May the luck of the Irish be with you today and for the rest of the year. I’m writing an Irishmen at the moment (his name is Rill Pierce) and I’m starting to speak with an Irish accent in my head. :) Rill is a film director, which brings me to my second topic for today’s post, director John Hughes.
John Hughes’ died recently, and so I was thinking about the impact his films had on me. I studied film in college–there wasn’t a film major at my college, but I minored in English, and I filled up my minor with film classes in the English department. I learned a lot about the role of director in those years. John Hughes was one of the first screenplay writers/directors to show teenagers as fully developed characters. He assured us that their conflicts were real and every bit as painful as what an adult experiences, if not more so. The love of a teenager is real, as well; fierce, cutting and deep. John Hughes films remind us (sometimes in funny, sometimes in painful ways) of the vibrancy of those early years of our life when one glance could take us to heaven and one word could wound to the bone. I can’t say I’d ever want to go back to my teenage years, but John Hughes was wonderful at reminding us of how full of anguish, love and promise those years were.
Of course, Hughes was a fellow Chicagoan, and he often used Chicago and the northern suburbs as a backdrop in his films, so I feel a bit of a kinship with him as a writer. ;) Check out this John Hughes tribute video (there is a small commercial first, sorry). Do you have a favorite Hughes film? I’d have to say mine is the Breakfast Club.
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Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you too Beth!
My favorite John Hughes film is Pretty In Pink, I’ve watched it multiple times and love the themes it speaks to.
Great post!
Best
L
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Love the post. They weren’t teen movies so much but my faves were Uncle Buck & Plains, Trains & Automobiles. I have to include the Home Alone ones too.
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Wow Beth, never had any clue you studied film in college! Explains a lot about how you like to visualize things in our e-mail chats. LOL
You will have probably already guessed this about me, but my all-time fave has to be Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Just because.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day Beth and everyone!!
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I love Sixteen Candles. Jake Ryan was hot.
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Lea–16 Candles is SO good. Plus, I can relate to my neice with it. It’s HER favorite movie too. He really crossed the generations.
Mary–Planes, Trains and the Vacations are all time favorites for both men and women. Although, I have to say..Planes is a male cult classic. Really shows his range.
Aymee–I thought of Ferris singing at the Irish parade downtown when I put up the post today. Ferris was a trickster–totally a magical hero for teens, a myth in and of himself, you know?
Jane–the guy she fell in love with in 16 Candles? He was soo cute.
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Sorry Lea.
You said Pretty in Pink, and I glommed on Sixteen Candles. P in P was a lovely film, though. How could he have known so much about teenage girls? Writers are always observing, I swear.