John Hughes 1950-2009

Teen angst has long been a staple of the comedy genre. However, angst is not really angst when it is dressed up, polished, made up and smoothed out. Very often, cinematic teens are actually thirtysomethings with big houses, bigger wallets and deliriously happy endings, taking us on a predictable ride from the decked-out start to the bland finish.

Unless, of course, the filmmaker chooses to explore the real teenage neuroses and changes from reel to reel, warts and acne and all.

John Hughes knew this well, choosing to write and direct odes to awkwardness, celebrating that special time in our lives when we all start delving deeper into ourselves and discovering our true identity. That period between the carefree childhood and burdened adulthood was his main inspiration, its first loves, pains and triumphs shining through in movies such as The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. He did not want to hide imperfections. He celebrated them, teaching us to look beyond the surface in the process.

John Hughes' passing signifies the end of an era, as well as a legacy for the ages. We will miss the honesty, humor and disarming innocence that came from every word this incredible artist wrote and every scene he directed. John Hughes will live on through Ferris Bueller's escapades, Andie Walsh's zest for life, Duckie's lovelorn heart and, finally, the knowledge that a brain, a princess, a basket case, a criminal and an athlete are not always who they seem to be.

R.I.P.

"I hate having to go along with everything my friends say."
- Claire Standish, The Breakfast Club

"It's called a sense of humor. You should get one. They're nice."
- Duckie, Pretty in Pink


"The question isn't 'what are we going to do', the question is 'what aren't we going to do?'" - Ferris Bueller, Ferris Bueller's Day Off