The breakfast club is 1985 movie that might even be categorized under the coming-of-age genre. This article will not focus much on the movie itself and will just merely attempt to summarize some of the chore themes it touches; it will nevertheless end up asking a somewhat important question.
The premise: for different reasons, a most particularly diverse group of classical stereotypical adolescents has to spend their entire Saturday locked in detention. As punishment they will have to write an essay answering one of the oldest philosophical questions known to man, “who are you”, or better yet, in their case “who do you think you are”. Although this theme alone might be worthy of an in-depth analysis, the dynamic of the heterogeneous group evolves during the course of the movie and explores different themes. In spite of a sense of comradery that forms between the members of the group, there is still an omnipresent sense of alienation, anguish, ostracism and social hierarchy.
“If you would disappear forever it wouldn’t make any difference”: this is a key point that the movie makes through the words of bickering teenagers. It is a nihilistic point of view that sums up a common question in the minds of characters who have different backgrounds. May it be anger or a cry for attention, a need for approval and acceptance or the pressure of belonging to a group and not wanting to be left out, each character depicts an individuality and a motive they want to conceal. “We’re all pretty bizarre, some of us are just better at hiding it”. These are just some of the themes that the movie portrays in a rather quirky and funny way; it is a superficial façade that tries to hide the pain of existence that most probably everyone has felt at least once.
So here comes the big question, a question that the movie does not ask directly but hopes others will ask the people that need to hear it. “Hey, you wanna talk?”. So this is me, a writer and a listener, one who cares about others, asking through a secluded blog you the reader the simplest of questions: hey, you wanna talk about it?
Don’t live trying to hide your feelings if there is someone out there willing to listen to you.
I would give this movie a solid 8 out of 10 “you see us how you want to see us”.
Article in Italian: https://quirkyhorizons.com/il-club-preferito-di-tiffany/