If you grew up in the 80's or even 90's, his films weren't just well made, funny as hell, or entertaining, they were reverent. They weren't merely a staple in the teen diet, they were Dogma. They were often times poignant. They were silly teen comedies or melodramas with a great amount of heart and honesty in them. They gave lost kids and bewildered teens a road map to follow, and reminded us that we were not alone in our confusion and awkwardness. They were exactly what we needed.
They represented what we were. All of us. He knew what we felt, what we needed to say but couldn't, and he said it for us. With Sixteen Candles he taught us that everyone is awkward, and that love is truly both bitter and sweet; with Some Kind of Wonderful, he reminded us that the ideal wasn't always better than what we already had, and to just open our eyes; With Ferris Bueller, he taught us to live to the fullest while we can, because eventually everything changes; with Plains, Trains & Automobiles he taught us that no one deserved to be alone; Uncle Buck showed us the strength of family that lies underneath all of the dysfunction; and Home Alone reinforced the importance of family, reminding us that it's never to late to mend broken bridges...
And with The Breakfast Club, my personal favorite of all of his films, he taught us that we only need to find common ground to realize that were all the same. Every last fucking one of us. Who knew that being locked in a vacancy together could make people look past labels and stereotypes and see what someone is really about?
I didn't. Not before someone showed me. I'm certainly glad that John Hughes did.
Young or old, I dare you to look over this list of movies and not love at least some of them, and if you've never seen them, take the time to do so, you'll be happy you did:
Sixteen Candles, Weird Science, The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Pretty in Pink, Some Kind of Wonderful, Plains Trains & Automobiles, She's Having a Baby, The Great Outdoors, Uncle Buck, The National Lampoon Vacation movies, Home Alone, Career Opportunities, Dutch... All John Hughes created gems.
The man was a giant, and the world is a little less sweet without him in it; at least our angst is a bit more tolerable for what he left behind though.
Farewell sweet prince, and thank you.
