With the passing of the 1980s legend, I was asked by a friend what my favorite Hughes movies were and I have been thinking about it and it has been tough, because do I think of him as a writer or a director? Should I incorporate only movies where he did both? I think the only way to really do it is to take any movie he either wrote or directed. So, with that in mind, I present my 5 favorite movies from the man who created stereotypical teenagers and then made them individuals who broke their stereotypes and then turned around and wrote movies for the whole family to enjoy.
5. Home Alone- To this day, I can pop this movie in and crack up. I love the story, the acting, and the crazy cartoon action. It is a wonderful Christmas movie for the whole family. Hughes wrote a fun script full of great lines for a little kid and he wrote two great goofball criminals played to perfection by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern. I have yet to meet someone who doesn't like this movie. I think if I did meet someone who did not like it, I would question if they were human. It is just a fun Christmas movie where a kid defends his house against two criminals by setting awesome traps that any kids would have loved to set. Oh and let's not forget Angels with filthy Souls, the movie within the movie, being used perfectly. "Keep the change ya filthy animal." Indeed. A collection of the traps used in the clip.
4. Trains, Planes and Automobiles- Tommy Boy is one of my favorite all time movies and I truly believe it would not exist without this movie. I think this movie stands as the best road trip movie, ever. I know people love the "Vacation" movies, but this is just too classic. Steve Martin and John Candy play off each other like they have been best friends forever. The dialogue pops off the screen and the use of swear words is impeccable, especially in one of the car rental scenes. Man, classic. Picking a favorite scene is nearly impossible, but there is something about the sight of Steve Martin being spooned by John Candy is something that has to be seen to be fully understood. So, here it is.
3.Ferris Bueller's Day Off- I just recently met someone who does not like this movie. She is the only one I have ever heard say that. It was my belief that everyone likes this movie and she shattered that, and I was shocked. How can anyone not love this high school fantasy? How can someone not like a movie with such a good message about not worrying about life all of the time and to just enjoy the surroundings. Matthew Broderick is so insanely likable and his relationship with his best friend (A wonderful Alan Ruck) and his beautiful girlfriend(One of my first crushes Mia Sara) is perfect. The movie is known for some great lines, but the lip-sync has always been my favorite sequence because I love that these kids would skip school to do such family friendly things.
2. The Breakfast Club- This could easily be my number pick on any given day. It is the ultimate high school movie. It is hilarious, nasty, depressing and totally awesome. It has kick ass characters, a perfect soundtrack and some of the most killer one-liners. It is also a very serious movie with a wonderful message and a wonderful moral, and while the closing monologue is somewhat heavy handed, the movie is so honest in so many places, a little heavy handedness is not such a big thing. All of the actors do wonderful work, with Anthony Michael Hall really excelling, I think. I think everyone can relate in some way to at least one character and John Hughes wrote a pretty perfect movie and his straight forward directing style really suits this kind of movie. I chose a clip full of Judd Nelson one-liners, only because the dancing clip is too similar to the Ferris Bueller clip I picked.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eifZlYwmDj4
1.Pretty in Pink- If one character can make a movie, it is Duckie. The story of a dorky girl falling in love with a popular kid named Blaine may not be Earth shattering, but there is something about this movie. Molly Ringwald does great work and Andrew McCarthy is perfectly 1980s white boy as Blaine, but really, this movie is all about Duckie. Jon Cryer's pitch perfect embodiment of this weird outcast kid rings true to anyone who has loved their best friend only to never get to be more than friends. John Hughes made every guy-best-friend dreams come true when he let Duckie just tear into Molly's character, saying everything the best friend's in real life have always wanted to say. Duckie gets all the great one-liners and is just overall awesome. Maybe it is not the right reason to like this movie above all of the other ones, but I am okay with that. I chose yet another lip-sync moment, but it is just so perfect.
Normally my lists feature 10 movies, but to be honest, these are the only John Hughes movies I have seen enough times to put on any list. I would love to know what other people think is the best Hughes movies. I really think when he was on, he made such fantastic movies.
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