Themed Column:John Hughes' Films and the 1980's Teenager

Themed Column: John Hughes’ Films and the 1980’s Teenager

Review Writing- Fall ‘13

Sean Cooper

9 Dec 2013

When looking back at the films that helped to shape the 1980’s Generation X’s view of the World, it would be nearly criminal to not consider the work of John Hughes. Hughes’ films both influenced and represented a generation of teenagers in similar manner to the generation of horror movies from the 1950s and 60’s. They created memories in a generation that helped define some form of our identity at a time when we were both naïve and omnipotent. The collection of Hughes films, seventeen in all from 1982 through 1989, touched on subjects such as teenage bullying, angst, embarrassment, rejection, dating, crushes, family issues, jealousy, love, alienation, etc. Within this particular collection of films there was subject matter that nearly every teenager could identify with. The real beauty of his work lies in the fact that Hughes grew up in the previous generation, yet had his finger on the pulse of ours. He successfully marketed an understanding of what it was like to be a teenager in the 1980’s.  

The issues facing each of his characters were not entirely original, but Hughes had chosen an avenue of approach that defined his authority as a filmmaker, business man and a ubiquitously understood grown-up. This is notable in 1984’s The Breakfast Club. Hughes wrote, produced and directed this feature in which, a cross section of socially juxtaposed teens were brought together to serve one day of Saturday detention for varied offenses. What the characters find out is that each one of them has some weakness, level of insecurity, along with some misunderstanding about themselves and each other.  Hughes’ narrative brings these characters together through their own realizations and they learn from one another. They also understand that on Monday morning no one in their own social circles would accept any of the others. Another example of where Hughes demonstrates this understanding can be seen in 1985’s Weird Science. This film followed two wildly unpopular teens (Anthony Michael Hall and Ilan Mitchell-Smith) as they create a Frankenstein-like goddess, built to worship only them, because no other females will give them the time of day. The film culminates with their acceptance into new greater social circles without conforming to social pressure.

When we look at Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, another Hughes- written, produced and directed production, we meet the protagonist, Matthew Broderick who plays Bueller. He is widely adored within his school and community. This drives his jealous sister, played by Jennifer Grey, crazy. In this Hughes film, Ferris has everything going for him, except that his principal is also exceedingly jealous of his popularity and works tirelessly to catch him cutting school. Its arguable Principal Rooney, played by Jeffrey Jones, represents an older more serious generation. Rooney’s character grew up in a stiff black and white world, deprived of the freedom and privileges the modern Reagan-era bestowed upon 1980’s youth.  Sound familiar? Think upper middle class Archie Bunker.

Hughes’ writing wasn’t confined to illustrating 1980’s teen issues alone. His work also highlighted, and parodied, family life during this time period with focus on his younger characters as completely normal people. The Vacation Trilogy: Vacation in 1983, European Vacation in 1985, and Christmas Vacation in 1989, best exemplify his most successful franchise and single longest look at a caricature-like family: The Griswolds. In this series of films Hughes depicts a typical middle class family travelling on vacation under the auspices of a well-meaning, yet goofy father, Clark Griswold. Clark is played by Chevy Chase. Beverly D’Angelo plays Ellen Griswold, his wife. Anthony Michael Hall plays Rusty their son and Dana Barron plays Audrey, their daughter. Hughes’ defining teenage angle in the Vacation films is humorously illustrated by the generational distance between parents and teens, Clark and Ellen; and Rusty and Audrey. What’s notable in these films is that Hughes wrote the Griswold children’s characters as being closer to reality than their parents. Within the Griswold family structure, it’s the parents who are out of touch, albeit humorously, not the teenagers. This is another concept not original to Hughes, but he captured it with his own style and twist. Tales of teens understanding the World better than their parents is a cross-generational storyline and has been used for longer than Hughes was making movies. In his own fashion, he built it up within the comedic frame work of family life that we Gen-Exers could identify, understand or relate to in some manner.  

Finally, Mr. Mom, 1983, starring Michael Keaton was written by Hughes and contributed to the Gen-Ex perspective early on. When Mr. Mom was released the U.S. economy was beginning to rise out of a recession, which had lingered since the late 1970’s. Higher unemployment rates, economic uncertainty, and the changing landscape of the traditional family within the previous decade left, an impression and influence on Gen-Ex. In this film, Jack Butler, played by Keaton loses his job and his wife Caroline, Terry Garr, finds work before he does. Jack is forced to shift roles and Hughes fittingly, and humorously, presents this shift in American family life with a sense of hope, but also as recognition of a sign of the times. When this film was released most of us Gen-Exers were in our early teens. A significant number of us had experienced family breakups, hardships and the evolving nuclear family. Though not his best film, Hughes had a light-hearted frame of reference on the pulse of the American family. This film lacked the gravity of 1979’s Kramer V. Kramer, which was not a Hughes film, but substantially popular nonetheless. “Kramer” focused on a newly single father, played by Dustin Hoffman, who painstakingly adjusts to raising his son and juggling a career in a tough economic and competitive environment. By the time Mr. Mom was released the mood in the U.S. had changed and the outlook appeared much brighter.  

In total John Hughes wrote seventeen screenplays that evolved into released films. Of those, he produced nine and directed seven, and he did this all in a seven year time frame, between 1982 and 1989. His films are still respected, in part because of his delivery and narratives, but also, because, they’re still relevant. To be honest, we didn’t see his films because they were his, but because there were so many of them. At the time who wrote them was not important, but I clearly recall Monday morning classroom discussions about these films and others such as Sixteen Candles and Planes, Trains and Automobiles. The 80’s were a great time to be a teen and John Hughes continues to let us let us laugh at life and, now, ourselves.