John Hughes’ films are the best

Katelyn Eddington, Columnist

I was watching “The Breakfast Club” the other night to relax after a long day, and I came to realize that the late, great John Hughes made the best movies.

John Hughes wrote and directed most 1980s teen films and they were based in Chicago, but, that is not why I think they are fantastic movies.

So, here are some reasons why I think Hughes films are the best.

1. His films are not just for our parents.

Honestly, call me old-fashioned, but every time I watch a Hughes film, I know it helped define the generation my parents grew up in.

Plus, there’s something in each of his movies everybody can relate to, yes, even our generation.

For example, you want to watch about relationship struggles? Turn on “Pretty in Pink.”

2. The music is great.

I do not know why I love classic rock or classic pop, but I do.

Hughes’ films not only tell the story with the actors, scripts and sets, but also with the music.

It is almost like every song in the movie was made for that movie.

Do you want proof? Listen to “The Breakfast Club soundtrack.”

3. The iconic lines.

To put it simply, I do not think a movie has had the magic of a Hughes script.

It’s funny, serious, truthful, sarcastic and probably the realest a teenager/young adult has been portrayed in a movie.

I mean, “Weird Science” had some of the best conversations and one-liners.

4. The underrated characters.

In “Sixteen Candles,” “Weird Science,” “Pretty In Pink,” “Uncle Buck,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and any movie where Hughes has supporting characters, it is those characters that make the movie.

“Sixteen Candles” was brought alive by Molly Ringwald, who played the lead, but it was the underrated characters of the supporting cast.

For example, John Cusack played a geek in “Sixteen Candles” and Robert Downey Jr. played a bully in “Weird Science.”

It’s the underrated characters that you don’t notice that help make the movie great.

Hughes also presents their own storylines and combines all of them at the same time.

Those are just four of the reasons that I think Hughes made the best films.

If you haven’t seen any of these films, at least watch them once.

Katelyn Eddington is a senior journalism major. She can be reached at 581-2812 or at kdeddington@eiu.edu.