The Magic of John Hughes…

Nostalgia is Forever.

“Screws fall out all the time. The world is an imperfect place.”

- John Bender

Those growing up and entering their teenage years during the 1980’s were left with a substantial and permanent mark on their formative years, through the magic of the John Hughes film era.

In those days, some women began styling their hair to look like Molly Ringwald or Ally Sheedy and young men began copying the styles of Anthony Michael Hall, Emilio Estevez and Rob Lowe. Flannel shirts, ripped jeans and high top sneakers were the fad.

Iconic filmmaker, John Hughes not only created characters for his films, but also created fantastic style, role models, inspirations, and culture pioneers of the 80’s. His works are indeed, timeless.

John’s films were serious, fun, fueled with passion and always had a lesson to teach.

Many familiar, famous faces would go on to become known as the Brat Pack and those movies would go on to take the world by storm grossing billions of dollars, making Hughes and his defining moments in his films the philosophy of adolescence.

The fact that John Hughes was able to create simplistic messages with complex solutions in these films continue to resonate as nostalgic accounts of the culture and moments of growth at the time. They continue to be, even to this day in film… without a doubt unrivaled.

Films like the Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles and even the Home Alone films written and produced by Hughes, dealt with real life social, emotional, and physical development.

The world was and is an imperfect place…

There’s no denying this, and Hughes was able to demonstrate how human nature deals with it.

In all his films, Hughes was able to capture those moments and brilliantly portray them along with the problems we all face ultimately bringing us to understand how to deal with them.

In John Hughes’ films we can all relate and share in those character experiences on screen…

And for those 2 hours watching them, allow ourselves to share those moments in contrast with our very own lives.

Those films validate us.

I was that awkward young man dealing with those social anxieties as portrayed in many of his movies. I related to his films as if they were talking about me. I felt as though I wasn’t alone.

For many years John Hughes avoided media and interviews, as reporters attempted to understand and express his works…

John Hughes didn’t need to explain it — people just knew.

I’m a Gen-Xer who hit my preteen & teen years in the 80s. A post-70’s era marked kid. A product of the times like every generation is, by people, places, and events that shape it.

My days were filled with Rubik’s cubes, Back to the Future, the Goonies, Michael Jackson, NASA Space Shuttles, and Casey Kasem’s Top 40 countdown.

Afternoons playing Atari and Nintendo, breakdancing, wearing Windbreakers and having Wild hair, while listening to Mix tapes was the flavor of the day.

Although life was far from perfect at home and in school, John’s films had a way in showing me the silver lining… in almost everything.

In essence, his films became the soundtrack that paralleled my own life.

Movies like Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Uncle Buck, Weird Science, and Planes, Trains, & Automobiles are sure to have graced everyone’s television screens at sometime.

I lived in those films. I identified with those characters and it felt like I was in familiar company as I watched them.

Films like the Breakfast Club shaped my teenage years when it came out as I was just entering high school.

The Breakfast Club was so deep in dialogue and dealt with important issues in the coming of age for many and the soundtracks to his films were stellar.

Alike, all his films solidified and augmented teens identities. I could relate on every level.

Films like Ferris Bueller embraced high schoolers and celebrated their transgressions against the norm.

For a generation, like me considered as having grown up as latchkey kids and without a true identity, John Hughes showed me otherwise.

He captured our essence leaving us with a nostalgia that is both purposeful and bittersweet. His endings weren’t always a happy ending, but they didn’t need to be. As in real life, there often isn’t.

Hughes’ movies, were strong in their content and there never had to be a sequel to his movies like many films today…

Movies like Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, & Uncle Buck didn’t need to have them…

Those stories and character arcs were complete.

While we didn’t know what was ultimately going to happen to these people in the films, we were left satisfied knowing that things were going to be okay.

It gave us absolute hope as we related them to our own, very lives.

And in almost every case, through his dramatic content sprinkled with a healthy dose of humor, his films reached out and captured our hearts and the times so perfectly.

I continue to revel in those colorful moments he captured in his films and share them with my children today. Sure the times have changed, but the same social pressures exist. That Hughes philosophy has a magic that makes it possible for people to make those moments great learning experiences.

One things for sure, the magic of John Hughes is something of the past.

Films today, are very unlike his stylish touch with that coming of age spice. His films dealt with real issues that continue even today, and how humanity can shine through and reach answers no matter what.

Hughes’ films have touched my soul like no other. They continue to resonate with me still to this day, and I’m able to have those feelings still when I rewatch them over and over again. All these years later, they remain with me, just as fresh as when I first saw them and heighten my sense of humanity.

And that’s what it’s all about.

Being human.

Thanks John… For everything.

• CJ

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