January starts a new year, and for students, the spring semester. Calling it ‘spring’ during two of the coldest months of the year feels like a false promise. However, one could say it is a call to hope. Students anticipate the blossoming of spring, and with it, new growth. Goals and intentions are set, although they may not last through the bleak midwinter. With the pale skies and biting frost, it can be hard to hold onto the warmth that was just present during the Christmas season, but the inklings of spring and of hope are there for those who are open. To find my own pockets of hope, I turn to the pale nostalgia of two classic ‘80s films I have dubbed my “January Watches:” John Hughes’ “The Breakfast Club” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”
A mix of personal connections and nostalgia draws me to these movies. Regardless of personal history with the films, I believe there is something within each film that most viewers may resonate with. I recommend them to those who may be looking for a relaxed, sometimes thought-provoking watch filled with dated ‘80s humor; these are the kinds of films that inside jokes with friends are built on and quoted for years to come.
I find these films to be relaxed and almost comforting because of their limited time and setting. These two movies place the viewer in a pocket of time as they both take place in the span of a day. The choice to restrict the timeframe and place-setting of the stories drops the viewer in, gives them something to consider and pulls them out again. Everything you need to know about the characters is given in the moment and you are left to be a fly on the wall. These stories are low-commitment yet leave the viewer contemplating their own lives in subtle ways. “The Breakfast Club” asks the viewer to consider the depth of the people around them, regardless of what stereotypes they may seemingly fall into. This was especially impactful during the time of its release, considering that films of that era did not take their teenagers seriously. They were 2-dimensional characters with little room for deep relatability for the audience. In a 1986 interview, Hughes addressed his emphasis on character over plot in “The Breakfast Club.”
“Character comes first... I think people are more interesting than plot. It is about, ‘Who are these people?’, ‘What are they like?’ and ‘Why are they acting the way they are acting?’” Hughes, in the 1986 interview for KVUE-TV, said
“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” was similarly impactful. It’s teenage characters grappled with coming-of-age, and the last semester of high school. The character’s struggles balance one another: Ferris’s lack of grounding pulls his friend Cameron from his depression-driven isolation.
“There’s not a mean bone in the movie's body. It’s all about somebody who could run off with his beautiful girlfriend and have a great time, but what he chooses to do is take care of his troubled friend,” actor Alan Ruck said in an interview with IMDb.
The focus on character allows the viewer to put their attention on relating to and contemplating the personalities and drives of the characters rather than anticipating the plot. This is why I would argue that these films belong at the beginning of the year, when most are considering their own character and growth. It is a time to reflect on the past year and on life.
As Ferris Bueller himself says, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
Photo Courtesy of Cottonbro Studio via Pexels
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