John Hughes Dies at Age 59
Thursday, August 6th, 2009
The man who defined the modern teen film has passed away.
John Hughes, director of The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller Day’s Off, Sixteen Candles, Home Alone, Uncle Buck, Weird Science, Planes Trains and Automobiles, and writer/producer of Pretty in Pink died on August 6th of a heart attack.
If you guys wanna reflect on Hugh’s work and films, here’s the place to do it. I for one, will be forever grateful for the funny, human, sometimes even life-affirming movies that actually treated the teenage experience with respect and affection. 
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:’(
What Kingquat said.
Their goes another piece of my childhood. :”(
I’ve brought this up before on this site, but I feel it relevant to mention again, now more than ever. Check out the Hughes written and produced (and some say semi-directed) indie film from 1998, Reach The Rock. It is currently the only title in John Hughes’ entire body of work that is not available on DVD, only VHS. The good news is, the VHS is available on Amazon.com for 1 cent! One penny (plus a couple dollars for shipping and handling)! I’ve bought the movie that way three times before to share with friends. It’s not the greatest movie ever made, and some may find the deliberately somber pacing too slow, but if you like the minimalist nature of The Breakfast Club, you should check this out. Your local Blockbuster may even still carry the VHS in the Drama section. I know, I know. I’m asking you to set foot in a Blockbuster video, but it’s for a good cause. In an unofficial, roundabout way, the movie ponders the idea of what might have happened to the Claire Standish and John Bender characters long after the events of The Breakfast Club. Plus, the movie has William Sadler in it (Death from Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, the villain from Die Hard 2 and the Dad from Wonderfalls!), so at least check it out for his fine work.
For anyone interested, particularly Geekshow.us’ teen participants like Nick and Will, you may also want to check out New Port South on DVD, from 2001. It’s a high school drama produced by Hughes and written by his then 21 year old son, James. Not as good as John Hughes’ teen classics, but not without its own merits, either. Plus, the DVD features a sweet, DTS sound mix!
I think Hughes’ work is going to last a long, long time. Unlike 90% of teen films (of ANY decade; lay off 80’s obsessives) his movies actually let teens talk like teens. And his non-high school comedies were (sometimes) fantastic. I regret Hughes went into professional seclusion, but I hope that he spent his final years loving and being with his wife and kids.
I’ve always found his John Candy movies (The Great Outdoors, Plains, Trains, and Automobiles) to be the best of his filmography. In all his teen movies there was always those things that stuck in my craw and ruined the film for me (Ally Sheedy getting a makeover in The Breakfast Club, Andi destroying that beautiful prom dress in Pretty in Pink, Andi dissing Ducky and picking that yuppie jerk in Pretty in Pink, etc) But those John Candy movies? Brilliant. I can’t find one flaw in either of them.
I’ve always been a supporter of Andi choosing Blaine over Duckie. The whole message of the movie was that you can date someone out of your circle. If Andi had gone with Duckie, the whole theme and plot collpases. Plus, I think Duckie learning to accept Andi as a friend, rather than win her as a lover, is more compelling of an arc.
Yeah, but I got to go with the old punk rocker in me that just sees Blaine as the bland, boring, lame yuppie dude…
But I feel like we can at least agree that she DESTROYED that beautiful pink fluffy prom dress and made it some monstrous paper bag thing. Ugh. Gives me the stabbies just thinking about it.
I gotta agree, Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a very fine movie, my personal favourite Hughes and Candy movie
by the by you might want to check this out, I thought it was very nice.
http://www.empireonline.com/features/why-john-hughes-rocked-the-80s/
I forgot about Uncle Buck! We used to watch Uncle Buck, like, a hundred times when we were kids. Hughes and Candy really were an awesome one-two punch.
Slightly off topic. Has anyone seen Adventureland? I finally saw it last night
Yes. Good film. Not that off topic, it had a very John Hughesy vibe
Yes, that’s why I brought it up.
I really loved Adventureland. I could see how some people could be dismissive of it, but there’s so much going on between the characters. Between Renolds and Eisenberg, Starr and Stewert. Every performance and characterization is spot on.
Martin Starr is really great. The guy does the same character every time but with like a million gradients of variation. I love that his feelings for Stewart never have to be vocalized. It all in the guys facial expression. The same goes for the rivalry between Eisenberg and Renolds. The whole story’s happening between the lines. I love the way things end between their characters.
There’s not a false note in the movie.
I actually liked it better than any of the classic 80’s coming of age movies, including Say Anything.
Has anyone ever noticed that in every movie; Kristen Stweart always does this thing where she puts her hands in her pocket, rolls her eyes upwards to the sky, bites her lower lip, see-saws on the balls of her feet, then awkwardly asks a guy to a party while saying how awkward she is?
But thats’ my favorite scene in Panic Room.
oh Rusty, you’re just a nut.
Kristin Stewart stands with her hands dug into her pockets.
STEWART: So, I was wondering…
Bites her upper lip.
STEWART: God, this is so awkard…
Her eyes roll upwards to the sky.
STEWART: So there’s this party Friday. That I’m going to and-
JARED LETO: Oh right. Yeah that’s really sweet and all…
Leto bites his upper lip and rolls his eyes.
JARED LETO: But the thing is I’m sort of already holding you and your family hostage.
STEWART: Oh… right…
She sewsaws on the balls of her feet.
STEWART- Hey, look, uh, there’s sort of, uh, God I can’t believe I’m doing this, uh, there’s this party, its totally gonna suck, but uh, i dunno, i mean, you totally shouldn’t but uh, God I’m just a mental case, uh, would you wanna like, god my mom, y’know? Uh, like, go with me?
STEWART: Your corn rows are, like, totally badass.
JARED LETO: …oh yeah
STEWART: Did your girlfriend do them?
JARED LETO (smiles): uh, how old are you?
I once wrote a screenplay that was all elipses. It was about a nervous dog.
It was called Awkward Paws.
Ok, this ones for the guys: Kristin Stewart or Kat Denning?
I know my answer.
Kat Dennings of course. And I’ve never seen her in a bad performance.
Kristen was in Twilight.
Plus, Kat has better, umm, eyes.
Kat Dennings. No question
whaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
okay. Denning is a very beautiful girl no doubt about. But Kristin is much sexier. She has more evocative eyes and much better facial expressions. Denning is the type of girl who is pretty when she’s smiling but Kristin can be pretty when she’s crying.
And to talk about talent is to nail the coffin shut on Denning. Kristin could actually be a great actress. She creates a character every time. Kat just a pretty face with no range. That’s why Kristin has attracted a higher caliber of projects. She’s worked with David Fincher, Sean Penn and David Gordon Green. She’s done actually great films like Into The Wild, Undertow and Adventureland, and has been memorable in them.
Denning’s got 40 Year Old Virgin to her name. But Charlie Bartlett and Nick and Nora are a brutal one two punch to have to come back from. It would be one thing if she were a standout in the cast (which would not be difficult. even RDjr is terrible in that movie) but she’s just as bad as everyone else.
In conclusion, compare and contrast
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMVbieAWN8w&feature=related
vs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mg8kBqk84y8
Sorry Kitten.
Dude, Kat Dennings totally held her own against RBJ in Charlie Bartlett and she OWNED Nick and Norah. And what’s this about Stewart creating a charecter in every movie? She always plays the moody, hot, pouty girl.
Stewart’s always a developed characters. It doesn’t matter
I agree that she holds her own against RDjr. That’s because he looks noticibly embarrassed in every scene. Justifiably so. That role is a low point in his career. And was in jail!
Denning’s the type of actress you hire to wear glasses for the first half of the movie and play the unpopular girl at school who gets a make over.
You keep bringing up Nick and Nora like it’s something to be proud. I don’t get how you can like both that movie and Adventureland. It seems like a contradiction to me.
Everything I listed about loving Adventureland could be turned into a criticism of Nick and Nora. The film never rings true. There’s nothing authentic about it. It’s just nerd wishfulfilment. That film is pandering to you.
It takes the tired old total “bombshell inexplicably falls for hapless nerd” trope and then tacks on a famous record producing father whose got nothing better to do than lend out his studio to his daughter’s boyfriend lame emo band. It’s the worst sort of unearned happy ending.
The cast member I’d compliment is Jay Baruchel, who I almost always like.
How can you watch the two, and not see Nick and Nora as wanting?
It doesn’t matter if she’s pouting. That’s not what acting is about. She looks great pouting.
That’s shallow criticism.
Most great actors build a career for themselves playing similar roles again and again. Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson, Robert Dinero, Johnny Depp, Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne… you get the idea.
It’s about giving audiences what they want and playing to your strengths. And it’s necessary in any field, if you want to have a successful career.
But that doesn’t mean they’re not building authentic characters. It’s not gymnastics, degree of difficulty isn’t the most important thing.
I can’t stand movies like Nick and Norah because they are those annoying “crazy night in NYC where we meet KOOKY people and have CRA-Y-ZY adventures that could, totally, ONLY HAPPEN IN NYC.” Those and Sex and the CIty-like movies are my two biggest pet peeves about movies set in NY.
Well, After Hours is that type of movie and it’s great.
Lets not overly generalize. The problem isn’t the genre, it’s that the film is poorly written and acted.
Oh, when I mentioned Jay Baruchel as the only cast member I liked I forgot that Justine Rice has a one second cameo.
I’ve had many eventful nights that started out with a club show and ended up god knows when and where and with who. I’m not much for clubs anymore but I loved Nick And Norah because to me it captured one of those nights perfectly and is super nostalgic. Other than the ‘daddy record executive’ part everything in that movie is pretty realistic to my experience so I wouldn’t call it nerd wish fulfillment, loud music and booze make pretty much anything possible. (though I must say my experience is from Vancouver not NYC, the fact that all of these kind of movies take place there kinda annoys me too) where Nick and Norah reminds me of being 19-23 the same goes for ‘Superbad’ that was like a snapshot of an average friday for me when I was 16 or 17 (minus the creepy co-dependent friendship.)
I feel the same way about Adventurland in that it captured REAL teenagers. For example the part when she tells him she’s having a party and he moronically asks if he’s invited, that awkward moment when she said something along the lines of ‘yeah….. thats why I’m telling you about it.’ that was perfect teenage clueless foot-in-mouth awkwardness.
I’m really not getting all the Nick and Norah hate. I thought the movie was great; really well directed I thought all the acting was fantastic; I’d even go so far as to say its the best Michael Cera has been in a movie. And as for it being poorly written, I totally disagree. The conversations and dialouge beats were MUCH more witty and true-to-life than something like Juno or a Wes Anderson film. I don’t live in NYC, never have; but I thought the film’s energtic, teen spirit was universial. We’ve all had crazy nights with our friends
@ I feel the same way about Adventurland in that it captured REAL teenagers.
How can people not see a difference between Adventureland and Nick and Nora? I don’t believe in “where’s fluffy” for a second. And the ending is totally unearned.
I believe that both those girls would go for Jesse Eisenberg. I don’t believe Kat Denning would go for Michael Cera in a billion years.
Why? Because of the films and the characters. Because they’re working this weird shitty but fun job. Because they’re in a period of transition and they don’t where they’re going be next year. Because they’res only so many guys avialable. And because Eisenberg maybe a hopeless nerd. But he’s an endearing. He’s engaging and easy to talk to and he has asperations.
Nora is just an object of desire. And unrealisticly available object of desire. She exists only for Nick to win, unearned.
In Nick and Nora the ex’s are played as shallow one dimensional villains. In Adventureland the characters cheat and betray each other sometimes, they do bad things to their friends. Why do they do these things? Because people can be petty sometimes. Because they’re lonely scared people deep down, working the type of job that eats away. Who in those circumstances wouldn’t fall in love with Kristin Stewart? We can’t blame anyone for thinking the same thing as Eisenberg. They do bad things but for understandable reasons.
And it’s all there; in that final scene between Reynolds and Eisenberg. And in Martin Starr’s backyard, where neither of them quite bring themselves to acknowledge Starr’s feelings for Stewart. It’s great stuff.
Starr’s got this one look in the movie, where he’s holding up half his glasses. Where he realizes, if only for a simple twist of fate, that maybe if Eisenberg hadn’t shown up he’d be the awkward nerd having adventurous romance of the summer. I love the film for that moment.
Also, this is probably a minor point, but they’re not teenagers. They’re all college grads. I only bother to correct you because you mentioned it twice.
@ I’d even go so far as to say its the best Michael Cera
It’s funny because I was just thinking about Cera and how CLEARLY Motola has directed him the best so far, excluding Arrested Development which was his break.
It’s for the same reasons he directed Eisenberg and Starr so well.
Superbad is the only performance that lets me think Cera could play Scott Pilgrim.
I actually do understand why you like the movie. But it just doesn’t have an authentic bone in it’s body.
I disagree; a lot of it was authentic. Conversations had between the charecters in that movie, ways people acted towards each other, they were TOTALLY something I could relate to as ways I interact with my friends
@How can people not see a difference between Adventureland and Nick and Nora?
I see a difference totally, but they both seem reasonably realistic to me. From personal experience nothing that happens in Nick and Norah seems unrealistic to me except what I previously mentioned. ( Especially if you are familiar with people in the local music scene.)
@ I believe that both those girls would go for Jesse Eisenberg. I don’t believe Kat Denning would go for Michael Cera in a billion years.
and
Nora is just an object of desire. And unrealisticly available object of desire. She exists only for Nick to win
Average guys/girls hook up with hot guys/girls all the time in real life even when they aren’t in a band. Norah already had a crush on nick from his songs and mix tapes before she met him and he IS in a band. Nick is not a hopeless nerd, he is part of the music scene and dates hot girls who hang around in it, sorry but thats reality. I also think you missed the point because the movie was about them getting over their emotional baggage so they could end up together, not the guy winning the girl unearned.
@ Average guys/girls hook up with hot guys/girls all the time in real life even when they aren’t in a band.
I know. That’s why I said I like Adventureland. My problem isn’t Nerd/ Hot Chick. My problem is Nick / Nora.
Gotta say I completely agree with everything Rusty is saying on this one, though I haven’t seen Adventureland yet (it’s out next month over here, but I might be seeing it this weekend). I too felt that Nick and Norah was just fictional clap trap. There were parts I liked in the movie, but as a whole I thought it was a lame excuse of a movie, and the worst part of it all, it’s a comedy that isn’t funny.
I could go into deep detail into why I love Nick and Norah…OR I could just direct you to the commentary for the movie that I recorded for John Pavlitch! It’s also avialable on iTunes! http://www.sofadogs.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=506679&comments=on
But to bring it back to the Kristen Stewart/Kat Dennings debate, were we talking about who’s a better actress who’s more attractive?
I loved nick and norah (to be fair my love mainly comes from the book) because its an exagerated collection of many nights iv had out. As a movie its great for background noise while doing other things, but theres things in there that i remember thinking “wow iv had that exact conversation”. I skimmed through a copy of adventureland and from what iv seen it is a better look at teenage life, however I dont know about you guys, but i spent most of my teenage life pretty bored .
Yeah dude; Nick and Norah, Charlie Bartlett? Totally
An accident? An accident? Do you realize it’s snowing in my room goddammit!
That is all.
For the Kristen Stewart/Kat Dennings debate, I dont think that either of them are exactly fantastic actors in anything iv seen them in. Watching twilight was PAINFULL (she was breathin g harder throughout the whole thing than her biabetic fit in panic room), and norah was so awquard (though this was probly done on purpouse).
They are both attractive to me, but steward probly wins on that count.
(sorry about the spelling and grammer, im rushing this entrance and dont have time to self edit)
Well now what have you seen Stewart in besides Twilight? Have you seen Into The Wild, Adventureland or Under Tow? Those are her best roles.
People often assume an actor is bad just because they’ve only seen her worst movies.
Iv watched adventureland since posting that and she’s not bad in it, and I liked her in panic room. I’ll admit I havent seen either of them in too much and I like them both. I havent seen Kat in ANYTHING other than nick and norah, but I really like that movie.
I just wanted to say that Into the Wild is a great movie all around.
So we need more votes. So far I’m counting Prettz, Jack and myself for Stewart and Nick by himself for Denning.
Winner takes on Shannyn Sossamon.
Nick, about sex appeal vs talent. Don’t you talent is relevent to sex appeal? Don’t you think sex appeal is relevent to acting ability?
I’m asking for favorite overall.
And I’d love to hear you defend N&N in greater detail. But I suggest you just post the bullet points rather than direct us to a 90 min commentary track we have to listen too.
I never said I was for Stewart either, I don’t like Stewart or Denning. I’m a Miley Cyrus guy
a. Miley Cyrus is too young for this game.
b. you said “I completely agree with everything Rusty is saying on this one”
so meeeehhh!
but if you say you’re voting for her I’ll put the score back to 2-1 Kristin.
but you still have to vote for someone and it has to be Denning or Stewart, no write ins.
And no one said you have to like either of them. You just have to pick one. So pick one!
…errr…but if you say you’re NOT voting for her I’ll put the score back to 2-1 Kristin.
Kristen Stewart reminds of the girl that either has too much emotional baggage and likes reminding everyone about it, or is that hot girl that only dates douchebags and secretly hates herself for it. Dennings seems like that really cool girl that unironically likes Full House, listens to Wilco and will order more than a salad at a resturant.
That Nick, is an oddly personal reaction to two people you don’t actually know.
It strengthens my belief that you like N&N more for reasons you brought in with you rather than for reasons actually evident in the movie.
Thanks for proving my point that you use Geekshow as a format for you to openly be a dick yo people you don’t know, Rusty
when was that your point?
Anyways, I think I’m mostly very polite.
Dude, you dick-out towards anyone that doesn’t agree with you. If someone likes a movie that you don’t. you assume its a fualt on their intelligance
I really do not “dick out” and to be honest this unearned rep I have around has started to piss me off lately. Ever since Polygon decided that since I was dismissive he’d fly off the handle and call me a liar and say I was full of shit. Something neither apologized for nor retracted.
I see myself as a member of the community and even a contributer while everyone else seems to dismiss me as a lowlife troll.
Which part my comment above was a personal attack? Where did I fault your intelligence?
Dude, I like having you around, you’re one of my favorite people on the site; just sometimes you can get a bit sour
In looks alone yes, im on the steward train (well that sounds wrong and dirty). I like them both roughly the same as actresses
So yeah ummm……
to bring this back on topic…
John Hughes was one of my favorite directors. His teen movies are the ultimate teen movies. Forget about Nick and Nora, and Adventureland, it’s all about The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off for me.
Kat Dennings??? Who? Kristen Stewart??? What?
I prefer Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy.
Nick mentioned our commentary because it’s what is known as a friendly discussion, a civil exchange of ideas and opinions. Some folks seem to forget about those around here and are only focused on having arguments or debates. Believe me, there is a subtle distinction. It’s all in the tone and presentation of a given point you’re trying to make. Nobody said you HAVE TO listen to the track, but it’s a perfectly logical and relevant recommendation because Nick loved the movie and I didn’t. We managed to go the whole ninety minutes without anyone telling the other person they’re wrong, or without anyone trying to force an opinion in an effort to change the other person’s mind. When it comes to personal preference, there are no wrong answers. Now, you can discuss the reasons behind said preference, that’s what a real, worthwhile conversation is all about. I’d much rather talk with a person than have someone talk AT me.
Whether you’re discussing your preferred John Hughes films (The Breakfast Club vs. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off? Personally, I go with The Breakfast Club, or sometimes neither and instead choose Reach The Rock), or you’re deciding on which young, hot actress you would prefer to have lunch with or cast in your next indie movie, Kristen Stewart or Kat Dennings (yes, there’s an ‘S’ at the end), it’s subjective. It all comes down to personal preference. You can’t NOT bring your own experiences to the table, otherwise you’re just a robot, a computer calculating the statistics of who would be the most cost effective and marketable for your production. That’s called film making by committee, and how often does that go well?
For the record, I don’t HAVE to choose either one. If I want to write in my own candidate who would better suit my needs as an audience member or a producer, it’s my American right to do so. But, since you asked (read: Demanded), I pick Kat Dennings. That is not to say that I reject Kristen Stewart. She’s quite capable as an actress and attractive in her own right. But, I happen to find Kat Dennings more likable as both an actress and a person, based on my personal preferences. I’ve seen interviews, listened to commentaries and read her blog on her website. I find Kat Dennings to be delightful, down to earth, charmingly nerdy and outright hysterical. Also, I’m simply more attracted to her physically. Kristen Stewart, while cute and a fine actress, just doesn’t really do it for me. She doesn’t seem all that approachable as a person and she’s never made me laugh, which counts for a lot. If anything, she seems to have this air about her that kind of puts me off. Granted, I’ve never met her, she could very well be all manner of warm and friendly. I’m just going off of what limited knowledge I have of both candidates.
Back on target. It bums me out to think of all the John Hughes scripts that we’ll never get to see produced. Apparently, though he stopped directing in 1991, he never stopped writing. In the commentary for Pretty In Pink, director Howard Deutch talks about a couple of other scripts that Hughes had given him to choose from. I can’t imagine them being so bad as to being stowed away for all these years. I’m sure they’re at least decent, which is good enough for me. Even decent John Hughes movies are better than what’s usually out there.
The man had a knack for getting to the truth of a matter, or recognizing the honesty within a character, beneath all the posturing. It’s something most “teen” films either only aspire to, or just miss the mark on entirely.
The scene where Cameron destroys his dad’s car is still one of my favorites.
Agreed. It still chokes me up to this day. I can really identify with Cameron in that moment because on occasion, my parents have been known to be conditional with their love and let their priorities get out of whack. I remember towards the end of high school, I had this meeting with my parents, teachers and representatives from the Texas Commission for the Blind. Everyone there kept pushing for me to go to college. I really didn’t want to go, as I didn’t see the value in wasting four more years of my life with a glorified version of more high school, especially since I knew personally, that I wasn’t going to benefit from it in an academic sense. But, they kept persisting, telling me how much of an opportunity it was and that TCB would even pay for it. Finally, I told everyone what they wanted to hear and decided to go.
I was in college for a month and a half before dropping out. For one, I could never manage to get my books due to some kind of red tape and incompetence of the student store and their fax machine. Second, I was majoring in film and the one class I wanted to take (Screenwriting), I was told wouldn’t be available to me until a year and a half, after I’d first taken a bunch of BS remedial classes that had nothing to do with my major. Third, it was exactly the same situation as Kevin Smith, where I wanted to learn by doing, not sit around with a bunch of textbooks and talk about Film Theory. Worst of all, my parents did nothing but complain about how much of a burden it was to transport me to and from campus, which was maybe a 30 minute drive. On one Wednesday night, they said they couldn’t drop me off or pick them up because it was their bowling night. Not long after that, I just stopped going. My writing teacher went out of her way to call me up a week later to find out what had happened to me. After explaining my situation, she was quite saddened as she told me that in just a month, she already felt I was her most creative student. In that moment, I especially thought of Cameron, and how much I wanted to destroy a certain bowling ball.
“Who do you love?! Who do you love?! You love a car!”
Indeed.