''The Breakfast Club'' is a 1985 American

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

teen Adolescence () is a transitional stage of human Developmental biology, physical and psychological Human development (biology), development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age o ...

coming-of-age Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can b ...

comedy-drama Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...

film written, produced, and directed by

John Hughes John Hughes may refer to: Arts and Entertainment Literature *John Hughes (poet) (1677–1720), English poet *John Hughes (1790–1857), English author *John Ceiriog Hughes (1832–1887), Welsh poet *John Hughes (writer) (born 1961), Australian au ...

. The

ensemble cast In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that comprises many principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17 Structure In contrast to the po ...

includes

Emilio Estevez Emilio Estevez (; born May 12, 1962) is an American actor and filmmaker. The son of actor Martin Sheen and the older brother of Charlie Sheen, he made his film debut with an uncredited role in '' Badlands'' (1973). He later received his first ...

Paul Gleason Paul Xavier Gleason (May 4, 1939 – May 27, 2006) was an American film and television actor. He was known for his roles on television series such as ''All My Children'' and films such as '' The Breakfast Club'', ''Trading Places'', and ''Di ...

Anthony Michael Hall Anthony Michael Hall (born Michael Anthony Thomas Charles Hall; April 14, 1968) is an American actor, producer and comedian. After his film debut in ''Six Pack (film), Six Pack'' (1982) and a supporting role as Russell "Rusty" Griswold in ''Nat ...

Judd Nelson Judd Asher Nelson (born November 28, 1959) is an American actor. After a lead role in the film '' Making the Grade'' (1984), Nelson had his breakout with a starring role in the coming-of-age teen film ''The Breakfast Club'' (1985), which caused ...

Molly Ringwald Molly Kathleen Ringwald (born February 18, 1968) is an American actress, writer, and translator. She began her career as a child actress on the sitcoms ''Diff'rent Strokes'' and '' The Facts of Life'' (both 1979–1980) before being nominated for ...

, and

Ally Sheedy Alexandra Elizabeth Sheedy (born June 13, 1962) is an American actress. She made her feature film debut in '' Bad Boys'' (1983) and came to prominence as a member of the Brat Pack with roles in '' Oxford Blues'' (1984), '' The Breakfast Club'' ...

. The narrative follows five high school students from different social cliques who spend a Saturday in detention under the supervision of a strict

vice principal In larger school systems, a head teacher principal is often assisted by someone known as a vice-principal, deputy principal, or assistant/associate principal. Unlike the principal, the vice-principal does not have quite the decision-making author ...

, gradually revealing their inner struggles and forming unexpected bonds. Hughes completed the screenplay in 1982 and moved forward with casting following the success of ''

Sixteen Candles ''Sixteen Candles'' is a 1984 American coming-of-age teen comedy film starring Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling, and Anthony Michael Hall. Written and directed by John Hughes in his directorial debut, it was the first in a string of f ...

'' (1984).

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...

took place from March to May 1984 at the shuttered

Maine North High School Maine North High School (officially was known as Maine Township High School North) was a public four–year high school in Des Plaines, Illinois, United States, located northwest of Chicago. Maine North was located in unincorporated Maine Towns ...

Des Plaines, Illinois Des Plaines () is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 60,675. The city is a suburb of Chicago and is located just north of O'Hare International Airport. It is situat ...

, which served as the film's primary location. The film premiered in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

on February 7, 1985, and was released theatrically by

Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...

on February 15. It emerged as a commercial success, grossing $51.5 million against a $1 million budget. Critics widely praised the film's script, performances, and emotional resonance, and it is often cited as one of Hughes's most defining works. The prominence of the main cast contributed to their collective designation as members of the "

Brat Pack ''Brat Pack'' is a nickname given to a group of young actors who frequently appeared together in teen-oriented coming-of-age films in the 1980s. The term ''Brat Pack'', a play on ''Rat Pack'' from the 1950s and 1960s, was first popularized in a ...

", a term popularized in the media. In 2015, ''The Breakfast Club'' was digitally remastered and re-released in 430 theaters to mark its 30th anniversary. The following year, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". The film is widely regarded as one of the greatest teen films ever made and a quintessential work of 1980s American cinema.

Plot

On Saturday, March 24, 1984, five students from different social

cliques A clique ( AusE, CanE, or ; ), in the social sciences, is a small group of individuals who interact with one another and share similar interests rather than include others. Interacting with cliques is part of normative social development regardle ...

report for all-day detention at Shermer High School in the fictional town of Shermer,

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

. They include Brian Johnson, a socially awkward academic; Andrew Clark, a varsity wrestler; Allison Reynolds, a withdrawn loner; Claire Standish, a popular

socialite A socialite is a person, typically a woman from a wealthy or aristocratic background, who is prominent in high society. A socialite generally spends a significant amount of time attending various fashionable social gatherings, instead of having ...

; and John Bender, a rebellious delinquent.

Vice Principal In larger school systems, a head teacher principal is often assisted by someone known as a vice-principal, deputy principal, or assistant/associate principal. Unlike the principal, the vice-principal does not have quite the decision-making author ...

Richard Vernon supervises the group and instructs them not to speak or leave their seats. He assigns a 1,000-word essay on the topic "who you think you are". Bender openly defies the rules, harassing and riling up Vernon, Claire, Brian, and Andrew. His disruptive behavior earns him eight additional detentions. After the students sneak out to retrieve Bender's

marijuana Cannabis (), commonly known as marijuana (), weed, pot, and ganja, List of slang names for cannabis, among other names, is a non-chemically uniform psychoactive drug from the ''Cannabis'' plant. Native to Central or South Asia, cannabis has ...

stash, he allows himself to be caught so the others can return unnoticed. Vernon locks him in a storage closet, where he taunts Bender and dares him to retaliate, but Bender remains silent. He later escapes through the ceiling and rejoins the others in the library. As the day progresses, the students gradually open up to one another. Claire confesses to the pressures of popularity and her parents' manipulative relationship. Bender describes the

physical abuse Physical abuse is any intentional act causing injury or trauma to another person or animal by way of bodily contact. In most cases, children are the victims of physical abuse, but adults can also be victims, as in cases of domestic violence or ...

he endures from his father. Andrew reveals that he taped a fellow student's buttocks together to impress his father and teammates. Brian admits he brought a

flare gun A flare gun, also known as a Very pistol or signal pistol, is a large-bore handgun that discharges flares, blanks and smoke. The flare gun is typically used to produce a distress signal. Types The most common type of flare gun is a Very (s ...

to school after contemplating suicide due to academic pressure. Allison, neglected by her parents, admits she came to detention voluntarily. Despite their differences, the students bond over shared insecurities and struggles. Allison and Andrew develop a romantic connection, as do Claire and Bender. Claire gives Allison a

makeover A makeover is a radical change in appearance. When the word is used to describe a change in human physical appearance, it may imply a change in clothing, haircut, or cosmetics. A personal makeover might also include weight loss, plastic surgery, ...

, prompting Andrew's attraction, and later gifts Bender one of her diamond earrings. Meanwhile, Vernon laments to janitor Carl that students have become disrespectful, but Carl suggests that Vernon has grown cynical and cares too much about their opinions. Before leaving, the group agrees to let Brian write the essay for all of them. He submits a letter challenging Vernon's preconceived notions that each of them fits into a stereotype and arguing that they all share the inner traits of "...a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal". The letter concludes, "Sincerely yours, the Breakfast Club." As the students depart, Bender walks across the football field and raises his fist in a silent gesture of defiance and triumph.

Cast

as Andrew Clark, a wrestler in Saturday detention for taping another student's butt cheeks together *

as Richard Vernon, the domineering vice principal of Shermer High School who oversees the Saturday detention *

as Brian Johnson, an academic in Saturday detention for taking a

to school *

John Kapelos John Kapelos (born March 8, 1956) is a Canadian actor from London, Ontario. He is best known for his portrayals of janitor Carl Reed in ''The Breakfast Club''Judd Nelson Judd Asher Nelson (born November 28, 1959) is an American actor. After a lead role in the film '' Making the Grade'' (1984), Nelson had his breakout with a starring role in the coming-of-age teen film ''The Breakfast Club'' (1985), which caused ...

as John Bender, a rebel in Saturday detention for setting off the fire alarm *

as Claire Standish, a socialite in Saturday detention for skipping school *

as Allison Reynolds, a loner who voluntarily goes to Saturday detention *

Ron Dean Ron Dean (born August 15, 1938) is an American film and television actor. He appeared in films including ''Rudy (film), Rudy'', ''Risky Business'', ''The Breakfast Club'', ''Cocktail (1988 film), Cocktail'', ''The Babe'', ''The Fugitive (1993 f ...

as Mr. Clark, Andrew's father * Mercedes Hall as Mrs. Johnson, Brian's mother * Mary Christian as Brian's sister * Tim Gamble as Mr. Standish, Claire's father * Perry Crawford & Fran Gargano as (respectively) Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds, Allison's parents *

as Mr. Johnson (uncredited cameo), Brian's father

Production

Development

The film was originally titled ''The Lunch Bunch'', but writer-director

changed it to ''The Breakfast Club'' after hearing the term from a friend's high school detention group. Hughes wrote the script around the same time as ''Sixteen Candles'', which he completed in a matter of days. That script impressed studio executives, who chose it to mark his directorial debut instead.

Casting

and

, both of whom starred in ''

'' (1984), were approached by Hughes toward the end of that film's production. Hall was cast first as Brian Johnson, with his real-life mother and sister appearing as his character's family members. Ringwald was initially offered the role of Allison Reynolds, but she lobbied strongly to play Claire Standish (named "Cathy" in early drafts). After auditions with other actresses, including

Robin Wright Robin Gayle Wright (born April 8, 1966) is an American actress, producer and director. She has received accolades including a Golden Globe Award, and nominations for eight Primetime Emmy Awards. Wright first gained attention for her role ...

Jodie Foster Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster (born November 19, 1962) is an American actress and filmmaker. Foster started her career as a child actor before establishing herself as leading actress in film. She has received List of awards and nominations re ...

Diane Lane Diane Lane (born January 22, 1965) is an American actress. Her accolades include nominations for an Academy Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards. Lane made her film debut in George Roy Hill's 1979 film '' A Littl ...

, and

Laura Dern Laura Elizabeth Dern (born February 10, 1967) is an American actress. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and five Golden Globe Awards. Born ...

, Ringwald secured the role of Claire.

was subsequently cast as Allison Reynolds.

was originally slated to portray Bender, but when no suitable actor could be found to play Andrew Clark, Estevez was reassigned to that role.

Nicolas Cage Nicolas Kim Coppola (born January 7, 1964), known professionally as Nicolas Cage, is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Nicolas Cage, various accolades, including an Academy A ...

was considered for Bender, while

Alan Ruck Alan Douglas Ruck (born July 1, 1956) is an American actor. He is known for portraying Cameron Frye in John Hughes' film '' Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' (1986), as well as television roles as Stuart Bondek on the ABC sitcom '' Spin City'' (1996� ...

also auditioned. The choice narrowed to

John Cusack John Paul Cusack ( ; born June 28, 1966)(28 June 1996)Today's birthdays ''Santa Cruz Sentinel'', ("Actors John Cusack is 30") is an American actor. With a career spanning over four decades, he has appeared in over 80 films. He began acting in f ...

and

; though Hughes initially cast Cusack, he was later replaced by Nelson for not appearing sufficiently intimidating. Nelson's method acting, including staying in character off-camera and reportedly harassing Ringwald, led Hughes to consider firing him, though the cast persuaded him otherwise.

Rick Moranis Frederick Allan Moranis (; born April 18, 1953) is a Canadian actor, comedian, musician, producer, songwriter and writer. Moranis appeared in the sketch comedy series '' Second City Television'' (''SCTV'') in the 1980s and starred afterward in s ...

was originally cast as the janitor, Carl, but was removed by producer

Ned Tanen Ned Stone Tanen (September 20, 1931 – January 5, 2009) was an American film studio executive. The films he produced were some of the most popular films of the 1970s and 1980s, including the key Brat Pack films '' The Breakfast Club'' and '' ...

due to his broad comedic portrayal, which conflicted with the film's tone.

John Kapelos John Kapelos (born March 8, 1956) is a Canadian actor from London, Ontario. He is best known for his portrayals of janitor Carl Reed in ''The Breakfast Club''

Filming

Despite initial skepticism over his inexperience, Hughes convinced financiers that the film's modest $1 million budget and single-location setup minimized their risk. He originally intended ''The Breakfast Club'' to be his directorial debut, choosing to write about high school students portrayed by young actors in an enclosed setting.

began on March 28, 1984, and concluded in May. Filming took place at the closed

, which had also been used for interior scenes in ''

Ferris Bueller's Day Off ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' is a 1986 American Teen film, teen comedy film written, co-produced, and directed by John Hughes (filmmaker), John Hughes. The film stars Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara, and Alan Ruck, with supporting roles from Jenn ...

'' (1986), while exterior shots for that film were filmed at nearby

Glenbrook North High School Glenbrook North High School (also known as GBN) is a public high school in Northbrook, Illinois, a north suburb of Chicago, United States. It was established in 1953 and is part of the Northfield Township High School District 225. In 2022, it ...

. As the school's library was too small for filming, an enlarged replica was constructed inside the gymnasium. The cast rehearsed for three weeks before filming began and the scenes were shot in chronological order.

improvised multiple versions of the ending before the iconic fist pump was finalized. The dance sequence was originally written for Claire alone, but at Ringwald's request, Hughes expanded it to include the group. According to the ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' DVD commentary, Hughes filmed parts of both movies simultaneously and shared crew across projects. The initial cut of ''The Breakfast Club'' ran 150 minutes. In 2009,

revealed during a 25th anniversary cast reunion that a director's cut exists, but Hughes's widow declined to provide details about its status. In 2015, the film's original script draft was discovered in a cabinet at Maine South High School during office relocation.

Poster

The film's iconic poster, featuring the five principal characters posed together, was photographed by

Annie Leibovitz Anna-Lou Leibovitz ( ; born October 2, 1949) is an American Portrait photography, portrait photographer best known for her portraits, particularly of celebrities, which often feature subjects in intimate settings and poses. Leibovitz's Polaroid ...

near the end of production. The image of the cast looking directly into the camera became influential in teen film marketing. The poster described the characters as "a brain, a beauty, a jock, a rebel, and a recluse", slightly differing from the film's own terminology and sequence. The image, including Bender's raised fist, has been widely referenced and parodied, notably in the promotional material for ''

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 ''The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2'' (also known as ''The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2'') is a 1986 American black comedy slasher film co-composed and directed by Tobe Hooper, and written by L. M. Kit Carson. It is the sequel to ''The Texas Cha ...

'' (1986). It also inspired the chapter title page of Chapter 29 in the Japanese manga series ''

Akane-banashi is a Japanese manga series written by Yuki Suenaga and illustrated by Takamasa Moue. It follows teenager Akane Osaki as she aims to reach the highest rank in , partly to avenge her father, who was expelled from the profession six years earlier ...

''.

Themes

''The Breakfast Club'' explores the emotional and psychological struggles of American teenagers, particularly their desire to be understood by both adults and their peers. Central to the film is the tension between adolescents and authority figures, as well as the pressure teenagers face to conform to rigid social roles within high school. Each student initially identifies with a specific stereotype—such as "brain", "athlete", or "criminal"—but over the course of the day, they reveal personal vulnerabilities that transcend these labels. The film critiques the expectations imposed by parents, teachers, and society, emphasizing the disconnect between how teenagers are perceived and who they truly are. As the characters interact, they begin to recognize shared experiences, leading to a deeper empathy for one another. This dismantling of social stereotypes underscores the idea that personal identity cannot be defined by superficial labels alone. Authority figures, particularly Vice Principal Richard Vernon, are portrayed in a negative light. Vernon is depicted as authoritarian, condescending, and disconnected from the students' emotional realities. His repeated confrontations with Bender—who resists submission—illustrate the generational and ideological divide between youth and adults. The film suggests that Vernon's behavior is driven more by insecurity than genuine concern for discipline or mentorship.

Release

''The Breakfast Club'' premiered in Los Angeles on February 7, 1985. It was released theatrically in the United States by

on February 15, 1985.

Home media

The film was initially released on

VHS VHS (Video Home System) is a discontinued standard for consumer-level analog video recording on tape cassettes, introduced in 1976 by JVC. It was the dominant home video format throughout the tape media period of the 1980s and 1990s. Ma ...

and

LaserDisc LaserDisc (LD) is a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. It was developed by Philips, Pioneer Corporation, Pioneer, and the movie studio MCA Inc., MCA. The format was initially marketed in the United State ...

. In 2003, it was issued on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...

as part of Universal's "High School Reunion Collection". A "Flashback Edition" DVD followed in 2008, featuring bonus content including an

audio commentary An audio commentary is an additional audio track, usually digital, consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, that plays in real time with a video. Commentaries can be serious or entertaining in nature, and can add informatio ...

with cast members

and

. A 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray was released in 2010, and the same disc was repackaged with a DVD and digital copy in 2012 as part of Universal's 100th Anniversary series. To commemorate its 30th anniversary, a digitally remastered edition was released on March 10, 2015, in DVD, Digital HD, and Blu-ray formats. The restoration was sourced from the film's original 35mm negatives to enhance picture quality. On January 2, 2018,

The Criterion Collection The Criterion Collection, Inc. (or simply Criterion) is an American home video, home-video distribution company that focuses on licensing, restoring and distributing "important classic and contemporary films". A "sister company" of art film, arth ...

released a special edition featuring both a two-disc

set and a standalone

Blu-ray Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...

. While the transfer remained consistent with the 2015 restoration, the release included additional bonus content such as over fifty minutes of deleted and extended scenes, archival interviews, a 1985 excerpt from ''Today'', an

Electronic Press Kit A press kit, often referred to as a media kit in business environments, is a pre-packaged set of promotional materials that provide information about a person, company, organization or cause and which is distributed to members of the media for p ...

, a new video essay, and an episode of ''

This American Life ''This American Life'' is a weekly hour-long American radio program produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media and hosted by Ira Glass. It is broadcast on numerous public radio stations in the United States and internationally, and is ...

'' focused on the film's cultural legacy.

Reception

Box office

''The Breakfast Club'' debuted at number three at the North American box office in its opening weekend in February 1985, behind ''

Beverly Hills Cop ''Beverly Hills Cop'' is a 1984 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Martin Brest, with a screenplay by Daniel Petrie Jr., and story by Danilo Bach and Daniel Petrie Jr. It stars Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley, a street-smart Det ...

'' and ''

Witness In law, a witness is someone who, either voluntarily or under compulsion, provides testimonial evidence, either oral or written, of what they know or claim to know. A witness might be compelled to provide testimony in court, before a grand jur ...

''. The film went on to earn $45.9 million in the United States and Canada and $51.5 million worldwide, making it a commercial success against its modest $1 million production budget.

Critical response

Upon its release, ''The Breakfast Club'' received generally positive reviews, with critics praising its performances and insightful portrayal of teenage dynamics, though some took issue with its sentimentality and dialogue. On the

review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews and ratings of products and services, such as films, books, video games, music, software, hardware, or cars. This system then stores the reviews to be used for supporting a website where user ...

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

, ''The Breakfast Club'' holds an approval rating of 86% based on 111 reviews, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "If The Breakfast Club's gestures towards authenticity are occasionally undercut by trendy flourishes, its blistering emotional honesty and talented troupe of young actors catapult it to the top of the teen comedy class." On

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

, the film has a weighted average score of 66 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...

of the ''

Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation among Chicago newspaper ...

'' awarded the film three out of four stars, calling the performances "wonderful" and noting that while the film was "more or less predictable", it worked because it captured teenagers "willing to talk to one another" with a "surprisingly good ear for the way they speak".

Gene Siskel Eugene Kal Siskel (January 26, 1946 – February 20, 1999) was an American film critic and journalist for the ''Chicago Tribune'' who co-hosted a movie review television series alongside colleague Roger Ebert. Siskel started writing for the '' ...

of the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...

'' gave it three-and-a-half stars out of four, praising its use of a confined setting and comparing its format to ''

My Dinner with Andre ''My Dinner with Andre'' is a 1981 American drama film directed by Louis Malle, and written by and starring André Gregory and Wallace Shawn as fictionalized versions of themselves sharing a conversation at Café des Artistes in Manhattan. The ...

'' (1981) and '' The Big Chill'' (1983), adding that the film's restraint from typical teen-movie tropes was "much to our delight". Kathleen Carroll of the ''

New York Daily News The ''Daily News'' is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson in New York City as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in Tabloid (newspaper format ...

'' commended Hughes's ability to convey adolescent emotions and lauded the "exceptional cast", stating they "deserve top grades". In a more reserved take,

Janet Maslin Janet R. Maslin (born August 12, 1949) is an American journalist, who served as a film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1977 to 1999, serving as chief critic for the last six years, and then a literary critic from 2000 to 2015. In 2000, M ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' criticized some of the characters as "unplayable", especially those portrayed by

and

. While she acknowledged the cast's chemistry, she argued that the film imposed "fraudulent encounter-group candor" instead of allowing more organic interaction.

James Berardinelli James Berardinelli (born September 25, 1967) is an American film critic. His reviews are mainly published on his blog ''ReelViews.'' Approved as a critic by the aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, he has published two collections of reviews of movies on ...

, writing retrospectively in 1998, noted that although the film was "a little talky", it had a "candor that is unexpected and refreshing" compared to more generic teen films. Political commentator

P. J. O'Rourke Patrick Jake O'Rourke (November 14, 1947 – February 15, 2022) was an American author, journalist, and political satirist who wrote twenty-two books on subjects as diverse as politics, cars, etiquette, and economics. '' Parliament of Whores'' ...

, reflecting in 2015, called it one of Hughes's "masterworks", highlighting its underlying conservative message about individuality and liberty over collective rebellion. James Harwood of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' criticized the film's emphasis on dialogue over action, suggesting it might appear profound to its teenage audience simply because the characters talk rather than engage in typical teen-film antics. He concluded that this choice "should not suggest they have anything intelligent to say".

Accolades

Soundtrack

The film's official soundtrack, ''The Breakfast Club (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'', was produced by British pop musician

Keith Forsey Keith Forsey (born 2 January 1948) is an English pop musician and record producer. Early life Forsey began his career as a percussionist in the mid-late 1960s as the drummer for The Spectrum and as the drummer in Udo Lindenberg's Panik Orche ...

and released by

A&M Records A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group and functions as a branch of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Interscope-Geffen-A&M. Established in 1962 by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, the label initially operated independent ...

on February 19, 1985. The album reached number 17 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart in the United States. The soundtrack's most iconic track, "

Don't You (Forget About Me) "Don't You (Forget About Me)" is a song by the Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released as a single in 1985. It was written and composed by the record producer Keith Forsey and the guitarist Steve Schiff for the film '' The Breakfast Club'' ...

" by Scottish rock band

Simple Minds Simple Minds are a Scottish Rock music, rock band formed in Glasgow in 1977, becoming best known internationally for their song "Don't You (Forget About Me)" (1985), which topped the ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' Billboard Hot 100, Hot 100 ...

, was released as a single on February 23, 1985, in the United States, where it topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The song was subsequently released in the United Kingdom on April 8, 1985. It remains closely associated with the film and is prominently featured in the final scene, becoming one of the most recognizable songs of the decade.

Track listing

Overview

The soundtrack album for ''The Breakfast Club'' features ten tracks performed by artists from the

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

and new wave genres, including three instrumental compositions by producer

. The most prominent track, "

" by

, plays during both the film's opening and closing credits and became an international hit. Music videos were produced for that song as well as for Wang Chung's "Fire in the Twilight", which peaked at number 110 on the ''

Billboard Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), ...

'' chart. Notably, the "

Colonel Bogey March The "Colonel Bogey March" is a British march that was composed in 1914 by Lieutenant F. J. Ricketts (1881–1945) (pen name Kenneth J. Alford), a British Army bandmaster who later became the director of music for the Royal Marines at Plymout ...

whistled Whistling, without the use of an artificial whistle, is achieved by creating a small opening with one's lips, usually after applying moisture (licking one's lips or placing water upon them) and then blowing or sucking air through the space. Th ...

by the students as Principal Vernon enters the library, was not included on the official soundtrack album.

Critical reception

Initial critical reception to the soundtrack was mixed. Writing for ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...

'' in 1985, music critic

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...

gave the album a grade of "D−", describing its songs as "utterly negligible". He also noted that

had attempted to distance themselves from "

", despite the song's success. In a retrospective review,

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

awarded the album three out of five stars. While praising the Simple Minds track as an "undisputed masterpiece", he described the remainder of the album as "disposable", citing its dated production and unmemorable instrumentals.

Legacy

''The Breakfast Club'' has often been cited as the quintessential 1980s film. In 2008, ''

Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...

'' ranked it at number 369 on its list of ''The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time'', and it later rose to number 38 in the magazine's 2014 update. ''

'' included the film on its list of the ''Best 1000 Movies Ever'', while ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...

'' ranked it number one on its list of ''The 50 Best High School Movies''. Scholar Björn Sonnenberg-Schrank referred to it as "the ''

Citizen Kane ''Citizen Kane'' is a 1941 American Drama (film and television), drama film directed by, produced by and starring Orson Welles and co-written by Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz. It was Welles's List of directorial debuts, first feature film. ...

'' of the teen film genre", emphasizing its lasting influence within the American coming-of-age tradition. Actor

Sebastian Stan Sebastian Stan (born August 13, 1982) is a Romania-born American actor. Known for his work in both blockbuster and independent films, his accolades include a Golden Globe Award and a Silver Bear, in addition to nominations for an Academy A ...

later described the Marvel film ''Thunderbolts'' (2025) as "The ''Breakfast Club'' of Marvel", further underscoring the film's cultural imprint. The film has been frequently referenced and parodied in popular media. In the 2001 spoof ''

Not Another Teen Movie ''Not Another Teen Movie'' is a 2001 American teen parody film directed by Joel Gallen and written by Mike Bender, Adam Jay Epstein, Andrew Jacobson, Phil Beauman, and Buddy Johnson. It features Chyler Leigh, Chris Evans, Jaime Pressly, Er ...

'', Paul Gleason reprised his role as Vice Principal Vernon in a scene directly parodying ''The Breakfast Club''. In 2012, the

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...

television series ''Victorious'' featured a tribute episode titled "The Breakfast Bunch", drawing from the film's characters and setting. In 2005, ''The Breakfast Club'' received the Silver Bucket of Excellence Award at the

MTV Movie Awards The MTV Movie & TV Awards is a film and television awards show previously presented annually on MTV. It began as the MTV Movie Awards in 1992, when its 1992 MTV Movie Awards, first edition was held, and adopted its current name in 2017, beginnin ...

, recognizing its cultural impact on its 20th anniversary. MTV reunited much of the cast for the event:

, and

appeared (with

John Kapelos John Kapelos (born March 8, 1956) is a Canadian actor from London, Ontario. He is best known for his portrayals of janitor Carl Reed in ''The Breakfast Club''Emilio Estevez Emilio Estevez (; born May 12, 1962) is an American actor and filmmaker. The son of actor Martin Sheen and the older brother of Charlie Sheen, he made his film debut with an uncredited role in '' Badlands'' (1973). He later received his first ...

was unable to attend due to other commitments, and Nelson, though present earlier, did not appear on stage. Hall joked that the two were "in Africa with

Dave Chappelle David Khari Webber Chappelle ( ; born August 24, 1973) is an American stand-up comedy, stand-up comedian and actor. He starred in and co-created the satirical comedy sketch series ''Chappelle's Show'' (2003–2006) before quitting in the middle ...

". As part of the tribute, the band

Yellowcard Yellowcard is an American rock band who formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1997. Their official lineup currently consists of lead singer Ryan Key, lead guitarist Ryan Mendez, bassist Josh Portman and violinist Sean Mackin. Primarily a pop- ...

performed

’ iconic theme song from the film, "Don't You (Forget About Me)". At the

82nd Academy Awards The 82nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2009 and took place on March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, beginning at 5:30 p.m. ...

on March 7, 2010, Hall, Ringwald, Sheedy, and Nelson joined a tribute to

, who had passed away the previous year. They were joined by other actors associated with Hughes's work, including

Jon Cryer Jonathan Niven Cryer (born April 16, 1965) is an American actor. Born into a show business family, he made his film debut with a lead role in ''No Small Affair'' (1984); his breakout role was as Duckie in the John Hughes (filmmaker), John Hughe ...

(''

Pretty in Pink ''Pretty in Pink'' is a 1986 American teen romantic comedy-drama film about love and social cliques in American high schools in the 1980s. The film stars Molly Ringwald, alongside Harry Dean Stanton, Jon Cryer, Annie Potts, James Spader, a ...

''),

Matthew Broderick Matthew Broderick (born March 21, 1962) is an American actor. He starred in ''WarGames'' (1983) as a teen government hacker, and ''Ladyhawke (film), Ladyhawke'' (1985), a medieval fantasy alongside Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer. He play ...

(''

''), and

Macaulay Culkin Macaulay Macaulay Culkin Culkin (born Macaulay Carson Culkin; ) is an American actor and musician. Considered one of the most successful child actors of the 1990s, Culkin has received a Golden Globe Award nomination and other accolades. In 200 ...

(''

Home Alone ''Home Alone'' is a 1990 American Christmas comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dar ...

''). In 2018, ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...

'' published an essay by Ringwald reflecting on Hughes's legacy in the context of the #MeToo movement. She recounted her experience rewatching the film with her ten-year-old daughter, particularly addressing a scene in which her character appears to be sexually harassed. While the essay drew criticism from some who viewed it as a betrayal of Hughes, others, including author

Jenny Han Jenny Han (born September 3, 1980) is an American author, screenwriter, executive producer, and showrunner. She is best known for writing '' The Summer I Turned Pretty'' trilogy, which she adapted into a TV series for Prime Video. She also wrot ...

, praised it as a "tender, fair-minded piece". In April 2025, all five principal cast members—Hall, Estevez, Nelson, Ringwald, and Sheedy—reunited for a panel discussion in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, marking the first full reunion of the ensemble in forty years.

Cancelled sequel

had considered developing a sequel to ''The Breakfast Club'' that would reunite the original characters years later during a university detention session. The concept involved the characters having evolved into personalities that contrasted with their high school identities, highlighting how they had changed over time. However, the project was never realized, and no sequel was produced prior to Hughes's death in 2009.

References

External links

* * * *
''The Breakfast Club: Smells Like Teen Realness''
– an essay by David Kamp at

{{DEFAULTSORT:Breakfast Club 1985 films 1985 comedy-drama films 1985 independent films 1980s American films 1980s coming-of-age comedy-drama films 1980s English-language films 1980s high school films 1980s teen comedy-drama films A&M Films films American coming-of-age comedy-drama films American independent films American high school films American teen comedy-drama films Des Plaines, Illinois English-language comedy-drama films English-language independent films Films about juvenile delinquency Films directed by John Hughes (filmmaker) Films produced by John Hughes (filmmaker) Fictional quintets Films set in 1984 Films set in Illinois Films set in libraries Films shot in Illinois Films with screenplays by John Hughes (filmmaker) United States National Film Registry films Universal Pictures films

Plot

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Overview

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Cancelled sequel

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