last screenwriter credits were in 2001, not "over 15 years ago" as someone said. His work just dropped a lot in quality---but it's really sad that he passed away, he obviously meant a lot to many people in their 40s.
ReplyDelete"Somebody better explain..or..or...there'll be a lot of explaining to do."
ReplyDeleteEddie Bracken was kind of an actor-in-residence at the Paper Mill Playhouse during his final years, and I saw him in "Carousel." I didn't have the guts to read that line back to him.
I came here to post my friend's Phoenix vid and see it's already posted. That's awesome, as is she.
ReplyDeleteI saw another one this morning that was really good:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOkNIUw0c2s
So many great moments.
In addition to pretty much everything mentioned here, I alway love Ducky's little "that's a major appliance, not a name" breakdown. I also always loved Annie Potts ranting on the phone in the background, ending with the great "since when? since the night I spent tied up in the back of your car!". Random, but fun.
The romantic teenager in me, otoh, will always love Jake Ryan in general and, of course, Eric Stoltz telling Mary Stuart Masterson that she looks good wearing his future.
"Oh, he's very popular Ed. The sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, waistoids, dweebies, dickheads - they all adore him. They think he's a righteous dude."
ReplyDeleteGrace...
I admit I never liked Ferris Bueller. Always thought he was a smug sonuvabitch.
ReplyDeleteHere's another fave JH quote, from Uncle Buck: "Take this quarter, go downtown, and have a rat gnaw that thing off your face!"
The great director of "Sixteen candles" has died .........
ReplyDeletethat is very sad..
RIP...........John Hughes...
As a Jennifer Grey-like sister to a brother like Ferris, I always admired John Hughes' ability to understand ALL teenagers. RIP.
ReplyDelete"Do you realize that you made yourself fifty-eight?"
ReplyDelete"Yeah, I goofed it."
"What do you need a fake ID for?"
"So I can vote."