esrosedotblog

TODAY'S MOVIE

THE BREAKFAST CLUB (1985): NYTimes1176BestFilms*; John Hughes' best teen film (Ferris Bueller is better but it is not really a teen film, it just has teens in it. Actually I am surprised that, of the two, FBDO is not on the list and this one is. Perhaps because this is more socially meaningful, where BUELLER is just wild fun and Ferris never ever introspects). Very theatrical; in fact it is now a staple in amateur theater. It all takes place (more or less) in a school library.

We had never seen it. I suppose it was on the list of 'to be avoided' films at the time it was released. That is what is so cool about a forced march through the 1176 Best Films. I have committed to see all that have made it to DVD; about 800 of them. And, it is surprising how many I did NOT see when they came around. There is not a lot to say about this one as it exists in its own category; is not comparable; and as it does not translate too too much to general society. There are no lessons to be drawn from it unless you are a kid, a parent, or maybe a teacher. It is all adolescent angst and social structure; but it still lets the rest of us in so we can be a part of it for awhile and maybe remember a little bit of what it was like. Or something. I will give it a 3 out of Netflix5.

*I have explained that there are 1176 Best Films because the NYTimes chose to take the 2000 1000Best list and revise it in 2004. Somefilms were taken off, others were added, and an accomodation was made (too much in my view) for movies released from 2000 to 2004. For a while, I balked and would only use the 2000 list; then after awhile, relented and am working from both lists. A more than cursory, but not complete, search indicates a net gain in the lists of 176 films that are not on both lists; hence the unwieldy number 1176; end of story. Period. Paragraph. No more questions please.