GenX Here: What's Your Take on "The Breakfast Club"?

It was the movie of the day when I was coming of age. I wasn’t a Molly Ringwald fan but did think Ally Sheedy was a great actor. Everyone my age at the time was all about Molly (and then all about a different kind of Molly 20 years later…), but the movie was a fad frenzy that I never saw until it came out on VHS (I grew up on a ranch). I was in 5th grade in 1985 when it originally came out. The local video rental place in town finally got the tape a few years later.

When I watched it, I identified halfway between the nerd (Anthony Michael Hall) and the social reject (Judd Nelson). I had the brain and the bad home, so I didn’t exactly fit neatly into John Hugh’s little compartments.

I still don’t at 52 and it shows.

But I’m sure plenty of people from younger generations have seen the movie. Maybe they were forced to watch it via parents reminiscing about the “great 80’s”, or stayed in some hotel where they had cable and it was the only thing to watch besides Supermarket Sweep, or – just said “hell with it” and streamed the damn thing.

So please, I’m looking for more than opinions (or God forbid, political BS) – I want perspective. I want your thoughts and emotions and I’ll go first:

I really thought it sucked that the “nerd” left alone. Everyone left with a soulmate but him. I also thought the movie completely avoided the whole rumor mill of “Brian’s dad is the JANITOR!!!”. Coming from a bad home, I really never wanted to introduce “badness” into anyone’s home. I wanted an escape from my own home, albeit not with Molly. The whole weed thing – actually – was probably one of the most honest takes on the film.

That’s my take. What’s yours? And thank you!

GenY here. Never saw it. Why should I watch it?

Up to you, man. I won’t give you a reason either way.