Analysis Of The Themes In The Film Breakfast Club
Directed by John Hughes and released in 1985, 'The Breakfast Club' follows a group of radically different people that find themselves trapped in their school's library one Saturday afternoon to serve an all-day detention. Here, the man overseeing detention (an insulting teacher named Mr. Vernon) orders the group to write an essay during detention explaining who they think they are. This question will set the stage for the movie's theme. The Breakfast Club routinely stresses its theme throughout the film. This movie represents and casts every stereotype that is usually seen in today's typical American high school.
In public high schools, we tend to get a mix of every type of person that seems to generally fit into five characteristics of schools. We see Bender as a burnout stoner, Brian as a straight-A nerd, Allison as an outcast loner, Claire as a rich prep, and Andrew as a sports star bully. All of these qualities seen in each character are shown to be throughout various public schools, an example being Mean Girls. But in this movie, while they are stuck in the same room with nothing to do for eight hours, they are pushed together by their situation and forced to talk to each other. Each of them share what they are going through with Bender going through abuse at home, Brian facing the pressures of being a straight A student, Allison not receiving any attention at home or anywhere, Claire going through parental divorce, and Andrew in a constant pursuit to impress his father. All of them have something in common, their parents. Showing the unseen stresses and angst of the teenage generation. Showing that, although each student represents a different social group, they are all going through the same problems as teenagers. Each student fulfills every stereotype in some way, and collectively, they realize their 'labels' can be broken by their own willpower.
Idealism also plays a major role in the plot of the movie. Each character struggles internally with a need to be perfect in the eyes of their parents and their peers. They turn to extreme measures if they feel they have not achieved this perfection, whether it is academic, social, or athletic. For example, Brian tries to commit suicide after getting an F in a class, Andrew duct taping a kid for his father’s approval, and Allison dumping her bag for needed attention of her peers. They also seem to be feeling a lot of teenage fear such as the fear of rejection from both their parents and their peers. This is part of the reason each character isolates him or herself to a specified 'clique' or stereotype. The characters also fear that their friendships made within the Breakfast Club will not continue outside of detention. They fear that the differences of their social groups are great enough to keep them apart. They also fear becoming their parents, but as Allison said “it is inevitable”.
This film leaves everyone thinking about what happens the following Monday morning. Over the course of their detention, the group forms an undeniable bond, but they question whether or not that bond will hold up against their respective social cliques. Claire’s honesty may make her sound conceited but it is honesty, nonetheless. And of course there’s the ending that goes back to the question above: Will everyone forget about everyone once the weekend is up? Judging by Brian’s poignantly penned letter to Vernon, Monday might just work out, after all.
