R.I.P. John Hughes (1950 – 2009)
Hughes with the cast of The Breakfast Club, 1985.
“I always preferred to hang out with the outcasts, ’cause they were cooler; they had better taste in music, for one thing, I guess because they had more time to develop one with the lack of social interaction they had!” ~John Hughes
Hughes died suddenly today of a heart attack, age 59. At his best, he made movies that celebrated freaks, weirdos, underdogs, misfits, wallflowers, basket cases... and the humanity of teenagers in general.
A moment of Otis Redding and Duckie (cherished anti-dreamboat) for a deeply intelligent, funny and empathetic storyteller; the man who gave us The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Pretty In Pink, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Weird Science, among others.
August 6th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
Sad news indeed. My own required watching upon hearing it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtRQsCgYmtc
August 6th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
I remember thinking Duckie Dale was kinda hot. I really liked his clothes, and I thought Molly Ringwald was a fool for not snapping him up immediately.
Now he’s on Two and a Half Men. It’s not fair.
August 6th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
Oh, man. I had a massive crush on Duckie Dale. Never really forgave the producers/director of PIP for revising the ending.
I was just telling some friends… I remember when I first met my beau, having this weird, painful heart-tug and thinking “who the hell does he remind me of? this is gonna drive me crazy!” It would kick in whenever he did something especially adorably dorky/spazzy. One night, in the middle of an IHOP parking lot, he just started serenading me at the top of his lungs with “Hybrid Moments” (he does an amazing Danzig impression) and dancing around like a loon. I realized OH MY GOD I’M DATING DUCKIE. He got so laid that night. :)
August 6th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
This is so fucked up. ;_;
August 7th, 2009 at 8:40 am
Mer, all us male proto-freaks had a similar crush on the Ally Sheedy character in The Breakfast Club. And felt similarly betrayed by the ending, when she gets given a makeover into straight vanilla prom queen type, and of course is so much happier and more confident as a result.
But John Hughes, I forgive you. It was the 80s, we came through, and by and large your films seemed to be on our side.
August 7th, 2009 at 8:49 am
I hear you, HFH. I felt like I WAS Ally Sheedy, and was always infuriated by that bit as well. (Same went for Lydia’s de-gothing and the end of Beetlejuice.) But yeah. we can forgive Hughes his trespasses, and celebrate all that he got right.
August 7th, 2009 at 9:43 am
Oof. If you want to read something heartbreaking and lovely that really explains why Hughes was such a mensch: http://wellknowwhenwegetthere.blogspot.com/2009/08/sincerely-john-hughes.html
August 7th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Mere, I was just coming here to send that wellknownwhenwegetthere link. Just gave me chills.
August 9th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Watched Ferris Bueller’s Day Off for the first time today. What a wonderful movie. Wish I’d seen it growing up! Noticed a lot of great music posters in Ferris’ room – Killing Joke, Cabaret Voltaire.
August 10th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
can i just mention how fucking hot Annie Potts was in that film? i loved all her quirky styles. oh, and what a PUKE FEST Ringwald turned her prom dress into. ugh. but yeah, Hughes, bummer.