Watching 'The Breakfast Club' As An Adult Rules

John Hughes didn't invent teen angst, but he sure knew how to make movies about it. The Breakfast Club was released 30 years ago and it's still one of the best films about the beautiful pain that is/was high school. The Breakfast Club is made up of a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal, who all managed to end up together during the same Saturday morning detention. The film still resonates so deeply with audiences because its message can relate to anyone no matter their gender, clique, income, race, or lifestyle — no one is strictly who they are on the outside and everyone just wants to be heard.

The first time I saw The Breakfast Club I remember thinking John Bender was way sexier than Andrew Clark and that Allison Reynolds totally got my sense of humor. I was always a little punk rock as a teenager, even in my movie choices, because I needed something that made me feel different and unique. I think that's why I connected so much to a movie that was a generation before me. Everyone in The Breakfast Club was trying so hard to find their identity and I could relate to how daunting that felt.

The Breakfast Club, like almost all of John Hughes' films, still holds up decades later. There's plenty that still rings true to adults, especially all of the fears the characters have about the future and figuring it all out. It's been 10 years since I was in high school and I certainly haven't figured it out. Here's all of the thoughts I had while re-watching one of my all-time favorite flicks:

1. What School Actually Has Detention On Saturday Mornings?

At 7 a.m. no less! Get it together, Shermer High School.

2. I Don't Remember High School Actually Being THAT Clique-y

Maybe I was just lucky, but I remembered much more cross-pollination between the cliques. Sure, there were popular gangs, weird theater kids, band nerds, and jocks, but there wasn't a big fuss about it.

3. What Kind Of A Background Check Did They Do Before Hiring The Vice Principal?

This guy is a masochist.

4. A 1,000 word essay in EIGHT HOURS?

Y'all had it lucky.

5. Oh, It's Pot They're Smoking!

I just assumed it was cigarettes when I was younger. I wasn't cool in high school, FYI.

6. This Horrified Me When I Was Younger

I would have screamed, girlfriend.

7. This is Disgusting and Beautiful

And yes, I tried it. It's actually parmesan cheese in the movie.

8. I Tried This

It's a lot harder than it looks.

9. I However, Did Not Try This

Yick.

10. I Still Do this Dance From Time To Time

And I look a lot more like Allison than Claire when I do it.

11. I'm So Glad My Tech Ed Teacher Was A Sweetheart

All we did was make clipboards, no fancy lamps!

12. I Still Cry A Little When Brian Cries

I can't help it!

13. Bender Is Unnecessarily Cruel

Slow your roll, bro.

14. Everyone's Family Is Messed Up

Whenever you think, "my family is the worst," just watch this movie and remember so is everyone else's.

15. Allison Didn't Need A Makeover

Everyone is trying to get her look nowadays.

Fly on the inside and out.

16. Claire & Allison Really Nail The Double Standards For Women

"Well, if you say you haven't [had sex], you're a prude. If you say you have, you're a slut. It's a trap. You want to but you can't, and when you do you wish you didn't, right?" EXACTLY ALLISON, EXACTLY.

17. Guh, This Movie Can Really Kick You In The Gut

See what I mean?

18. But It Also Really, Really Honest

That's the thing about high school, you're really just searching for people who are the same breed of weird as you.

19. This Is Still My Favorite Ending to Any Movie... Ever

Don't you forget about me. Don't, don't, don't! Be still my bleeding heart!

Images: MakeAGif