Fab Five Films: John Hughes
John Hughes was the voice of a generation that prematurely went silent in 2009, when he died of a heart attack at just 59 years old. The prolific writer, producer and director of many hits in the ‘80s and ‘90s left behind a legacy of unforgettable films, especially those focusing on what many perceive to be the most difficult time of their lives — high school.
The most famous is “The Breakfast Club,” the tale of a brain, athlete, basket case, princess and delinquent stuck together in detention one Saturday morning. Most of us could identify with one of those characters (I was the princess, no wait, the brain), and easily related to their stereotypes and burdens. The way “The Breakfast Club” broke down emotional walls, exposing the truth behind the labels provided hope that maybe we could all survive high school after all.
If you’ve never seen “The Breakfast Club” or just want to experience it on the big screen again, you can catch it next week Wednesday, Dec. 12 12, at Consolidated Theaters as part of their Hana Hou Picture Show. In fact, Nonstop Honolulu will help you get there, giving away five free passes to the movie (each pass admits two). Leave a comment with your choice of favorite John Hughes movie, and we’ll randomly select five winners for the passes.
Also, in honor of John Hughes, I now present my Fab Five John Hughes films. There were many great ones to choose from and narrowing it down to just five proved to be very difficult. Here are my Fab Five choices.
Films that just missed the cut
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John Hughes’ filmography is so extensive and full of hits that I can’t believe the following films didn’t make my Fab Five. Comedies including “Planes, Trains & Automobiles,” the “National Lampoon” movies, “Uncle Buck,” “Curly Sue” and “Maid in Manhattan” all went through repeated viewings in my household. “Pretty in Pink” and “Some Kind of Wonderful” are also classic teen films that didn’t quite make my list. That’s how influential John Hughes was. But the following are the five that I consider my favorites.
