John Wilden Hughes Jr. (February 18, 1950 – August 6, 2009) was an American filmmaker and producer. He is best known for writing, producing, and directing such films as ''
Sixteen Candles'', ''
The Breakfast Club'', ''
Weird Science'', ''
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 ...
'', ''
Planes, Trains and Automobiles'', and ''
Uncle Buck'', and writing ''
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 ...
'' and ''
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 ...
''.
Most of Hughes's works were set 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 ...
. His films often combine slapstick comedy with heartfelt moments. Actors whose careers Hughes helped launch include
John Candy
John Franklin Candy (October 31, 1950 – March 4, 1994) was a Canadian actor and comedian who is best known for his work in Hollywood (film industry), Hollywood films. Candy first rose to national prominence in the 1970s as a member of the Tor ...
,
Molly Ringwald,
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 ...
,
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 ...
, 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 ...
. Hughes has since been considered an icon defining the 1980s with his coming-of-age stories, capturing the teenage experience and shaping the teen movie genre.
Early life and education
Hughes was born on February 18, 1950, in
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Michigan. The most populous city in Ingham County, Michigan, Ingham County, parts of the city extend into Eaton County, Michigan, Eaton County and nort ...
, to Marion Crawford, who volunteered in charity work, and John Wilden Hughes, who worked in sales. He was the only boy, and had three sisters. He spent the first twelve years of his life in
Grosse Pointe, Michigan
Grosse Pointe is a city in Wayne County, Michigan, Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 5,678.
Grosse Pointe is an eastern suburb of Metro Detroit along La ...
, where he was a fan of
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
right winger Gordie Howe.
One of Howe's #9 jerseys, sent by Howe himself, was later prominently featured in Hughes's 1986 film ''
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 ...
''. Hughes described himself as "kind of quiet":
In 1963, Hughes's family moved to
Northbrook, Illinois
Northbrook is a suburb of Chicago, located at the northern edge of Cook County, Illinois, United States, on the border of Lake County, Illinois, Lake County. It is part of a collection of upscale residential communities north of Chicago and belon ...
, a suburb of Chicago. There, his father found work selling roofing materials.
Hughes attended Grove Middle School, later going on to
Glenbrook North High School, which gave him inspiration for the films that eventually made his reputation. He met Nancy Ludwig, a cheerleader and his future wife, in high school. As a teenager, Hughes turned to movies as an escape. According to childhood friend Jackson Peterson, "His mom and dad criticized him a lot (...) She
arion
Arion (; ) was a kitharode in ancient Greece, a Dionysiac poet credited with inventing the dithyramb. The islanders of Lesbos claimed him as their native son, but Arion found a patron in Periander, tyrant of Corinth. Although notable for his mu ...
would be critical of what John would want to do". Hughes was a fan of the Beatles,
and allegedly knew a lot about movies and the
Rat Pack
The Rat Pack was an informal group of singers that, in its second iteration, ultimately made films and appeared together in Las Vegas casino venues. They originated in the late 1940s and early 1950s as a group of A-list show business friends, s ...
.
Career
1970–1981: Rise to prominence
After dropping out of the
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it ...
,
Hughes began selling jokes to well-established performers such as
Rodney Dangerfield
Jack Roy (born Jacob Cohen; November 22, 1921 – October 5, 2004), better known by the stage name Rodney Dangerfield, was an American stand-up comedian, actor, screenwriter, and producer. He was known for his self-deprecating one-liner humor, ...
and
Joan Rivers
Joan Alexandra Molinsky (June 8, 1933 – September 4, 2014), known professionally as Joan Rivers, was an American comedienne, actress, producer, writer and television host. She was noted for her blunt, often controversial comedic persona that w ...
.
Hughes used his jokes to get an entry-level job at
Needham, Harper & Steers as an advertising
copywriter
Copywriting is the act or occupation of writing text for the purpose of advertising or other forms of marketing. Copywriting is aimed at selling products or services. The product, called copy or sales copy, is written content that aims to incre ...
in Chicago in 1970
and later in 1974 at
Leo Burnett Worldwide. During this period, he created what became the famous Edge "Credit Card Shaving Test" ad campaign.
Hughes's work on the
Virginia Slims
Virginia Slims is an American brand of cigarettes owned by Altria. It is manufactured by Philip Morris USA (in the United States) and Philip Morris International (outside the United States).
Virginia Slims are narrower ( circumference) than stan ...
account frequently took him to the
Philip Morris headquarters in New York City, which allowed him to visit the offices of ''
National Lampoon'' magazine.
Soon thereafter, Hughes became a regular contributor;
editor
P. J. O'Rourke recalled that "John wrote so fast and so well that it was hard for a monthly magazine to keep up with him."
One of Hughes's first stories, inspired by his family trips as a child,
was "Vacation '58", later to become the basis for the film ''
National Lampoon's Vacation
''National Lampoon's Vacation'', sometimes referred to as simply ''Vacation'', is a 1983 American black comedy road film directed by Harold Ramis and starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Imogene Coca, Randy Quaid, John Candy, and Chris ...
''.
Among his other contributions to the ''Lampoon'', the
April Fools' Day
April Fools' Day or April Fool's Day (rarely called All Fools' Day) is an annual custom on the 1st of April consisting of practical jokes, hoaxes, and pranks. Jokesters often expose their actions by shouting "April Fool " at the recipient. ...
stories "My Penis" and "My Vagina" gave an early indication of Hughes's ear for the particular rhythm of teenspeak, as well as for the various indignities of teenage life in general.
1982–1986: Breakthrough and teen films
His first credited screenplay, ''
National Lampoon's Class Reunion'', was written while he was still on staff at the magazine. The resulting film became the second disastrous attempt by the flagship to duplicate the runaway success of ''
National Lampoon's Animal House''. Hughes's next screenplay for the imprint, however, ''
National Lampoon's Vacation
''National Lampoon's Vacation'', sometimes referred to as simply ''Vacation'', is a 1983 American black comedy road film directed by Harold Ramis and starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Imogene Coca, Randy Quaid, John Candy, and Chris ...
'',
would become a major hit in 1983. This, along with the success of another Hughes script that same year, ''
Mr. Mom'', earned him a three-film deal with
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 ...
.
Hughes's directorial debut, ''
Sixteen Candles'' (1984), won almost unanimous praise when it was released in 1984, due in no small part to its more honest depiction of navigating adolescence and the social dynamics of high school life in stark contrast to the ''
Porky's''-inspired comedies made at the time. It was the first in a string of efforts about teenage life set in or around high school, including ''
The Breakfast Club'' (1985), ''
Weird Science'' (1985), and ''
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), all of which he wrote and directed, and ''
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 ...
'' (1986) and ''
Some Kind of Wonderful'' (1987), which he wrote and produced.
1987–2008: Beyond teen movies
To avoid being pigeonholed as a maker of only teen movies, Hughes branched out in 1987 by writing, directing, and producing the hit comedy ''
Planes, Trains and Automobiles'' starring
Steve Martin
Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American comedian, actor, writer, producer, and musician. Known for Steve Martin filmography, his work in comedy films, television, and #Discography, recording, he has received List of awards a ...
and
John Candy
John Franklin Candy (October 31, 1950 – March 4, 1994) was a Canadian actor and comedian who is best known for his work in Hollywood (film industry), Hollywood films. Candy first rose to national prominence in the 1970s as a member of the Tor ...
. His later output was not so well received critically, with films like ''
Dutch'' (1991), written and produced by Hughes, performing poorly at the box office. Films like ''
Uncle Buck'' and ''
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'', however, proved popular. His final film as a director was 1991's ''
Curly Sue''. By that time, in 1991, his John Hughes Entertainment production company had signed various deals with
20th Century Fox
20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
and
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
Actor John Candy created many memorable roles in films written, directed or produced by Hughes, including ''National Lampoon's Vacation'' (1983), ''Planes, Trains and Automobiles'' (1987), ''
The Great Outdoors'' (1988), ''Uncle Buck'' (1989), ''Home Alone'' (1990), ''
Career Opportunities'' and ''
Only the Lonely'' (both 1991). Over the years, Hughes and Candy developed a close friendship. Hughes was greatly shaken by Candy's sudden death from a heart attack in 1994. "He talked a lot about how much he loved Candy—if Candy had lived longer, I think John would have made more films as a director", says
Vince Vaughn
Vincent Anthony Vaughn (born March 28, 1970) is an American actor. He is known for starring as a leading man in numerous comedy films during the late 1990s and 2000s. He was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Awards, Screen Actors Guild Award ...
, a friend of Hughes.
Hughes's greatest commercial success came with ''
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 ...
'' (1990), a film he wrote and produced about a child accidentally left behind when his family goes away for Christmas, forcing him to protect himself and his house from a pair of inept burglars. Hughes completed the first draft of ''Home Alone'' in just nine days. ''Home Alone'' was the top-grossing film of 1990, and remains the most successful live-action family comedy of all time. He followed up with the sequels ''
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York'' in 1992 and ''
Home Alone 3'' in 1997. Some of the subsequent films he wrote and produced during this time also contained elements of the ''Home Alone'' formula, including the successful ''
Dennis the Menace'' (1993) and the box office flop ''
Baby's Day Out
''Baby's Day Out'' is a 1994 American adventure comedy film directed by Patrick Read Johnson and written by John Hughes, who also served as producer. Starring Joe Mantegna, Lara Flynn Boyle, Joe Pantoliano, and Brian Haley, the film center ...
'' (1994). He also wrote screenplays under the pseudonym
Edmond Dantes (or Dantès), after the
protagonist
A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...
of
Alexandre Dumas
Alexandre Dumas (born Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie, 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas , was a French novelist and playwright.
His works have been translated into many languages and he is one of the mos ...
's novel ''
The Count of Monte Cristo
''The Count of Monte Cristo'' () is an adventure novel by the French writer Alexandre Dumas. It was serialised from 1844 to 1846, and published in book form in 1846. It is one of his most popular works, along with ''The Three Musketeers'' (184 ...
''. Screenplays credited to the Dantes ''
nom de plume'' include ''
Maid in Manhattan
''Maid in Manhattan'' is a 2002 American romantic comedy drama film directed by Wayne Wang and based on a story by John Hughes, who is credited using a pseudonym. It stars Jennifer Lopez, Ralph Fiennes, and Natasha Richardson. In the film, a ...
'', ''
Drillbit Taylor'' and ''
Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...
''.
Unproduced screenplays
* ''National Lampoon's Jaws 3: People 0'' – a parody sequel to the
popular film series (1979)
* ''Motorheads vs. Sportos'', also known as ''Just Like Romeo and Juliet'' or ''Suburban Westside Story''
* ''The History of Ohio from the Beginning of Time to the End of the Universe'', also known as ''National Lampoon's Dacron, Ohio'' (1980; with P. J. O'Rourke)
* ''The Joy of Sex: A Dirty Love Story'' (1982; some drafts with
Dan Greenburg)
* ''Debs'' – a satire on Texas debutantes
(1983;
Aaron Spelling Productions)
* ''The New Kid''
(1986)
* ''
Oil and Vinegar'' – a soon-to-be-married man and a hitchhiking girl end up talking about their lives during the length of the car ride (1987)
* ''Bartholomew Vs. Neff'' – a vehicle that would have starred
Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Gardenzio "Sly" Stallone (; born July 6, 1946) is an American actor and filmmaker. In a Sylvester Stallone filmography, film career spanning more than fifty years, Stallone has received List of awards and nominations received by Syl ...
and John Candy as feuding neighbors (1991)
* ''Black Cat Bone: The Return of Huckleberry Finn''
(1991)
* ''The Nanny''
(1991)
* ''The Bugster''
(1991)
* ''Ball 'n' Chain''
(1991)
* Live-action ''
Peanuts
''Peanuts'' (briefly subtitled ''featuring Good ol' Charlie Brown'') is a print syndication, syndicated daily strip, daily and Sunday strip, Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run ext ...
'' film –
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
acquired the film rights to make a live-action
Charlie Brown
Charles "Charlie" Brown is the Protagonist, principal character of the comic strip ''Peanuts'', syndicated in daily newspaper, daily and Sunday newspapers in numerous countries all over the world. Depicted as a "lovable loser", Charlie Brown ...
film, with Hughes set to both produce and write
(1993)
* ''
The Pajama Game
''The Pajama Game'' is a musical based on the 1953 novel '' 7½ Cents'' by Richard Bissell.
The book is by George Abbott and Richard Bissell; the music and lyrics are by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. Dances were staged by Bob Fosse in his chor ...
'' – planned
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
remake
* ''
Damn Yankees
''Damn Yankees'' is a 1955 musical comedy with a book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop, music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story is a modern retelling of the Faust legend set during the 1950s in Washington, D.C., d ...
'' – another planned
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
remake
* ''The Bee'' – a feature-length
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
film that actor
Daniel Stern was attached to direct (1994)
* ''Tickets'' – about teens who wait overnight for free tickets to a farewell concert (1996)
* ''The Grigsbys Go Broke'' – about a wealthy family who loses their fortune, forcing them to move to the other side of the tracks (2003)
Personal life
In 1970, the then-20-year old Hughes married Nancy Ludwig, whom he had met in high school. Together they had two children: John Hughes III (b. 1976) and James Hughes (b. 1979). They were together until his death in 2009. Nancy Hughes died on September 15, 2019.
Michael Weiss argued that Hughes's films expressed a
Reagan Republican worldview. In response to this,
P. J. O'Rourke wrote that:
Later life
In 1994, Hughes retired from the public eye and moved back to the Chicago area. The following year, Hughes and Ricardo Mestres, both of whom had production deals with
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film Film production company, production company and subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios (division), the Walt Disney Studios, a division of Disney Entertainment, which is owned by the Walt Disney Company. The st ...
, formed the short-lived joint venture
production studio
A production company, production house or production studio is a studio that creates works in the fields of performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, comics, interactive arts, video games, websites, music, and video. These groups ...
Great Oaks Entertainment.
Hughes worked in Chicago, while Mestres was based in Los Angeles. The company produced the films ''
Jack'', ''
101 Dalmatians'', and ''
Flubber'', but Hughes and Mestres ended their partnership in 1997.
The 1998 film ''
Reach the Rock'', which was produced as part of the partnership between Hughes and Mestres, was subsequently credited as "a
Gramercy Pictures release of a John Hughes and Ricardo Mestres production".
In the following years, Hughes rarely granted interviews to the media, save a select few in 1999 to promote the soundtrack album of ''
Reach the Rock''. The album was compiled by Hughes's son, John Hughes III, and released on his son's Chicago-based record label
Hefty Records. He also recorded 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 ...
for the 1999 DVD release of ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off''.
Death
On August 5, 2009, Hughes and his wife traveled to New York City to visit their son James and their new grandson. James said his father appeared to be in good health that night and that the family had made plans for the next day. On the morning of August 6, Hughes was taking a walk close to his hotel on West 55th Street in Manhattan when he suffered a heart attack.
He was rushed to
Roosevelt Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at age 59. Hughes's funeral was held on August 11 in Chicago; he is buried at
Lake Forest Cemetery. It was attended by his wife, his two children, and his grandchildren, along with celebrities.
Legacy
The
pilot episode
A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie) in United Kingdom and United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television netwo ...
of the NBC comedy ''
Community
A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...
'', broadcast on September 17, 2009, was dedicated to Hughes. The episode included several references to ''The Breakfast Club'' and ended with a cover of "
Don't You (Forget About Me)". The ''
One Tree Hill'' episode titled "Don't You Forget About Me", broadcast on February 1, 2010, ended with a scene similar to the ending scene of ''Sixteen Candles.'' It also contained references to other Hughes movies such as ''Home Alone''. The 2011 ''
Bob's Burgers
''Bob's Burgers'' is an American animated sitcom created by Loren Bouchard for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is centered on the Belcher family—parents Bob Belcher, Bob and Linda Belcher, Linda and their three children, Tina Belcher, Tina, G ...
'' episode "
Sheesh! Cab, Bob?" also paid homage to ''Sixteen Candles.'' The teen comedy ''
Easy A'' (2010) starring
Emma Stone paid tribute to Hughes and his films at the very end, where Stone's character states she wishes her life were a John Hughes movie, by showing various clips of ''Sixteen Candles'', ''The Breakfast Club'', and ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off''. While primarily satirizing later 90's teen comedies, The parody film ''Not Another Teen Movie'' references a number of John Hughes' 80's films including Sixteen Candles, Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink, and is set at a fictional "John Hughes High School".
After Hughes's death, many of those who knew him commented on the impact Hughes had on their lives and on the film industry.
Molly Ringwald said, "I was stunned and incredibly sad to hear about the death of John Hughes. He was and will always be such an important part of my life. ... He will be missed – by me and by everyone that he has touched. My heart and all my thoughts are with his family now."
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 ...
also released his own statement, saying, "I am truly shocked and saddened by the news about my old friend John Hughes. He was a wonderful, very talented guy and my heart goes out to his family."
The
82nd Academy Awards (2010) included a tribute to Hughes's work. A retrospective of clips from Hughes's films was followed by cast members from several of them, including Molly Ringwald, Matthew Broderick,
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 ...
,
Judd Nelson,
Ally Sheedy,
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 ...
and
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 ...
,
gathering on stage to commemorate Hughes and his contributions to the film industry.
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 article written by Ringwald in which she critiqued Hughes's films "in the age of
#MeToo", beginning with a discussion of how she explained to her ten-year-old daughter what happened in a ''Breakfast Club'' scene when her character seems to be sexually assaulted under a desk. In this article and later statements, Ringwald clarified that despite her affection for Hughes and gratitude for what he did for her career, she views his sexualized depiction of young women as "problematic," when contrasted with modern attitudes.
Hughes's work has also influenced a new generation of
millennial filmmakers, including
M. H. Murray of ''
Teenagers'' fame, who has cited Hughes as one of his main influences. In interviews, Murray stated, "I loved how John Hughes wrote teens ... They were flawed in this genuine sort of way."
Kelly Fremon Craig, who wrote and directed ''
The Edge of Seventeen'', also cited Hughes as an influence.
Hughes is referenced in the song "Hello Chicago" by the collaborative project between
Jesu and
Sun Kil Moon, and appears on the album ''30 Seconds To The Decline Of Planet Earth''.
Mark Kozelek recalls a phone conversation with Hughes in which Kozelek asked him for $15,000 in order to release his album ''
Songs for a Blue Guitar'' (released by his band The Red House Painters). Hughes agreed, stating "You're young and on the rise, and I'm just an old man living in Chicago". British indie pop band
The 1975
The 1975 are
an English pop rock
band formed in Wilmslow, Cheshire, in 2002. The band consists of Matty Healy (lead vocals, guitar, primary songwriter), Adam Hann (lead guitar), Ross MacDonald (bass), and George Daniel (drums, primary produ ...
cites Hughes as an influence in the band's music.
Maisie Peters released a song called "John Hughes Movie" in 2021. Hughes's films served as inspiration for the style and tone of the
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...
film ''
Spider-Man: Homecoming'' directed by
Jon Watts
Jonathan Watts (born June 28, 1981) is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for directing the Spider-Man in film, ''Spider-Man'' films within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU): ''Spider-Man: Homecoming, Homec ...
, who took inspiration from films such as ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off''.
Works
Film
Acting roles
Television
Writer
Television appearances
Books
* ''
National Lampoon Sunday Newspaper Parody'' (1978) (with P. J. O'Rourke)
See also
*
John Hughes's unrealized projects
*
Hughes Entertainment
*
Shermer High School
*''
Don't You Forget About Me''
References
Bibliography
*
Jaime Clarke ed. ''Don't you forget about me: contemporary writers on the films of John Hughes''. New York: Simon Spotlight Entertainment, 2007.
*
External links
*
John Hughescollected coverage from ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
''
Times Topic: John Hughescollected coverage from ''
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 ...
''
Guest Book for John Hughesfrom Legacy.com
Part 1Part 2
1985 interview podcast from the American Film Institute
The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the History of cinema in the United States, motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private fu ...
Interview with John Hughes
at Texas Archive of the Moving Image
The Texas Archive of the Moving Image (TAMI) is an independent 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2002 by film archivist and University of Texas at Austin professor Caroline Frick, PhD. TAMI's mission is to preserve, study, and exhibit Texas film ...
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Burials at Lake Forest Cemetery
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Comedians from Michigan
Comedians from Arizona
American male comedians