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Written by: John Hughes
Directed by: John Hughes
Starring: Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, Anthony Michael Hall, Paul Gleason
Rated: R
Watch the trailer
Plot
Five high school students meet in Saturday detention and discover how they have a great deal more in common than they thought.
Verdict
It's an often referenced pop culture icon and with good reason. Through the course of a Saturday, five teens of various social statuses break through their borders and find similarities. In that is a strength, knowing that you're not alone in your struggles. That's how this movie connects with the audience, everyone knows what it's like to feel isolated and neglected. Through one or more these five avatars you'll find yourself. These teens thought everyone else had a perfect life and all the advantages, but they realize they all face hardships. Will they be friends come Monday? Peer pressure is strong, but they all had that Saturday.
Watch It.
Review
This is another John Hughes classic. Five teens are stuck in detention on a Saturday; Andrew (Emilio Estevez) "the athlete," Brian (Anthony Michael Hall) "the brain," Bender (Judd Nelson) "the criminal," Claire (Molly Ringwald) "the princess," and Allison (Ally Sheedy) "the basket case."
Bender starts the conversation by making fun of everyone else. He's an outsider, perceived as a delinquent. Throughout this movie we're faced with who the world and their classmates perceive these teens to be and who they are and want to be. Claire accuses Bender of taking on that persona as a way to wall everyone out and prevent facing rejection. The fear of rejection is something all of them face, but initially the only thing that can rally them together is banding against the overbearing and insecure principal. The principal likes having power over students who can't fight back.
Boredom overtakes them before Bender tries to get a rise out of the others. There's a class divide, but they're more equal in detention, free of parents, peer pressure, and other obligations. There's a camaraderie from being stuck in the library together. No one is watching, and we get glimpses of vulnerability like when Bender talks about his bleak home life. It's also insight into why he is the criminal, either real or perceived.
When they sneak out, facing potential trouble, Bender sacrifices himself so the others won't get caught. They realize he was under no obligation and how this doesn't match their perceptions of him. They accepted he was a criminal without ever talking to him. Their friend groups to a large degree shape how people see them. The principal is mad that Bender made him look bad, picking on a high school student.
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| Anthony Michael Hall, Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson play Brian, Claire, Andrew, Allison, Bender |
Each of them think that the others have a freedom or a perfection that they can't obtain but despite their differences they share common stresses and difficulties. Andrew relays a story about his overbearing father, and the others know how he feels. In that moment Andrew gets compassion, something that's been lacking in his life. They all share similar disappointments in how they're viewed broadly and how they're treated by their parents. They're more open during this detention than likely any other time in their lives. Brian asks the pertinent question, they're friends today but what happens Monday? Claire is honest, this friendship won't last. They'll succumb to peer pressure from their friend groups. None of them want to lose their place in high school society. They went in strangers and leave as friends, knowing a bit more about each other. While this friendship is ephemeral, they have that one Saturday.
All of them have this teenage defiance, but it's also a desire to excel or at least mitigate criticism. This is a perfect fantasy where these different groups not only find common ground but become confidants. It's a fairy tale that seems close to reality, and deep down we wish we could experience it. It's the type of high school journey you wish you could have where the unlikely happens. The weird and the cool break society's bonds and become friends.
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