The Breakfast Club (1985)
91%RT Audience Score: 92%
Awards & Nominations: 4 wins
The Breakfast Club is a warm, insightful, and very funny look into the inner lives of teenagers.
The Breakfast Club” is like a time capsule of the 80s, complete with big hair, shoulder pads, and teenage angst. John Hughes really knew how to capture the essence of adolescence, and the cast of young actors brought their A-game to this classic film. Sure, some of the situations may be a bit cheesy, but it’s all part of the charm. And who can forget that iconic fist-pumping scene? It’s a must-watch for anyone who wants to relive their high school days (or just wants to see Molly Ringwald in all her 80s glory).
Production Company(ies)
Anonymous Content
Distributor
MCA/Universal Pictures [us]
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Maine North High School – 9511 Harrison Street, Des Plaines, Illinois, USA
MPAA / Certificate
R
Year of Release
1985
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Mono Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 32m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Feb 15, 1985 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2008
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Anthony Michael Hall, Paul Gleason, John Kapelos, directed by John Hughes, written by John Hughes, comedy, drama, R rating, box office performance, budget, reviewed by David Denby, Paul Attanasio, Kathleen Carroll, David An
Worldwide gross: $51,525,171
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $145,532,581
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 849
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 15,870,510
US/Canada gross: $45,875,171
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $129,574,185
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 591
US/Canada opening weekend: $5,107,599
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $14,426,387
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 811
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $1,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $2,824,495
Production budget ranking: 1,986
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $1,520,990
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $141,187,096
ROI to date (est.): 3,249%
ROI ranking: 32
Molly Ringwald – Claire Standish
Judd Nelson – John Bender
Paul Gleason – Principal Richard Vernon
Anthony Michael Hall – Brian Ralph Johnson
John Kapelos – Carl, the Janitor
Director(s)
John Hughes
Writer(s)
John Hughes
Producer(s)
Ned Tanen, John Hughes
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
4 wins
Academy Awards
All Critics (64) | Top Critics (18) | Fresh (57) | Rotten (7)
[Hughes] understands adolescents as well as anyone who has ever made movies about them, and he has a fluent way with young actors. In this picture, his dramatic ideas may be cheesy, but Hughes still manages to create some excitement and laughs.
January 2, 2020
David Denby
New York Magazine/Vulture
TOP CRITIC
Taking place almost entirely in one room, “The Breakfast Club” is the kind of movie — and the kind of play — that’s hardly seen anymore. And good riddance.
January 4, 2018
Paul Attanasio
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
Hughes has a wonderful knack for communicating the feelings of teenagers, as well as an obvious rapport with his exceptional cast – who deserve top grades.
February 13, 2016 | Rating: 3/4
Kathleen Carroll
New York Daily News
TOP CRITIC
Hughes may deserve more plaudits as a social worker than a filmmaker, but you have to admit his hokey situation plays. The reason is the five terrific young actors, who bring more conviction to these parts than they perhaps deserve.
November 9, 2015
David Ansen
Newsweek
TOP CRITIC
Nothing really changes. You hear nothing you haven’t heard before. But you know that for them it is happening for the first time, and they deserve compassion. I’m not sure that’s a good enough reason to see “The Breakfast Club.”
March 23, 2015 | Rating: 2/4
Joseph Gelmis
Newsday
TOP CRITIC
Rarely have on-screen teens felt this authentic. They bluster, bicker and trade horrible insults (whence the film’s R rating), then suddenly expose their most guarded feelings.
March 23, 2015 | Rating: 4/4
Rafer Guzman
Newsday
TOP CRITIC
The late John Hughes’ finest hour (he didn’t have many, despite a prolific output), The Breakfast Club was the best of the so-called “Brat Pack” features as well as a seminal film for many who came of age in the 1980s.
September 18, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
Hughes once again sensationally captures the feel of adolescent rebellion and nonconformity with both timeless severity and laugh-out-loud dialogue.
August 31, 2020 | Rating: 9/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
It’s an exceptional film that has not suffered damage over the years. It feels as fresh as it felt decades ago. [Full review in Spanish].
June 2, 2020 | Rating: 4/4
Federico Furzan
Cinelipsis
…impressively (and consistently) engrossing…
October 20, 2019 | Rating: 4/4
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
The film is an extraordinarily well-blended mix of humor, heartbreak, and anger as each character displays a pantheon of raw emotions.
July 4, 2019
Jennifer Lind-Westbrook
Culturess
A superb film, an all-time classic, and an all-time favourite of many a film lover.
April 11, 2018 | Rating: 9/10
Andrew Pollard
Starburst…
Plot
Beyond being in the same class at Shermer High School in Shermer, Illinois, Claire Standish, Andrew Clark, John Bender, Brian Johnson and Allison Reynolds have little in common, and with the exception of Claire and Andrew, do not associate with each other in school. In the simplest and in their own terms, Claire is a princess, Andrew an athlete, John a criminal, Brian a brain, and Allison a basket case. But one other thing they do have in common is a nine hour detention in the school library together on Saturday, March 24, 1984, under the direction of Mr. Vernon, supervising from his office across the hall. Each is required to write a minimum one thousand word essay during that time about who they think they are. At the beginning of those nine hours, each, if they were indeed planning on writing that essay, would probably write something close to what the world sees of them, and what they have been brainwashed into believing of themselves. But based on their adventures during that nine hours, they may come to a different opinion of themselves and the other four.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Judd Nelson’s portrayal of John Bender was so convincing that he was almost not cast in the film due to concerns about his behavior on set.
John-Hughes.jpg
