John Hughes hadn't written and directed a movie in years. But his death of a heart attack today on a visit to Manhattan pulled me up short. Hughes was 59, but his unique talent was for writing about the teenager in all of us, the one we don't leave behind no matter how old we get. Hughes never talked down his characters.
"The extraordinary doesn't interest me," he said. "I'm interested in the person you don't expect to have a story." Judd Apatow and Wes Anderson are just two of the filmmakers who credit the Hughes influence on their work. And so, referencing the first movie he directed, I'd like to light 16 candles in honor of indelible John Hughes movie moments. You are welcome to share yours:
Matthew Broderick on the parade float rocking out to "Twist and Shout" in my all-time favorite Hughes renegade teen movie, 1986's Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
The geek perfection of Anthony Michael Hall in Sixteen Candles. As Judd Apatow, creator of Freaks and Geeks, has said: "When we were growing up, we were all like Hall, the goofy skinny kid who thinks he’s cool, even if nobody else does."
In that same movie, the bruised innocence of Molly Ringwald — a frequent Hughes inspiration — trying and failing to hide a world of family hurt in the line, "they fucking forgot my birthday."
In The Breakfast Club, bad boy Judd Nelson handing his sunglasses to athlete Emilio Estevez with the coolest of purposes, "for better hallway vision."
In that same movie, the ultimate in 1980's teen angst, the scenes where all of these teens in school detention break out in a dance that manages to be simultaneously hilarious and heartbreaking.
High school nerds Anthony Michael Hall and Ilan Mitchell-Smith, in the underappreciated Weird Science, trying to create the ideal woman on a computer, one with Einstein's brain and David Lee Roth's attitude.
Macaulay Culkin's Kevin in Home Alone dreaming of a nice, plain cheese pizza, "just for me."
The inspired madness in National Lampoon's Vacation when the family decides to strap the newly deceased Aunt Edna to the roof of the car so as not to slow down their holiday fun.
The way Hughes sets off the have and have-nots in Pretty in Pink, all reflected in the shame on Molly Ringwald's face when her rich boyfriend (Andrew McCarthy) sees her house on the wrong side of the tracks.
In that same movie, just watching the way the pompadour deflates on Jon Cryer's geekboy Duckie when Ringwald breaks his heart.
The satisfaction of watching the end of Some Kind of Wonderful, in which Hughes makes up for the cop-out wrap-up of Pretty in Pink by this time letting the geek (Eric Stoltz) get the girl (Mary Stuart Masterson).
The acute sensitivity Hughes showed to youthful outcasts, such as the so-called "basket case" memorably played by Ally Sheedy in The Breakfast Club.
In that same movie, looking out for a rare glimpse of Hughes onscreen as Anthony Michael Hall's clueless father.
The love Hughes pours into every frame that features the late John Candy in Planes, Trains and Automobiles and Uncle Buck.
Everything you can learn about Hughes' life and marriage to childhood sweetheart Nancy just by watching 1988's She's Having a Baby.
Hearing Matthew Broderick say the line from Ferris Bueller's Day Off that sums up, for me, the Hughes philosophy that resonates through all his films: "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." Hughes didn't miss a thing.
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SaveFerris | September 10, 2009 6:42 PM
As long as there's teenagers, John Hughes legacy will live on.
I love the scene in "Sixteen Candles" where Samantha's father (Paul Dooley) has a heart to heart with Samantha (Molly Ringwald) regarding love and how special he thinks she is.
Classic Hughes.
RIP John
JOHN A. | August 20, 2009 12:13 PM
I FIND MYSELF QUOTING LINES FRRROM ALL HUGHES MOVIES CONSTANTLY. YES , AT THE RIPE OLD AGE OF 45. I'M STILL SAYIN'
THINGS LIKE ANTHONY MICHEAL HALL IN SIXTEEN CANDLES HOT, HOT, VERY HOT. OR ONE OF MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE JUDD NELSON,
FOR BETTER HALLWAY VISION.
MY HEART GOES OUT TO ALL OF US WHO LOST A DEAR FRIEND.
ethan | August 17, 2009 3:40 PM
carl the janitor, nuff said
Mike | August 14, 2009 8:50 PM
These are some of the most thoughtful comments I have EVER read on the internet about anything...that says a lot about Mr. Hughes' impact.
Watching The Breakfast Club was like losing my virginity...I never looked at the world the same again.....
but then again i'm a neo-maxi-zoom-dweebie....
amy_california | August 11, 2009 10:42 PM
My favorite movie of all time is The Breakfast Club. I can't even count how many times I've seen it. Pure Genius. I love when Claire tells the truth around the circle about them not being friends on Monday. Life doesn't get truer than that moment.
Rick | August 11, 2009 8:27 AM
I love the part in "Weird Science" when everything goes up the fireplace, including a girl!
Mike | August 10, 2009 12:31 PM
Why is the dancing scene from Breakfast Club heartbreaking?
Jungleland2 | August 10, 2009 10:02 AM
"If we played by the rules, we'd be in gym class right now" (FB) Why did these characters feel so real? They had heart, they felt pain, they had to deal with their station in life (rich, poor, cool, dork, jock, criminal)...they acted like..well, real people.
One of the Best filmmakers ever. | August 10, 2009 1:15 AM
To the person that say that John Hughes was no John Ford;Howard Hawks;Sam Peckinpah or Steven Spielberg, let me tell you something, as good as this filmmakers are doing sci-fi, thrillers or westerns, Hughes was good with comedys and no other filmmaker speak to the teenager inside all of us like Hughes.
So I think Hughes really belongs to the list of the best filmmakers ever (along with Scorsese, Coppola and Kubrick etc), because he was the best of that genre.
Long live the real KIng Of the 80's.
Danny Davis | August 9, 2009 11:59 PM
Not nearly enough love here for Vacation. Clark W. Griswald is my hero.
Kieran | August 9, 2009 10:24 PM
Travers, how dare you leave out Duckie's rendition of "Try a Little Tenderness"? That was me...in my bedroom (the bathroom was my backstage). I never had the nerve to do it in public. Rock it, Duckman.
By the way, I have never met a single woman in my age group who said they would have taken Blaine over Duckie...which turned out to be good news for a guy like me.
Thank you, Mr. Hughes. I raise my juice box to salute you.
The Doctor | August 9, 2009 9:46 PM
God is laughing is ass off now with John Hughes and John Candy back together again in Heaven. 16 cheers for the man who first made me realize that life is serious but can be an absolute blast as well. A little wisdom mixed with a ton of laughs always feels great, and that's exactly what John gave us. John graced us all with the tools we needed to get through our teenage years. God bless you.
Paco Chaos | August 9, 2009 11:38 AM
I grew up in the 80's. I hated Thriller and Born in the USA, and Madonna, and all the crap associated with MTV's marginalizing of pop culture. Having said that, John Hughes managed to tap into what every kid growing up in those days felt. His films weren't realistic, they presented a fantasy world in which you could punch the principal you hated or get the girl of your dreams by creating a computer generated supervixen. To me I lost a big part of my teen years this week. I also lost the genius who gave me Planes, Trains, And Automobiles, a film that made me laugh harder than most, and made me feel sad a the end when you realize John Candy didn't have a family to go home to. I figure both Johns, Candy and Hughes are together now, putting a smile on the faces of all around them in some sort of afterlife.
The Enemy Below | August 8, 2009 9:57 PM
I read of his recent passing.
What a shame!!
Granted,John Hughes was no John Ford;Howard Hawks;Sam Peckinpah or Steven Spielberg!!
But his comedies always touched your heart as well as tickle your funnybone!!!
"Home Alone"was two hours of a live action Road Runner or Tom and Jerry Cartoon come to life!!
"Ferris Bueller"had that sense of suave coolness that Cary Grant woulda had if he'd been an American Teenager in the 80's!!
You know that in real life,Ferris Bueller woulda been busted BFT!!!
But in the movie,he had that infinite mix of charm and pure BS that got him out of more scrapes than he got into!!
And"Only The Lonely"showed John Candy's sweet side as the middle aged Cop still living with his well meaning but overbearing mother!!!
And only John Hughes could get the legendary Maureen O'Hara top come out of retirement for it!!
So Long Johnny!!
We Heartily Knew You!!
Edz | August 8, 2009 9:13 PM
Micheal Jackson wasn't the voice of our (those who came of age in the 80's) generation.
John Hughes was.
Chris | August 8, 2009 9:00 PM
The first John Hughes film I saw was Home Alone 2 and I was really young, maybe 4 or 5 and just loved it. I still love it today. I always enjoyed the part when Kevin would set the traps and I still do today. I remember wanting a walkman(?) when I saw it because it looked so cool. I'm 18 now and have seen my share of Hughes films. Thank you John Hughes for the memories and laughs. Will always enjoy the Home Alone's and Ferris.
jon | August 8, 2009 2:10 PM
entertained by ferris as a boy, relating too much to mr. mom as a man. thanks j.h.!
angelab | August 8, 2009 2:05 PM
John Hughes movies shaped a great deal of my teen years. I treasure so many moments from his movies. A few that stand out right now:
when Long Duck Dong says "No more yanky my wanky!" from Sixteen Candles. I used to laugh at that so hard I'd be crying. Gotta watch that again...
The part of Ferris Bueller when the car attendants take off in the sports car for a joyride, the look on their faces. priceless.
Pretty in Pink. When Andie decides to go to the prom solo and sees Duckie in the hotel lobby. That moment of such tenderness between them, ahh.
RIP Mr. Hughes. Your movies will touch many more generations.
Ricardo Crane | August 8, 2009 9:45 AM
i think it was written since the begining of times that a man named John Hughes will decide to make movies about my generation, that he will give a voice to all of us normal teenagers ( well not any more in age ) and that those movies will make us laugh so hard and cry some times because of how true they were. We needed those movies i can't imaging growing up with out them.
Que descanse en paz el gran John Hughes
Michael J. Koval | August 8, 2009 1:24 AM
John Hughes was simply a rare rare-Genius
Filmmaker--of QUALITY Comedy films
I was thinking of John Hughes this week
Then this happens !!!! God bless him- RIP
I agree- John Hughes and his films are Classics---He will be greatly Missed !!!!
He was the -Stanley Kubrick -of Comedy films-of Teens/KIDs/Everyday man--real down to earth characters+situations
Comedy which No one has made as good as him and sadly Hollywood dosent care about
Quality -The $$$$ is more important !
I hope someone steps up to the plate to make similar Quality -thoughtful comedies !!
John Hughes direction and producing and writing were amazing and Top Notch !!!
As a matter of fact His Scripts were amazing !
With a BIG Heart and touched us at our souls.
More over his films are Funny as hell !!! and not JUST-cheap joke oriented (like today films)
that are tasteless-but Cleaver/smart humor !!!
How sad -he left so soon
I hope some film,makers will LEARN from his films and future comedy films will be better.
Hollywood makes so many Vulgar-trashy
Cheap jokes-unfunny- teen films....
comedy films which cant even Compare
to the quality seen in John Hughes Films
My prayers go to his family
God Bless-You- John Hughes and Thank You
From
Fan
Michael J.Koval U.S.Ex-pat Moscow
James | August 7, 2009 11:42 PM
John was the greatest.We can all name one thing we learned from one of his movies.I learned that we had much more in common,98 percent,than any of our so- called differences.We were all the same.And the ones you think have it better,they think someone else has it better.A continuous chain.My favorite line. From 16 Candles.'Long Dok has been here for 2 days and he has someone and me I'm like a disease".Said by Molly Ringwald. R.I.P. John,and thanks for teaching us about life and all of the little things.We won't forget you.Thanks,your work is forever.Just as important as Michael Jackson,you were an artist as well.This has been a sad year.
John Milton Jr. | August 7, 2009 9:46 PM
I hope John makes 'em laugh and think up there!! Thanks foro all the great movies and the great moment at the end of the breakfast Club where Judd Nelson puts a fist in the air.........thank you sir John Hughes...
Darrin | August 7, 2009 7:16 PM
All time best...It would have to be in Weird Science when Lisa was explaining to Garys parent about why he desperately needs a party because his only release has been whacking off in the bathroom...and then pulls a gun on them.
John Hardin | August 7, 2009 6:51 PM
In number 11, the geek getting the girl could be played either way. With his newfound confidence, Keith becomes the one to want. He's the one Watts wants all along. So in a sense, she's the one who "gets the guy" rather then the geek "getting the girl."
Cheesecrop | August 7, 2009 6:18 PM
Missing from this list - the bits in "Home Alone" & "Home Alone 2" where Macauley Culkin uses the old gangster clip to fool the pizza delivery kid and the hotel staff. I love those bits.
ed | August 7, 2009 4:16 PM
this is so weird because today i saw sixteen candles and i just found out he died
Ethan | August 7, 2009 4:01 PM
Peter Travers is such a lousy writer. If you want to talk about "16 moments" in John Hughes career, have them be moments. "Every frame of planes Trains and Automobiles" doesn't count, nor does "the love he showed outcasts like Ally Sheedy in The Breakfast Club," nor learning about Hughes' marriage through "She's Having A Baby." If you want to talk about things you've learned or things you'll miss, talk about those things. Calling it "moments" and then half-assing what you're talking about is just another sign of Traver's sloppiness.
80s refugee | August 7, 2009 3:17 PM
I saw most of his films thru the '80s even if I wasn't paying attention to who was making them. Weird Science, 16 candles, and The Breakfast club really stand out. Like so many others, I saw myself in that circle of misfits in the Breakfast Club....Hey Hey Hey, Don't forget about me!!!!
Jays5672 | August 7, 2009 2:38 PM
It's been a tradition in my family for as long as I can remember to watch "Planes, Trains & Automobiles". Seriously one of the best movies ever made. It's amazing to me how something so small can create so many lasting memories and inside jokes with loved ones. I'm sad that J.H. didn't put out more movies in his last years but I'm even more thankful about the ones he did put out cause they're among the best. R.I.P.
Phil | August 7, 2009 1:55 PM
In my Creative Writing class in high school, our teacher screened "The Breakfast Club" (for my money, the best movie about high school ever made), split us into groups, and then challenged us to write a sequel and perform it. Never before, or since, would I have such fun in a class.
There will be successors for Mister Hughes, but never a replacement. If heaven exists, I hope I get a chance to meet and speak with him...
saltlick | August 7, 2009 1:48 PM
I remember John Hughes as someone that had great respect for his fellow humans and great heart.He made one care about his characters.They were real they had feelings.He just didn't go for the cheap laugh all the time.Too bad Hollywood is so money obsessed today.We
salute the work of John Hughes.
Condolences to family and friends.
geek turned freak | August 7, 2009 12:50 PM
Concerning Freaking and Geeks:
Apatow was the producer, Paul Feig was the creator. Both wrote, though I believe they were Feig's characters and storys in almost every case.
Just saying. Getting kind of tired of Apatow taking credit for everything, even when he's not doing it on purpose.
Thundercrotch | August 7, 2009 12:39 PM
The first movie of my teenage years that was alternately hilarious and still had razor sharp dialogue..Sixteen Candles. I remember being dropped off several blocks away and having to run in a rainstorm to see it.
John, you will be missed!
TankCat | August 7, 2009 12:23 PM
As far as I'm concerned, John Hughes meant every bit as much to American pop culture in the 1980's as Michael Jackson did. Just as everyone owned a copy of Thriller back in the day, everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) saw The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. R.I.P. John Hughes.
Peter | August 7, 2009 11:44 AM
"Did she come with you?"
"No, but if it's okay with my dad, she's gonna home with me."
I've never seen a funnier or better written teen role and performance than AMH in "Sixteen Candles." I swear they thought there was something wrong with me at the Mall Theatre in '84. I went to see that movie every day that summer. xxxxx
Damion | August 7, 2009 10:37 AM
The films of John Hughes left an indelible mark on an era. Simply, they were able to combine humor with a slight pathos, and make one feel what it was like to be in anothers' shoes. In The Breakfast Club's ending credits, Simple Minds said it best: Don't You Forget About Me. To the family--We won't.
Anonymous | August 7, 2009 8:05 AM
Baby's Day Out
Beethoven 5
Home Alone 4
Drillbit Taylor
These have been my favorite John Hughes films
He was a gd genious!
dlt | August 7, 2009 7:54 AM
In fifth grade, 1972, I shared cigarettes (but I never developed a cigarette habit) w/ kids who were much less yuppie than the Judd Nelson character (Breakfast Club). I guess Harry Shearer, the other folks behind the Simpsons, caught Hughes' film, too.
Foxy Molly Ringwald and clever Robert Downey jr. The half-assed Psychedelic Furs. The eighties were shitty, lethargic; I wasn't much of a maverick myself
nobuski.com | August 7, 2009 4:06 AM
Watching The Breakfast Club in 1985 was the first time I saw myself in a movie. God bless him.
l. gilbert | August 7, 2009 2:16 AM
Paul Feig created Freaks and Geeks..Judd Apatow was the producer. Paul Feig and John Hughes both from Michigan...just interesting coincidence.
R.I.P. THE GREATEST. | August 7, 2009 2:02 AM
Long live John Hughes!
Thank you Peter, like always, your the coolest.
Mike Conforti | August 7, 2009 1:50 AM
1986 HS Grad, 1990 College Grad...His movies were a big part of my life and I did not really know it until now. Too many great lines to quote.
Dave | August 7, 2009 1:36 AM
Ducky Dale doing "Tenderness"
I have been locked in that role all my life
Al Palmer | August 7, 2009 1:30 AM
As a high school graduate from 1986, I shared the experience of being a teenager when most of John Hughes' best work was being created and released. His creativity through film and use of popular music definately had a profound impact on my life and still does today. I hope that he knew how much he contributed to so many. I am sad about his passing. My thoughts and prayers to his family.
Marcy | August 7, 2009 1:26 AM
My prayers are with the Hughes Family. John Hughes made movies that teenagers today still talk about. That is not an easy task. He will be sorely missed.
Tom | August 7, 2009 1:16 AM
She's Having a Baby, one of my favorites!
"We can't afford this!"
"You burned the dog!"
Edgar | August 7, 2009 1:14 AM
All of his films are excellent but particularly the teenage cult movies surely imitated life experiences for me. Long live John Hughes! Prayers and condolences to his family.
Carly Salkavich | August 7, 2009 1:09 AM
Some favourite quotes from Pretty in Pink in memory of John Hughes'work as screen writer on this film
Iona: Does he have… strong lips?
Andie: How can you tell?
Iona: Did you feel it in your knees?
Andie: I felt it everywhere.
Iona: Strong lips.
[laughs]
Iona: I know I’m old enough to be his mother, but when the Duck laid that kiss on me last night, I swear my thighs just went up in flames! He must practice on melons or something.
Steff: C’mon, I’m talking about more than just sex here.
Andie: No you’re not.
Steff: You know, I’ve been out with a lot of girls at this school. I don’t see what makes you so different.
Andie: Well, I have taste.
Steff: [puts cigarette in mouth] You’re a bitch.
Luis | August 6, 2009 11:35 PM
Another candles from me.