Breakfast Club

I remember seeing this movie when it was released in the movie theatre. For decades I hadn't really thought about it much until I was waiting in the queue to pick up my son after school. He's a Junior in high school and I'm sitting there in the car looking at the droves of teenagers empty out of the building. It dawned to me.... I'm witnessing my own high school! I'm seeing a replay of "Breakfast Club" all over again! Things go in cycles. Currently in our high schools the '80s have resurfaced. I'm seeing guys in pastel Polo shirts, khaki shorts, top-siders with no socks and a sweater tied round their neck. There are the 'Nerds' with their mountains of books and Star Trek t-shirts. Here come the "All in Black", heavy eyeliner, Doc Martin-wearing, angst-ridden with their heads down. The 'metal heads' with concert t-shirts that they most likely didn't attend. There are always the 'jocks', donning letter jackets, gleaming smiles, large necks and a gaggle of gals with leggings and giggles following their every step....When I told my son that his school is identical to my school back in the '80s, he scoffed, as teenagers do. I asked him if he ever saw "Breakfast Club". He said he heard of it but never saw it. (Mom gets on her Amazon App immediately, orders the Blu-Ray with One-Click).A couple days later, it arrives in the mail. I hand it over to my son and say, "Here is your school in movie form"... With a scoff and an eye-roll added for effect, he trudges upstairs and I hear it tossed onto his desk. Fast-forward to a Sunday and he's bored. He graces us with his presence that Sunday afternoon and looks like he has had an epiphany!"Mom! You're right! That school is EXACTLY like my school!" Sometimes Moms are right. It happens.I said, "Really? No kidding? Because that was MY high school!".Thank you "Breakfast Club" and Amazon for giving me a common thread to my son! We parents of teenagers need every nugget we can find!

I bought this for my 16 year old. When I told him it was made 30 years ago he made a face and humored me anyway and watched it for our family movie night. He thoroughly enjoyed it! It's a timeless message about how hard it is to be a teen and surviving all the pressures (peer, family, school) and other issues they face daily. It goes to show that high school life isn't so unique to one generation and this movie is just as relevant today as it was 30 years ago.

I am 40 and was guilted into watching as it is a "classic" from my youth I have never seen. While some movies (Top Gun and Back to the Future come to mind) hold the test of time....this movie, does not. From the sexism/sexual harassment to the white washing of guns in schools (which made more sense in the 80's) it just doesn't make sense today.Most egregious? While it sells itself as taking the the high school stereotypes and putting them on an 'equal playing field'...in reality it uplifts all stereotypes BUT the 'Nerd' one in which it actually re-enforces and doubles down on. As a successful 40 year old 'nerd' I can see why some intellectually mediocre white suburban individuals from my youth find this "enlightening'. In reality? It just helps me better understand why We have Biden and Not Bernie as the Democratic Nominee in 2020.

I have a soft spot in my heart for the movies of the '80s -- "The Blues Brothers," "Ferris Beuller's Day Off," "Wargames," "Back to the Future," etc. Somehow the films of this era feel more "real" and "honest" than modern cinema, with actors who could be comedic without feeling fake or over-the-top and an overall feel to said movies that seemed more realistic and less contrived than most modern films. Granted, many of these films have become classics while other films of the '80s have fallen into obscurity, but there's a reason they've endured as classics, and I would rather re-watch one of these films than suffer through another mindless "comedy" put out by Hollywood's current crop of actors and directors."The Breakfast Club" is a rather dark comedy/drama, especially in contrast with John Hughes' usual body of work. But it's still a poignant and unflinching look at high school and its cliques, and how youth are shaped by their parents, teachers, and other adults... for better or for worse.It's Saturday at a Chicago high school, and five students have shown up for a full day of detention for various infractions of the rules. They represent a variety of traditional high school cliques -- Andrew, a star wrestler and the quintessential jock; Brian, a quiet but well-meaning young genius; Claire, an aloof and slightly snobbish prom queen and popular girl; Bender, a foul-mouthed rebel who constantly butts heads with the school principal who oversees the detention; and Allison, a silent and eccentric artist who occasionally acts out for attention. At first the five students bicker and hassle one another, chafing under the jerkish principal's vigil and finding ways to push one another's buttons. But as hijinks ensue and secrets, pasts, and revelations come to light, the students realize they have far more in common than they realized... and the lines between cliques are never as clear-cut as they seem.Writer/director John Hughes is know for having a fairly light tone in his movies -- "Ferris Beuller's Day Off," "Home Alone," "Sixteen Candles," etc. -- so "Breakfast Club's" darker and even bleak tone may come off as a shock to those used to his sillier comedies. But this tone works for this particular movie, as it's not afraid to deconstruct the typical high school comedy and the various stereotypes that tend to populate said comedies. And it probes deeper into what shapes and influences teenagers than most teen movies do, even if the picture it paints isn't very pretty -- as characters in the film say, "Are we all going to grow up to be like our parents?" and "When you get older, your heart dies." That's not to say the movie isn't without its funny moments, though -- it still elicits plenty of laughs, even if the mood sometimes whiplashes between light and dark and some of the humor is of the "black comedy" variety.The acting in this film is pretty strong as well. It stars members of the "Brat Pack," a group of young actors especially popular in the '80s -- Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, and Anthony Michael Hall. All of them slip into their respective roles almost effortlessly, and bring genuine pathos to their characters. It would have been all too easy for them to fall into the usual stereotypes, but here even the characters that should be unlikable, like Nelson's foul-mouthed and belligerent Bender, are made sympathetic and relatable. Paul Gleason is deliciously unlikable as the harsh and slightly corrupt Principal Vernon, but I found the janitor character (pretty much the only other notable character in the movie) to be somewhat forgettable.A well-deserved classic, far more honest and in-depth than most other teen movies. Probably best for ages 15 and up due to swearing, drug use, sexual conversation, and a very blatant (but funny) panty shot.

A strong group of characters hold this film together. It's a very different kind of film to Sixteen Candles, its slower, more meditative, there's very little music, long scenes of dialogue, a very small cast and pretty much just one location. The film continues on from Sixteen Candles in treating the characters with a degree of respect, they're not just stereotypical teenagers being goofy, or sex mad youngsters who just want to party while we wait for Jason Vorhees to show up.The film could definitely be taught in film school today, the editing and cinematography are especially praiseworthy, the characters wear one set of clothes for the whole film, the clothing becomes sort of iconic. The adult characters in the film are portrayed largely negatively, pushy parents, others are neglectful, some are domineering and intimidating. The films tone is more serious and sombre but there are plenty of sharp jokes and dry humour too. The main characters are all portrayed as initially defiant and sort of aloof while still giving the audience flashes of the fear, insecurity and angst lying underneath.I throughly recommend this film to people of all ages. It should make you laugh and hopefully make you think too.The Blu Ray is also worth the upgrade with a High Definition transfer. The colours all look nice and natural, contrast is good and the picture is sharp and free of flicker or damage.

This 30th Anniversary Edition boasts of a brand new fully restored HD Master.Special Features:-NEW Accepting the Facts: The Breakfast Club Trivia TrackSincerely Yours: A 12 part documentary (480i; 51:25)The Most Convenient Definitions: The Origins of the Brat Pack (480i; 5:30)Theatrical Trailer (480i; 1:25)Feature Commentary with actors Judd Nelson and Anthony Michael HallThere is also a Digital HD Ultraviolet download.The picture quality seems very good as is the sound.I paid £6.40 for my copy.

The blending of comedy and social drama is quite brilliant in the Breakfast Club, a highly entertaining and meaningful social critique focusing on the difficulty, faced by adolescents, of growing up in a society that doesn't understand them. Buy it and enjoy it and keep it in your collection - it's a classic of its genre.

The one star review is for the product description which advertises it as the UV copy version. Just a pity it doesn’t work! Please note, the UV code on this bluray expired on 30th April 2019. Please be aware that most movies from Universal have expired codes. If you contact Universal they may offer an alternative movie digital code, but it will not be for this movie.Aside from that the actual movie is great!

It is a German import from Amazon. The bluray 30th edition. Its dated 2015 also.Doesnt state this. Very disapointed. I opened the wrapper then realised when looked at the back.