It’s been 30 years since we were first introduced to Claire Standish: the princess, Brian Johnson: the brain, Andrew Clarke: the athlete, Allison Reynolds: the basket case, and John Bender: the criminal. On a Saturday in 1984, these five students reported for a day long detention at Shermer High with the instruction from Assistant Principal Richard Vernon to complete a 1,000 word essay by end of day describing “who you think you are.”
From different social statuses and with what seems to be nothing in common, these five students gradually form friendships once personal secrets and thoughts are revealed to one another. What brings these five together in the end is the understanding that each one has strained relationships with their parents. From being constantly criticized, to physical and verbal abuse, to being used as a pawn to get back at one another, and to being ignored – the characters in the iconic John Hughes “Breakfast Club” film can still appeal to today’s teen adolescent – even 30 years later.
On Monday, Austin’s Paramount Theatre showcased the fully restored “Breakfast Club” during film week at SXSW. To kickoff the event, Molly Ringwald who played Claire Standish and Ally Sheedy who played the basket case Allison were in attendance to commemorate the film’s anniversary.
To celebrate the restored film’s debut, attendees were greeted with breakfast donuts and a serenade from the Barton Hills Choir of the movie’s theme song, Simple Minds’ “Don’t You (Forget About Me)”.
A Q&A with Ringwald and Sheedy was nothing short of nostalgic.
Both Ringwald and Sheedy spoke highly of the film’s writer and director, John Hughes who passed away in 2009. They also spoke of Judd Nelson (John Bender) and how he improvised the no-ending joke while crawling through the ceiling scene in the film.
Sheedy, who is currently a teacher at La Guardia High School for the Performing Arts stated that the film’s message was a loving one and that yes, she was a bit lonely after production wrapped up.
Ringwald sharing with attendees that she had recently allowed her daughter to view the movie and was shocked to find out that her daughter resonated the most with Brian’s character (the brain). “It was this incredible moment that I realized I was the parent,” Ringwald stated.
The post #SXSW2015: On 1984’s The Breakfast Club & Growing [#thebreakfastclub @lolalissaa] appeared first on Day & A Dream.
