R.I.P. John Hughes

[Emperor_Nero]

'80s teen flick director John Hughes dies in NYC

NEW YORK (AP) – Writer-director John Hughes, Hollywood's youth impresario of the 1980s and '90s who captured and cornered the teen and preteen market with such favorites as "Home Alone," "The Breakfast Club" and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," died Thursday, a spokeswoman said. He was 59.

Hughes died of a heart attack during a morning walk in Manhattan, Michelle Bega said. He was in New York to visit family.

A native of Lansing, Mich., who later moved to suburban Chicago and set much of his work there, Hughes rose from ad writer to comedy writer to silver screen champ with his affectionate and idealized portraits of teens, whether the romantic and sexual insecurity of "Sixteen Candles," or the J.D. Salinger-esque rebellion against conformity in "The Breakfast Club."

Hughes' ensemble comedies helped make stars out of Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Ally Sheedy and many other young performers. He also scripted the phenomenally popular "Home Alone," which made little-known Macaulay Culkin a sensation as the 8-year-old accidentally abandoned by his vacationing family, and wrote or directed such hits as "National Lampoon's Vacation," "Pretty in Pink," "Planes, Trains & Automobiles" and "Uncle Buck."

Other actors who got early breaks from Hughes included John Cusack ("Sixteen Candles"), Judd Nelson ("The Breakfast Club"), Steve Carell ("Curly Sue") and Lili Taylor ("She's Having a Baby").

As Hughes advanced into middle age, his commercial touch faded and, in Salinger style, he increasingly withdrew from public life. His last directing credit was in 1991, for "Curly Sue," and he wrote just a handful of scripts over the past decade. He was rarely interviewed or photographed.

 

[john-the-author]

Damnit. His movies helped define the 80s for me and a zillion other people.

 

[gloriann]

There goes my childhood...

 

[3113]

What? I read the title of this thread and was sure I was mistaken and it must be a different John Hughes. But then, I think those movies he made left us thinking that he was somehow perpetually young when, obviously, he wasn't that young even when he made them.

He had a gift for capturing truths about being a certain age. You can watch "Sixteen Candles" and even though a lot of references are dated and locked in the 80's there are essentials that still ring true--even in just the opening credits where you see some girl using a marker to draw a heart on her bare knee and while two other kids have hands in each others pockets as they stride up the school steps. Hughes was able to captured on film what so few can about teen hormones, about nerds and prom queens, obnoxious little brothers, crazy grandparents and the hell--and sometimes heaven--that is high school. Things that were true back when, back in the 80's and are still true now.

RIP

 

[voluptuary_manque]

What? I read the title of this thread and was sure I was mistaken and it must be a different John Hughes. But then, I think those movies he made left us thinking that he was somehow perpetually young when, obviously, he wasn't that young even when he made them.

He had a gift for capturing truths about being a certain age. You can watch "Sixteen Candles" and even though a lot of references are dated and locked in the 80's there are essentials that still ring true--even in just the opening credits where you see some girl using a marker to draw a heart on her bare knee and while two other kids have hands in each others pockets as they stride up the school steps. Hughes was able to captured on film what so few can about teen hormones, about nerds and prom queens, obnoxious little brothers, crazy grandparents and the hell--and sometimes heaven--that is high school. Things that were true back when, back in the 80's and are still true now.

RIP

Good grief! He was younger than I am. *fights off feeling very old*

 

[impressive]

 

[Liar]

Jeez. 59 is no bloody age to drop dead. RIP

 

[Belegon]

Remember also that Hughes made many non-high school movies.

Uncle Buck
the Chevy Chase Vacation movies
She's Having a Baby
Planes, Trains & Automobiles
Mr. Mom
Home Alone

...and many more.

Yes, I remember him most fondly for Ferris, 16 Candles, etc. and Some Kind of Wonderful is one of my all time favorite movies period.


But it would be wrong to remember only those, despite the enormity of their impact on my generation.

RIP John. Thank you.

 

[slyc_willie]

What? I read the title of this thread and was sure I was mistaken and it must be a different John Hughes. But then, I think those movies he made left us thinking that he was somehow perpetually young when, obviously, he wasn't that young even when he made them.

He had a gift for capturing truths about being a certain age. You can watch "Sixteen Candles" and even though a lot of references are dated and locked in the 80's there are essentials that still ring true--even in just the opening credits where you see some girl using a marker to draw a heart on her bare knee and while two other kids have hands in each others pockets as they stride up the school steps. Hughes was able to captured on film what so few can about teen hormones, about nerds and prom queens, obnoxious little brothers, crazy grandparents and the hell--and sometimes heaven--that is high school. Things that were true back when, back in the 80's and are still true now.

RIP

Bingo.

Just as long as Savage Steve Holland doesn't kick off yet. Then I'd start to feel old.

Farewell, Mr. Hughes.

 

[TE999]

Man, this sucks!

I remember when John was a writer/editor for the late, lamented 'National Lampoon' magazine in the '70's. He wrote some acidly funny stuff. His movies captured teen angst beautifully.

RIP John.

 

[3113]

But it would be wrong to remember only those, despite the enormity of their impact on my generation.

Maybe. But those teen movies had such heart. I think that's why they transcended generations and are still watched and remembered. Hughes put his heart into them, and got the heart and soul of those characters and their stories.

As funny as those teen movies are, there's great empathy for the teens and understanding for what almost all of them are going through. Hughes clearly loved them, and he got us to love them, too.

Which is why those movies will always be Hughes legacy and films like "Uncle Buck" will remain pretty much forgotten.

 

[slyc_willie]

Maybe. But those teen movies had such heart. I think that's why they transcended generations and are still watched and remembered. Hughes put his heart into them, and got the heart and soul of those characters and their stories.

As funny as those teen movies are, there's great empathy for the teens and understanding for what almost all of them are going through. Hughes clearly loved them, and he got us to love them, too.

Which is why those movies will always be Hughes legacy and films like "Uncle Buck" will remain pretty much forgotten.

The Breakfast Club was sheer genius. I was, without a doubt, Anthony Michael Hall's character. And I think that's why the movie was and is so popular. Every character was a stereotype, but they also managed to pull off being individuals, too.

 

[AngeloMichael]

The Breakfast Club was sheer genius. I was, without a doubt, Anthony Michael Hall's character. And I think that's why the movie was and is so popular. Every character was a stereotype, but they also managed to pull off being individuals, too.

I think Planes, Trains, and Autombiles is tied with Breakfast Club for my favorites of his. I don't know why Planes isn't remembered as much, there aren't that many "Thanksgiving" movies out there and being known as the most travelled on the road holiday, Planes is the perfect movie to represent the holiday and should be shown every year on Thanksgiving.

With the exception of Ferris Bueller and Weird Science, I am no fan of his other teenager movies though, if for the simple fact they seem (at least to me) to glorify how ignorant, pretentious, and completely full of shit teenagers are. Probably well made but I can't stand them.

Home Alone is a hilarious movie and fun to watch every year at Christmas. Movies like Breakfast Club and Planes were comedies with substance, almost dramedies, but sometimes it's fun to have pure candy which Home Alone is, you just don't want too much or, like candy, you get sick.

I actually think Dutch is a funnier movie than Home Alone, even though that movie was a box office bomb, but I think that suffered from Ed O'Neil being typecast as Al Bundy in the public's mind, also this was another holiday movie yet it came out in summer.

Other Hughes movies I really enjoy are Uncle Buck, Only the Lonely, Vacation and Christmas Vacation.

RIP Mr. Hughes.

 

[SCcreampieLvr]

Christmas Vacation is one of the funniest movies ever. I laugh EVERY time I watch it.

And the part where Clark is stuck in the attic watching the family films is poignant.

Breakfast Club too is great. Also for the fact that it was one of the first movies to use popular music so effectively. That move would be nothing without the great soundtrack.

 

[slyc_willie]

Christmas Vacation is one of the funniest movies ever. I laugh EVERY time I watch it.

And the part where Clark is stuck in the attic watching the family films is poignant.

Breakfast Club too is great. Also for the fact that it was one of the first movies to use popular music so effectively. That move would be nothing without the great soundtrack.

There was another thread a while back about how a soundtrack can enhance or detract from a movie. Breakfast Club is a classic example of this. It certainly did wonders for Simple Minds, too.

Come to think of it, Hughes' films nearly always had some great music.

 

[3113]

Come to think of it, Hughes' films nearly always had some great music.

Well, the 80's was the start of MTV. Movie directors were making music videos, and the two began to intersect. Now, of course, the problem is that you've got directors going in the opposite direction, from music video to movies instead of the other way. So the movie has a great soundtrack, and a great opening sequence (music video), but the rest flops because the director doesn't know what to do once the music stops and the characters have to talk

 

[Traveler78]

http://wellknowwhenwegetthere.blogspot.com/2009/08/sincerely-john-hughes.html

 

[Belegon]

Only The Lonely is, IMHO, a very underrated movie. She's Having A Baby also.

I wish he had made more films, but I give him credit for placing his priorities where he did.

 

[Dragonlipz]

RIP - he made a difference........and some classic movies.......

 

[monique1971]

Damn, I'm truly sorry to hear this.

 

[Lady_Guenivere]

sad