After what was a considerably busy week for us with us being out of the house just about every day, it was nice to welcome the first of the final two days of this holiday weekend knowing we had nothing on our calendar for the day. I tend to look forward to these kinds of low-key opportunities because they tend to be few and far between, days when there is actually no appointment or activity on our calendar. These are the days for resting and for sleeping in and for slower starts, especially when one of the girls isn’t feeling 100% herself. I am always grateful for a slower day, and today was definitely one of those.
A slower day and a possibly under-the-weather teen is almost always a good opportunity for watching movies. So, when the 15 year old who isn’t feeling fully herself asked if we could watch one of the 1980s movies from my teenage years, I was more than happy to oblige with The Breakfast Club. Of all the movies from my youth, this one remains one of the quintessential films that captures teen angst in a powerful way. And, while there are a few scenes my girls and I agree are cringy (to put it mildly and in their terms), the overall story of the movie remains a dynamic portrayal of how despite outward appearances and differences, teenagers carry many of the same pressures and anxieties inside. I remember how that idea resonated with me the first time I watched The Breakfast Club.
But what I loved about watching this movie with our girls this time was that I learned something about this movie from my 17 year old that I didn’t know before tonight. As we were cueing the movie, she made a comment about it being an unscripted movie. I didn’t completely register her comment at first, and, as someone who took a few different scriptwriting classes, I thought that seemed highly unlikely (I was also surprised this was something I hadn’t learned in any of those classes), and found myself taking to Google to find out how much of the movie truly was ad libbed.
As it turns out, the most intense and dramatic scene of the movie, the confession scene that makes the film as deeply affecting as it is, was largely improvised by the young actors. For those who may not be familiar with this 80s iconic teen movie, this is the scene in which the five characters finally admit to each other why they are in the Saturday morning detention. It is the scene that creates the strongest connections not only between the characters but also between the audience and the characters. Most audience members likely identified strongly with one of the archetypes portrayed by the young cast—the brain, the princess, the jock, the basket case, the criminal—but it is this scene that lets us know we are not just a single, overly simplified description. It is the dialog in this scene that breaks down those too-simple stereotypes and invites us to actually consider who we are by understanding who these characters are.
And apparently the brilliance of this on-screen moment can be attributed to the actors as well as its writer and director, John Hughes. According to several articles and interviews with Thomas Del Ruth, the film’s cinematographer, Hughes was a proponent of collaboration and creative input from his actors and The Breakfast Club was no different. The young actors were invited to participate in the collaborative improvisation process despite their young ages (two were only 16, two others were 23, and one was 24), for one thing because Huges recognized they were closer to the journey of the fictional characters. What transpired because of Huges’ trusting his young actors is one of the most memorable and iconic scenes in any teen film.
I believe there is something we can learn not only from his movie, but from Hughes himself. Again, while there are some questionable choices in the film’s storyline, this willingness to invite improvisation from his young actors reminds us that teenagers and young adults have valuable insights and wisdom to offer. When we collaborate and work with our teens, we all are better for it. Personally, I have witnessed this in my life with our teenagers again and again. Actually, watching this movie provided yet one more example because it was my 17 year old who revealed the truth behind this incredible and powerful scene, and I love that I get to share these kinds of moments with these two remarkable young women. Like the movie scene itself, moments like these with our teenagers are both powerful and empowering, for them and for me.