Podcast 38: The Breakfast Club

December 9, 2021 Jon S Movies, Podcasting 01:31:14 0 Comments
The Breakfast Club

The 3 Guys Podcast

Recorded on 11/18/2021

In this podcast episode we review the listener requested movie The Breakfast Club (Released 1985) starring Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy and Paul Gleason.  This week, Katie, one of our listeners, joins us on the mic. WARNING: There will be SPOILERS

The Breakfast Club 30th Anniversary Edition

Interested in checking out the movie on Blue-ray? Click on the link below.

The Breakfast Club 35th Anniversary Limited Edition Steelbook

Notes From The Show

  • Quick Synopsis

  • Released: February 15, 1985

    Directed By: John Hughes

    Written By:  John Hughes

    Stars:  Emilio Estevez, Paul Gleason, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy

    Plot:     Five high school students meet in Saturday detention and discover how they have a lot more in common than they thought.

    How did this movie do
    Budget: $1 Million
    Box office: $52 Million

  • Awards

  • Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Paul Gleason and Ally Sheedy all won a Silver Bucket of Excellence Award at the 2005 MTV Movie Awards in 2005.

  • Deleted Scenes

    • Criterion Collection release from 2018 includes 50 minutes worth of deleted scenes previously unavailable on a home format.

    • Additional cut content includes an extended version of the pot smoking scene, in which Brian (Anthony Michael Hall) and Claire (Molly Ringwald) are seen singing “All My Lovin'” by The Beatles, and a new scene in which Allison (Ally Sheedy) breaks into the teachers’ lockers using a switchblade, where she finds a copy of the Prince album “1999”, remarking, “You know what this means? They’re human.” Several other differences between the definitive, and uncut versions of the film, have been noted, chiefly an extended make out scene, in which not only Bender (Judd Nelson) and Claire are seen kissing, but also Andy (Emilio Estevez) and Allison. Lastly, during John Hughes’ small cameo as Brian’s dad in the final scene (a performance which he later criticized), he was originally given the short line “buckle up”.

    • During a cast reunion in honor of the film’s 25th anniversary, Ally Sheedy revealed that a Director’s Cut existed, but Hughes’ widow did not disclose any details concerning its whereabouts.

    • Several staff members were cut out of the script before filming: Dr. Lange (Social Studies teacher who dresses oddly), and Robin (gym teacher). Robin helps Vernon on a few workout machines until Vernon injures his back, and she eventually visits the students while they are in their circle in the library. Robin initially replaced many of Carl’s scenes, and Carl was originally set to be a minor character with only two scenes.

    • John Hughes originally wanted “The Breakfast Club” to be a two and a half hour movie. However, many of the scenes were cut out and the negatives destroyed. John Hughes said in Première that he had the only complete copy of The Breakfast Club on film. Among the cut scenes from the movie (some filmed, some only written) are:

      • Carl predicts where the five kids will be in thirty years: Bender will have killed himself; Claire will have had “two boob jobs and a face lift”; Brian will have become very successful but die of a heart attack due to the stress of the high paying job; Allison will be a great poet, but no one will care; and Andrew will marry a gorgeous airline stewardess who will become fat after having kids.

      • In a dream sequence Allison imagines Andrew as a gluttonous Viking, Bender as a prisoner, Claire as a bride, Brian as an astronaut and herself as a vampire. In an unfilmed alternative to this dream sequence all the five kids imagine random things including cars, naked women, Godzilla, beer and fighter planes, and these things end up filling the room until Vernon interrupts.

      • John Bender was not going to walk to school in the original script. He was going to be driven by his dad in a rusty tow truck, and have a brief fight with him before his dad drives off. Bender was also tossed a bagged lunch, with his father saying “You are a waste of lunch meat!”

      • After Bender demonstrates “Life at Big Bri’s house” Brian stops Bender, and corrects him with a much more pessimistic version of the skit. Claire then proceeds to act out her life before asking Bender to demonstrate his version. Bender’s routine changes as well here. After Bender mimics his mom, he stops, commenting that “then they make me work to pay off the dentist for the teeth he busts.”

      • The scene where Andrew and Allison are walking to get the sodas is extended to a point, where Allison pulls out a pack of cigarettes, and smokes one.

      • After getting the sodas, Bender shakes his can violently and places it among the five to see who gets the rigged one. Allison ends up getting it, and when she opens the can, all the soda squirts directly into her mouth.

      • After Vernon asks who has to use the lavatory, the five go to the bathroom. Vernon gives the boys two minutes, and the girls three minutes. Claire catches Allison in a stall eating a bag of chips, repulsing her. Bender mocks Brian for sitting down to pee instead of using a urinal.

  • Ad Libs

    • The scene in which all characters sit in a circle on the floor in the library and tell stories about why they were in detention was not scripted. Writer and director John Hughes told them all to ad-lib.

    • Judd Nelson improvised the part when Bender hawks a loogie and catches it, made up many of the terms used in the movie, including “Neo-Maxi Zoon dweebie, and improvised the part at the closing of the film where Bender raises his fist in defiance.

    • In 2010, Molly Ringwald (Claire Standish) and Anthony Michael Hall (Brian Johnson) told Vanity Fair magazine that John Hughes was receptive to actors’ and actresses’ improvisations, and some of them (including Brian’s reason for having a fake ID, “so I can vote”) made it into the final film.

  • Casting

    • Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall were the first actress and actor to be cast.

    • John Candy was considered for Carl. Candy went on to work with John Hughes in Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987), Uncle Buck (1989) and Home Alone (1990). Bill Murray was briefly considered for the role of Carl. Rick Moranis was originally cast as the janitor. He grew a thick beard, and decided to play the character with a Russian accent. John Hughes planned to let Moranis reinterpret the character, but producer Ned Tanen so vehemently opposed Moranis’ comical creative liberties that he had Rick replaced with John Kapelos.

    • Sean Penn could have played the Bender role. John Cusack was also up for the role but John Hughes didn’t think he had the necessary toughness; Cusack tends to come across as a sweetheart in all his roles. Jim Carrey auditioned for the role of John Bender. Nicolas Cage was originally considered for the role of John Bender, but the production could not afford his salary at the time.

    • Laura Dern tried out for both female parts in The Breakfast Club and was rejected. Later she referred to John Hughes movies as “that teen junk”.

    • Paul Gleason was cast as Vice Principal Vernon because John Hughes liked him in Trading Places (1983).

    • Robin Wright and Jodie Foster was considered to play Claire.

    • Brooke Shields was considered to play Allison.

    • John Hughes considered casting Michael J. Fox, Jim Carrey, Tom Cruise, Matthew Broderick, or Rob Lowe for the role of Andrew Clark.

  • Trivia

    • Some other successful movies shot in one location (aka a chamber film):
      • 12 Angry Men (1957) — Jury deliberation room
      • Rear Window (1954) — Jimmy Stewart’s living room
      • Saw (2004)
      • Reservoir Dogs (1992)
      • Panic Room (2002) — A reinforced safety chamber
      • Buried (2010) — A casket buried underground
      • Devil (2010) — An elevator
      • My Dinner With Andre (1981) — A restaurant table
      • The Invitation (2015) — A dinner party
      • Carnage (2011) — A well-appointed Park Slope brownstone
      • Green Room (2015) — A Nazi clubhouse
      • Dogville (2003)— The chalk outline of a town
      • Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
      • Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
      • The Thing (1982)

    • John Hughes later said that his biggest regret about this film was using the breaking glass effect during the marijuana scene.

    • The film was shot in sequence.

    • John Hughes wrote the screenplay to this movie in just two days (July 4 and 5, 1982).

    • It was originally suggested that there would be several sequels to this movie, occurring every ten years, in which “The Breakfast Club” would get back together. This did not come to pass, due to the volatile relationship between John Hughes and Judd Nelson (John Bender). Hughes stated that he would never work with Nelson again. Also, it was unclear whether or not Hughes still held ill will against his oft-cast starlet, Molly Ringwald (Claire Standish). They had a falling out in the late eighties, after Ringwald decided to move on from the teen film genre to pursue more adult roles.

    • Anthony Michael Hall (Brian Johnson)’s mother, Mercedes Hall, and his younger sister, Mary Christian, played his character’s mother and sister in the movie.

    • Judd Nelson’s clothes in the movie are the outfit he auditioned in for the role of John Bender.

    • John Kapelos jokingly warned the young actors to not overdo their intensity, laughingly noting that Martin Sheen once suffered a serious heart attack while filming Apocalypse Now (1979). Emilio Estevez (Andrew Clark) was enraged by the remark, and Kapelos was then stunned to learn that Martin was Estevez’s father.

    • The theme song, “Don’t You (Forget About Me)”, was written for the film by Keith Forsey. It was a number one hit for Simple Minds, and Billy Idol and Bryan Ferry turned down offers to record it first (although in 2001, Billy Idol recorded Don’t You (Forget About Me) as a bonus track for his Greatest Hits album). The song was also turned down by Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders, who then suggested they offer it to the band fronted by her husband at the time, Simple Minds.

    • The ages of everyone in the principle cast at the time of filming are: Judd Nelson (25 years old), Molly Ringwald (16 years old; her 17th birthday was only three days after the film’s release), Emilio Estevez (23 years old), Anthony Michael Hall (16 years old) and Ally Sheedy (23 years old).

    • The switchblade used in the movie actually belonged to Judd Nelson (John Bender). He explained that he had it for protection purposes.

    • Allison [Ally Sheedy] does not speak until 25 minutes into the movie, uttering a mocking “Hah!” in response to Claire, who ironically orders her to shut up.

    • When high on marijuana, Brian (Anthony Michael Hall) says, “Chicks cannot hold their smoke, that’s what it is”, which is from a Richard Pryor stand up routine.

    • Vernon is based on a wrestling coach from John Hughes’ high school, who flunked him in gym. Hughes ran into him later, and the coach said the movie was good, but the teacher was a real jerk.

    • The BMW driven by Claire (Molly Ringwald)’s father (Tim Gamble) belonged to John Hughes.

    • During filming, John Kapelos (Carl) rarely associated with the other cast members to keep a feeling of isolation.

    • As an end-of-filming present, John Hughes gave each actor and actress a piece of the “library’s” banister.

    • When Andrew Clark’s (Emilio Estevez’s) father, (Ron Dean), tells him, “No school’s going to give a scholarship to a discipline case”, he originally followed up with, “Not a white one, anyway.”

    • The cast all agreed later that Ally Sheedy (Allison Reynolds) was the best dancer.

    • Other proposed titles were “The Lunch Bunch” and “Library Revolution”.

    • John Hughes said getting the film greenlit by Universal wasn’t easy because the executives complained there were no bare breasts, no party scene, no guys drinking beer, or other things they thought a teenage picture needed at that time.

    • The Chicago Public Library donated over ten thousand books to be used in the movie.

    • John Hughes wanted the detention area to take place in a library, but the school’s library was too small, so they built the library set in the school’s gym.

    • The title of the film is actually the last spoken line.

    • John Hughes set most of the movie in one room, because he thought it would be easier to film.

    • In 2018, Molly Ringwald (Claire Standish) wrote a piece in The New Yorker in which she described watching the film with her 10-year-old daughter. Although she was bothered by scenes of sexual abuse and harassment in this film and other films and material by John Hughes, she stood by the work, recognizing that these issues were a product of the times and that Hughes’ films were still beneficial in helping teens assert their independence and identity.

    • Molly Ringwald has said in interviews that this movie is about “the universal feeling we all have especially in high school: that we are all outsiders, we all feel alone, and yet we all want to be accepted.”

    • When the Janitor, Carl, enters the library he greets Brian exclusively by name and asks how he’s doing. This is played off as a joke because of course the nerd would be friends with the janitor. Later, in a cut scene, it’s revealed Carl was the one who found the flare gun in Brian’s locker.

    • Despite Vernon wanting a one thousand word essay from everyone, the final essay ended up being a total of 96 words.

    • Simple Minds was so unimpressed with the prospects for the soundtrack entry “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” that the lead singer recorded the “La la la la” out-bridge chorus as gibberish to fill out the track after the initial recording session. He planned to replace it with proper lyrics the next day, but the rest of the band loved it and convinced him to keep the “la la la la” in place. It ended up being an iconic part of a #1 hit.

    • Ally Sheedy said in 2020 that she disliked her character Allison’s end-of-film makeover where Molly Ringwald’s Claire transformed Allison’s appearance, covering her in blush and eye-shadow and giving her a pink dress and headband to wear. Sheedy didn’t like the message it relayed: that she had to change herself to get a boy to notice her. Sheedy said she and Ringwald petitioned John Hughes to change it to promote a less negative message. She didn’t want Claire to put make-up on Allison’s face, and had hoped that her physical transformation would involve merely slipping off her enormous black sweater and wearing with pride the plain white shirt she had on underneath. But he didn’t go for that. It was the eighties and they wanted an ugly duckling becomes a swan transition.

    • Judd Nelson (John Bender), Ally Sheedy (Allison Reynolds), Molly Ringwald (Claire Standish) and Anthony Michael Hall (Brian Johnson) have all appeared in at least one episode of the USA show Psych (2006).

    • This town is set in Shermer, Illinois, a fictional town in the North Shore of Chicago. There is no Shermer Illinois; but there is a Shermer Road in Northbrook, Illinois; which is where John Hughes grew up. Hughes took the name of this prominent road and used it for his town name.

    • Most of the cast is playing against type in this movie. Although he plays a clean cut jock in this movie, Emilio Estevez usually plays a seedy punk in the movies, more like the Judd Nelson/John Bender character. In Repo Man (1984), Wisdom (1986), The Outsiders (1983) and That Was Then… This Is Now (1985) he plays a troubled punk/outlaw character; ala John Bender. And Judd Nelson, as a matter of fact, usually plays a clean cut character in the movies, not a punk: In St. Elmo’s Fire (1985), From the Hip (1987), Blue City (1986) and the TV series Suddenly Susan (1996) he plays preppy, clean cut characters; more like Andrew Clark, than the shady criminal he plays in this movie. Molly Ringwald is also definitely playing against type here. She usually plays distressed outsider girl roles, not the rich Heathers-type snob of Claire Standish. But then Anthony Michael Hall, who plays a geek in Weird Science (1985), this and Sixteen Candles (1984), is definitely playing to type; as is Ally Sheedy, who plays an eccentric weird girl in this, WarGames (1983) and High Art (1998) as well. Paul Gleason who plays an abusive authoritarian character in Trading Places (1983), is also playing to type.

    • Due to this film being set in the same school as Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) and taking place in 1984 this film quite possibly takes place a year before the events of the latter film. And it is likely Richard Vernon is deputy to Ed Rooney and the teenagers are very familiar with Ferris himself despite the fact Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) was not made until after this film.

    • Bender (Judd Nelson) refers to Claire (Molly Ringwald) as a “richie”. In Pretty in Pink (1986), Andie (Molly Ringwald) refers to Blaine (Andrew McCarthy) as the same thing.

    • Paul Gleason who played Principal Richard Vernon in this film would later play another school villain which would be Professor McDoogle in National Lampoon Van Wilder which was released 17 years later.

    • Vernon says to Bender, “Don’t mess with the bull, or you’ll get the horn”. In real-life Paul Gleason was born on May 4th, making his zodiac a Taurus (it means, bull).

    • With only seven characters in the film or eleven if you count the parents and Brian’s younger sister, this film has one of the most least number of characters in movie history.

    • The famous lipstick trick was taught to Molly Ringwald by director John Hughes, who demonstrated the technique himself to the cast and crew.

    • John Hughes: Brian’s father, who picks him up at the end of the film.

    • John Hughes: [The Beatles] Principal Richard Vernon (Paul Gleason) is named after a minor actor from A Hard Day’s Night (1964). When the principal asks the janitor what he wanted to be when he grew up, the janitor replies that he wanted to be John Lennon.

    • In the beginning of the movie, different shots of the school hallways and classrooms are shown, and you can see what the flare gun did to Brian (Anthony Michael Hall)’s locker. Also, there is a picture of a former Shermer High School student “Man of the Year”. The guy in the picture is the janitor, Carl Reed (John Kapelos).

    • Bender (Judd Nelson) continuously provokes Principal Vernon (Paul Gleason) into giving him extra Saturday detentions. It is later implied that Bender does this intentionally, because he’d rather be with Vernon at school on a Saturday than home with his abusive father. It’s also implied (during the scene where Vernon escorts him to the closet and rips into him) that he acts the way he does because he’d rather have people think he’s a tough troublemaker than a troubled abuse victim. Overall, it shows that he has more tolerance (and possibly more respect) to deal with Vernon than his parents.

    • The theatrical trailer shows brief footage that was ultimately never used. One shot shows Allison (Ally Sheedy) sitting by herself in a small room (presumably while the rest of the kids are getting high). Another brief clip shows Allison (post makeover) exclaiming to Andrew (Emilio Estevez) that she doesn’t wanna be alone anymore, to which he responds that she doesn’t have to be.

    • The beginning monologue is slightly different of the ending monologue. The difference shows the goal of the movie and the transformation the characters go through. From being each one for themselves and not caring about others to becoming a strong group that supports each other.

    • One of the main themes in the movie is the generational conflict: Vernon despises Claire, Andrew, John, Brian and Allison by their youth, fearing not only be cared by them when he be an old man in a home retirement, but they be managing the country. It’s confirmed when Vernon talks with Carl the janitor about how the students are wilder and rebels in each new school year, feeling that they turn against him by considering him a joke. In addition, all the five have troubles of communication with their respective parents, fearing to be as them when they be adult, as Andrew reveals when he is explaining the reason to be punished.

Released: February 15, 1985

Directed By: John Hughes

Written By:  John Hughes

Stars:  Emilio Estevez, Paul Gleason, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy

Plot: Five high school students meet in Saturday detention and discover how they have a lot more in common than they thought.

How did this movie do
Budget: $1 Million
Box office: $52 Million

Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Paul Gleason and Ally Sheedy all won a Silver Bucket of Excellence Award at the 2005 MTV Movie Awards in 2005.

  • Criterion Collection release from 2018 includes 50 minutes worth of deleted scenes previously unavailable on a home format.

  • Additional cut content includes an extended version of the pot smoking scene, in which Brian (Anthony Michael Hall) and Claire (Molly Ringwald) are seen singing “All My Lovin'” by The Beatles, and a new scene in which Allison (Ally Sheedy) breaks into the teachers’ lockers using a switchblade, where she finds a copy of the Prince album “1999”, remarking, “You know what this means? They’re human.” Several other differences between the definitive, and uncut versions of the film, have been noted, chiefly an extended make out scene, in which not only Bender (Judd Nelson) and Claire are seen kissing, but also Andy (Emilio Estevez) and Allison. Lastly, during John Hughes’ small cameo as Brian’s dad in the final scene (a performance which he later criticized), he was originally given the short line “buckle up”.

  • During a cast reunion in honor of the film’s 25th anniversary, Ally Sheedy revealed that a Director’s Cut existed, but Hughes’ widow did not disclose any details concerning its whereabouts.

  • Several staff members were cut out of the script before filming: Dr. Lange (Social Studies teacher who dresses oddly), and Robin (gym teacher). Robin helps Vernon on a few workout machines until Vernon injures his back, and she eventually visits the students while they are in their circle in the library. Robin initially replaced many of Carl’s scenes, and Carl was originally set to be a minor character with only two scenes.

  • John Hughes originally wanted “The Breakfast Club” to be a two and a half hour movie. However, many of the scenes were cut out and the negatives destroyed. John Hughes said in Première that he had the only complete copy of The Breakfast Club on film. Among the cut scenes from the movie (some filmed, some only written) are:

    • Carl predicts where the five kids will be in thirty years: Bender will have killed himself; Claire will have had “two boob jobs and a face lift”; Brian will have become very successful but die of a heart attack due to the stress of the high paying job; Allison will be a great poet, but no one will care; and Andrew will marry a gorgeous airline stewardess who will become fat after having kids.

    • In a dream sequence Allison imagines Andrew as a gluttonous Viking, Bender as a prisoner, Claire as a bride, Brian as an astronaut and herself as a vampire. In an unfilmed alternative to this dream sequence all the five kids imagine random things including cars, naked women, Godzilla, beer and fighter planes, and these things end up filling the room until Vernon interrupts.

    • John Bender was not going to walk to school in the original script. He was going to be driven by his dad in a rusty tow truck, and have a brief fight with him before his dad drives off. Bender was also tossed a bagged lunch, with his father saying “You are a waste of lunch meat!”

    • After Bender demonstrates “Life at Big Bri’s house” Brian stops Bender, and corrects him with a much more pessimistic version of the skit. Claire then proceeds to act out her life before asking Bender to demonstrate his version. Bender’s routine changes as well here. After Bender mimics his mom, he stops, commenting that “then they make me work to pay off the dentist for the teeth he busts.”

    • The scene where Andrew and Allison are walking to get the sodas is extended to a point, where Allison pulls out a pack of cigarettes, and smokes one.

    • After getting the sodas, Bender shakes his can violently and places it among the five to see who gets the rigged one. Allison ends up getting it, and when she opens the can, all the soda squirts directly into her mouth.

    • After Vernon asks who has to use the lavatory, the five go to the bathroom. Vernon gives the boys two minutes, and the girls three minutes. Claire catches Allison in a stall eating a bag of chips, repulsing her. Bender mocks Brian for sitting down to pee instead of using a urinal.
  • The scene in which all characters sit in a circle on the floor in the library and tell stories about why they were in detention was not scripted. Writer and director John Hughes told them all to ad-lib.

  • Judd Nelson improvised the part when Bender hawks a loogie and catches it, made up many of the terms used in the movie, including “Neo-Maxi Zoon dweebie, and improvised the part at the closing of the film where Bender raises his fist in defiance.

  • In 2010, Molly Ringwald (Claire Standish) and Anthony Michael Hall (Brian Johnson) told Vanity Fair magazine that John Hughes was receptive to actors’ and actresses’ improvisations, and some of them (including Brian’s reason for having a fake ID, “so I can vote”) made it into the final film.
  • Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall were the first actress and actor to be cast.

  • John Candy was considered for Carl. Candy went on to work with John Hughes in Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987), Uncle Buck (1989) and Home Alone (1990). Bill Murray was briefly considered for the role of Carl. Rick Moranis was originally cast as the janitor. He grew a thick beard, and decided to play the character with a Russian accent. John Hughes planned to let Moranis reinterpret the character, but producer Ned Tanen so vehemently opposed Moranis’ comical creative liberties that he had Rick replaced with John Kapelos.

  • Sean Penn could have played the Bender role. John Cusack was also up for the role but John Hughes didn’t think he had the necessary toughness; Cusack tends to come across as a sweetheart in all his roles. Jim Carrey auditioned for the role of John Bender. Nicolas Cage was originally considered for the role of John Bender, but the production could not afford his salary at the time.

  • Laura Dern tried out for both female parts in The Breakfast Club and was rejected. Later she referred to John Hughes movies as “that teen junk”.

  • Paul Gleason was cast as Vice Principal Vernon because John Hughes liked him in Trading Places (1983).

  • Robin Wright and Jodie Foster was considered to play Claire.

  • Brooke Shields was considered to play Allison.

  • John Hughes considered casting Michael J. Fox, Jim Carrey, Tom Cruise, Matthew Broderick, or Rob Lowe for the role of Andrew Clark.
  • Some other successful movies shot in one location (aka a chamber film):
    • 12 Angry Men (1957) — Jury deliberation room
    • Rear Window (1954) — Jimmy Stewart’s living room
    • Saw (2004)
    • Reservoir Dogs (1992)
    • Panic Room (2002) — A reinforced safety chamber
    • Buried (2010) — A casket buried underground
    • Devil (2010) — An elevator
    • My Dinner With Andre (1981) — A restaurant table
    • The Invitation (2015) — A dinner party
    • Carnage (2011) — A well-appointed Park Slope brownstone
    • Green Room (2015) — A Nazi clubhouse
    • Dogville (2003)— The chalk outline of a town
    • Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
    • Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
    • The Thing (1982)

  • John Hughes later said that his biggest regret about this film was using the breaking glass effect during the marijuana scene.

  • The film was shot in sequence.

  • John Hughes wrote the screenplay to this movie in just two days (July 4 and 5, 1982).

  • It was originally suggested that there would be several sequels to this movie, occurring every ten years, in which “The Breakfast Club” would get back together. This did not come to pass, due to the volatile relationship between John Hughes and Judd Nelson (John Bender). Hughes stated that he would never work with Nelson again. Also, it was unclear whether or not Hughes still held ill will against his oft-cast starlet, Molly Ringwald (Claire Standish). They had a falling out in the late eighties, after Ringwald decided to move on from the teen film genre to pursue more adult roles.

  • Anthony Michael Hall (Brian Johnson)’s mother, Mercedes Hall, and his younger sister, Mary Christian, played his character’s mother and sister in the movie.

  • Judd Nelson’s clothes in the movie are the outfit he auditioned in for the role of John Bender.

  • John Kapelos jokingly warned the young actors to not overdo their intensity, laughingly noting that Martin Sheen once suffered a serious heart attack while filming Apocalypse Now (1979). Emilio Estevez (Andrew Clark) was enraged by the remark, and Kapelos was then stunned to learn that Martin was Estevez’s father.

  • The theme song, “Don’t You (Forget About Me)”, was written for the film by Keith Forsey. It was a number one hit for Simple Minds, and Billy Idol and Bryan Ferry turned down offers to record it first (although in 2001, Billy Idol recorded Don’t You (Forget About Me) as a bonus track for his Greatest Hits album). The song was also turned down by Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders, who then suggested they offer it to the band fronted by her husband at the time, Simple Minds.

  • The ages of everyone in the principle cast at the time of filming are: Judd Nelson (25 years old), Molly Ringwald (16 years old; her 17th birthday was only three days after the film’s release), Emilio Estevez (23 years old), Anthony Michael Hall (16 years old) and Ally Sheedy (23 years old).

  • The switchblade used in the movie actually belonged to Judd Nelson (John Bender). He explained that he had it for protection purposes.

  • Allison [Ally Sheedy] does not speak until 25 minutes into the movie, uttering a mocking “Hah!” in response to Claire, who ironically orders her to shut up.

  • When high on marijuana, Brian (Anthony Michael Hall) says, “Chicks cannot hold their smoke, that’s what it is”, which is from a Richard Pryor stand up routine.

  • Vernon is based on a wrestling coach from John Hughes’ high school, who flunked him in gym. Hughes ran into him later, and the coach said the movie was good, but the teacher was a real jerk.

  • The BMW driven by Claire (Molly Ringwald)’s father (Tim Gamble) belonged to John Hughes.

  • During filming, John Kapelos (Carl) rarely associated with the other cast members to keep a feeling of isolation.

  • As an end-of-filming present, John Hughes gave each actor and actress a piece of the “library’s” banister.

  • When Andrew Clark’s (Emilio Estevez’s) father, (Ron Dean), tells him, “No school’s going to give a scholarship to a discipline case”, he originally followed up with, “Not a white one, anyway.”

  • The cast all agreed later that Ally Sheedy (Allison Reynolds) was the best dancer.

  • Other proposed titles were “The Lunch Bunch” and “Library Revolution”.

  • John Hughes said getting the film greenlit by Universal wasn’t easy because the executives complained there were no bare breasts, no party scene, no guys drinking beer, or other things they thought a teenage picture needed at that time.

  • The Chicago Public Library donated over ten thousand books to be used in the movie.

  • John Hughes wanted the detention area to take place in a library, but the school’s library was too small, so they built the library set in the school’s gym.

  • The title of the film is actually the last spoken line.

  • John Hughes set most of the movie in one room, because he thought it would be easier to film.

  • In 2018, Molly Ringwald (Claire Standish) wrote a piece in The New Yorker in which she described watching the film with her 10-year-old daughter. Although she was bothered by scenes of sexual abuse and harassment in this film and other films and material by John Hughes, she stood by the work, recognizing that these issues were a product of the times and that Hughes’ films were still beneficial in helping teens assert their independence and identity.

  • Molly Ringwald has said in interviews that this movie is about “the universal feeling we all have especially in high school: that we are all outsiders, we all feel alone, and yet we all want to be accepted.”

  • When the Janitor, Carl, enters the library he greets Brian exclusively by name and asks how he’s doing. This is played off as a joke because of course the nerd would be friends with the janitor. Later, in a cut scene, it’s revealed Carl was the one who found the flare gun in Brian’s locker.

  • Despite Vernon wanting a one thousand word essay from everyone, the final essay ended up being a total of 96 words.

  • Simple Minds was so unimpressed with the prospects for the soundtrack entry “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” that the lead singer recorded the “La la la la” out-bridge chorus as gibberish to fill out the track after the initial recording session. He planned to replace it with proper lyrics the next day, but the rest of the band loved it and convinced him to keep the “la la la la” in place. It ended up being an iconic part of a #1 hit.

  • Ally Sheedy said in 2020 that she disliked her character Allison’s end-of-film makeover where Molly Ringwald’s Claire transformed Allison’s appearance, covering her in blush and eye-shadow and giving her a pink dress and headband to wear. Sheedy didn’t like the message it relayed: that she had to change herself to get a boy to notice her. Sheedy said she and Ringwald petitioned John Hughes to change it to promote a less negative message. She didn’t want Claire to put make-up on Allison’s face, and had hoped that her physical transformation would involve merely slipping off her enormous black sweater and wearing with pride the plain white shirt she had on underneath. But he didn’t go for that. It was the eighties and they wanted an ugly duckling becomes a swan transition.

  • Judd Nelson (John Bender), Ally Sheedy (Allison Reynolds), Molly Ringwald (Claire Standish) and Anthony Michael Hall (Brian Johnson) have all appeared in at least one episode of the USA show Psych (2006).

  • This town is set in Shermer, Illinois, a fictional town in the North Shore of Chicago. There is no Shermer Illinois; but there is a Shermer Road in Northbrook, Illinois; which is where John Hughes grew up. Hughes took the name of this prominent road and used it for his town name.

  • Most of the cast is playing against type in this movie. Although he plays a clean cut jock in this movie, Emilio Estevez usually plays a seedy punk in the movies, more like the Judd Nelson/John Bender character. In Repo Man (1984), Wisdom (1986), The Outsiders (1983) and That Was Then… This Is Now (1985) he plays a troubled punk/outlaw character; ala John Bender. And Judd Nelson, as a matter of fact, usually plays a clean cut character in the movies, not a punk: In St. Elmo’s Fire (1985), From the Hip (1987), Blue City (1986) and the TV series Suddenly Susan (1996) he plays preppy, clean cut characters; more like Andrew Clark, than the shady criminal he plays in this movie. Molly Ringwald is also definitely playing against type here. She usually plays distressed outsider girl roles, not the rich Heathers-type snob of Claire Standish. But then Anthony Michael Hall, who plays a geek in Weird Science (1985), this and Sixteen Candles (1984), is definitely playing to type; as is Ally Sheedy, who plays an eccentric weird girl in this, WarGames (1983) and High Art (1998) as well. Paul Gleason who plays an abusive authoritarian character in Trading Places (1983), is also playing to type.

  • Due to this film being set in the same school as Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) and taking place in 1984 this film quite possibly takes place a year before the events of the latter film. And it is likely Richard Vernon is deputy to Ed Rooney and the teenagers are very familiar with Ferris himself despite the fact Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) was not made until after this film.

  • Bender (Judd Nelson) refers to Claire (Molly Ringwald) as a “richie”. In Pretty in Pink (1986), Andie (Molly Ringwald) refers to Blaine (Andrew McCarthy) as the same thing.

  • Paul Gleason who played Principal Richard Vernon in this film would later play another school villain which would be Professor McDoogle in National Lampoon Van Wilder which was released 17 years later.

  • Vernon says to Bender, “Don’t mess with the bull, or you’ll get the horn”. In real-life Paul Gleason was born on May 4th, making his zodiac a Taurus (it means, bull).

  • With only seven characters in the film or eleven if you count the parents and Brian’s younger sister, this film has one of the most least number of characters in movie history.

  • The famous lipstick trick was taught to Molly Ringwald by director John Hughes, who demonstrated the technique himself to the cast and crew.

  • John Hughes: Brian’s father, who picks him up at the end of the film.

  • John Hughes: [The Beatles] Principal Richard Vernon (Paul Gleason) is named after a minor actor from A Hard Day’s Night (1964). When the principal asks the janitor what he wanted to be when he grew up, the janitor replies that he wanted to be John Lennon.

  • In the beginning of the movie, different shots of the school hallways and classrooms are shown, and you can see what the flare gun did to Brian (Anthony Michael Hall)’s locker. Also, there is a picture of a former Shermer High School student “Man of the Year”. The guy in the picture is the janitor, Carl Reed (John Kapelos).

  • Bender (Judd Nelson) continuously provokes Principal Vernon (Paul Gleason) into giving him extra Saturday detentions. It is later implied that Bender does this intentionally, because he’d rather be with Vernon at school on a Saturday than home with his abusive father. It’s also implied (during the scene where Vernon escorts him to the closet and rips into him) that he acts the way he does because he’d rather have people think he’s a tough troublemaker than a troubled abuse victim. Overall, it shows that he has more tolerance (and possibly more respect) to deal with Vernon than his parents.

  • The theatrical trailer shows brief footage that was ultimately never used. One shot shows Allison (Ally Sheedy) sitting by herself in a small room (presumably while the rest of the kids are getting high). Another brief clip shows Allison (post makeover) exclaiming to Andrew (Emilio Estevez) that she doesn’t wanna be alone anymore, to which he responds that she doesn’t have to be.

  • The beginning monologue is slightly different of the ending monologue. The difference shows the goal of the movie and the transformation the characters go through. From being each one for themselves and not caring about others to becoming a strong group that supports each other.

  • One of the main themes in the movie is the generational conflict: Vernon despises Claire, Andrew, John, Brian and Allison by their youth, fearing not only be cared by them when he be an old man in a home retirement, but they be managing the country. It’s confirmed when Vernon talks with Carl the janitor about how the students are wilder and rebels in each new school year, feeling that they turn against him by considering him a joke. In addition, all the five have troubles of communication with their respective parents, fearing to be as them when they be adult, as Andrew reveals when he is explaining the reason to be punished.

The 3 Guys Rating

4.2/5

About The Movie From IMDB

The Breakfast Club Comedy, Drama | February 15, 1985 (United States) 7.8
Director: John HughesWriter: John HughesStars: Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Molly RingwaldSummary: Beyond being in the same class at Shermer High School in Shermer, Illinois, Claire Standish, Andrew Clark, John Bender, Brian Johnson and Allison Reynolds have little in common, and with the exception of Claire and Andrew, do not associate with each other in school. In the simplest and in their own terms, Claire is a princess, Andrew an athlete, John a criminal, Brian a brain, and Allison a basket case. But one other thing they do have in common is a nine hour detention in the school library together on Saturday, March 24, 1984, under the direction of Mr. Vernon, supervising from his office across the hall. Each is required to write a minimum one thousand word essay during that time about who they think they are. At the beginning of those nine hours, each, if they were indeed planning on writing that essay, would probably write something close to what the world sees of them, and what they have been brainwashed into believing of themselves. But based on their adventures during that nine hours, they may come to a different opinion of themselves and the other four. —Huggo

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Cast

Emilio Estevez
...
Andrew Clark
Judd Nelson
...
John Bender
Molly Ringwald
...
Claire Standish
Ally Sheedy
...
Allison Reynolds
Paul Gleason
...
Richard Vernon
Anthony Michael Hall
...
Brian Johnson
John Kapelos
...
Carl
Perry Crawford
...
Allison's Father
Mary Christian
...
Brian's Sister
Ron Dean
...
Andy's Father
Tim Gamble
...
Claire's Father
Fran Gargano
...
Allison's Mom
Mercedes Hall
...
Brian's Mom
John Hughes
...
Brian's Father

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Countries: United StatesLanguages: EnglishBudget: $1,000,000 (estimated)
Source: imdb.com
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7.8
The Breakfast Club Comedy, Drama | February 15, 1985 (United States)
Director: John HughesWriter: John HughesStars: Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald
Summary: Five high school students meet in Saturday detention and discover how they have a lot more in common than they thought.
Countries: United StatesLanguages: English
Source: imdb.comDisclaimer: This plugin has been coded to automatically quote data from imdb.com. Not available for any other purpose. All showing data have a link to imdb.com. The user is responsible for any other use or change codes.

Quotes

Andrew: We're all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it, that's all.

[last lines]

Brian Johnson: [closing narration] Dear Mr. Vernon, we accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. But we think you're crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us - in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain...

Andrew Clark: ...and an athlete...

Allison Reynolds: ...and a basket case...

Claire Standish: ...a princess...

John Bender: ...and a criminal.

Brian Johnson: Does that answer your question? Sincerely yours, the Breakfast Club.

Andrew: What do you need a fake I.D. for?

Brian: So I can vote.

John Bender: [Imitating his Father] Stupid, worthless, no good, goddamn, freeloading son of a bitch. Retarded, big mouth, know-it-all, asshole, jerk.

[Imitating his Mother]

John Bender: You forgot ugly, lazy and disrespectful.

[Father's voice]

John Bender: Shut up bitch! Go fix me a turkey pot pie.

[His own voice]

John Bender: No dad, what about you?

[Father's voice]

John Bender: Fuck you.

[His own voice]

John Bender: No dad, what about you?

[Father's voice]

John Bender: Fuck you.

[His own voice]

John Bender: Dad, what about you?

[Father's voice]

John Bender: Fuck you!

[Pantomimes getting punched in the face]

Brian Johnson: Is that for real?

John Bender: You wanna come over sometime?

[Claire is doing Allison's make-up]

Claire: You know, you look a lot better without all that black shit under your eyes.

Allison Reynolds: Hey, I like all that black shit... Why are you being so nice to me?

Claire: Because you're letting me.

John Bender: Screws fall out all the time, the world is an imperfect place.

Andrew: I taped Larry Lester's buns together.

Brian Johnson: That was you?

Andrew: Yeah, you know him?

Brian Johnson: Yeah, I know him.

Andrew: Well, then you know how hairy he is. And when they pulled the tape off, most of his hair came off and some - some skin, too.

Claire Standish: Oh my God.

Andrew: And the bizarre thing is that I did it for my old man. I tortured this poor kid because I wanted him to think that I was cool. He's always going off about how when he was in school and all the wild things he used to do. And I got the feeling that he was disappointed that I never cut loose on anyone, right? So I'm sitting in the locker room and I'm taping up my knee, and Larry's undressing a couple lockers down from me. And he's kinda, he's kinda skinny. Weak. And I started thinkin' about my father, and his attitude about, about weakness. And the next thing I knew, I jumped on top of him and started whaling on him. And my friends, they just laughed and cheered me on. And afterwards, when I'm sitting in Vernon's office, all I could think about was Larry's father and Larry having to go home and explain what happened to him. And the humiliation - the fucking humiliation he must have felt. It must have been unreal. I mean, how... how do you apologize for something like that? There's no way. It's all because of me and my old man. God, I fucking hate him. He's like this mindless machine that I can't even relate to anymore.

[crying, imitating his father]

Andrew: 'Andrew! You've got to be number one! I won't tolerate any losers in this family! Your intensity is for shit! Win! Win! Win!' You son of a bitch. You know, sometimes I wish my knee would give. And I wouldn't be able to wrestle anymore. And he could forget all about me.

Richard Vernon: You're not fooling anyone, Bender. The next screw that falls out will be you.

John Bender: Eat my shorts.

Richard Vernon: What was that?

John Bender: Eat... My... Shorts.

Richard Vernon: You just bought yourself another Saturday.

John Bender: Ooh, I'm crushed.

Richard Vernon: You just bought one more.

John Bender: Well I'm free the Saturday after that. Beyond that, I'm going to have to check my calendar.

Richard Vernon: Good, cause it's going to be filled. We'll keep going. You want another one? Just say the word say it. Instead of going to prison you'll come here. Are you through?

John Bender: No.

Richard Vernon: I'm doing society a favor.

John Bender: So?

Richard Vernon: That's another one right now! I've got you for the rest of your natural born life if you don't watch your step. You want another one?

John Bender: Yes.

Richard Vernon: You got it! You got another one right there! That's another one pal!

Claire Standish: Cut it out!

Richard Vernon: You through?

John Bender: Not even close bud!

Richard Vernon: Good! You got one more right there!

John Bender: You really think I give a shit?

Richard Vernon: Another! You through?

John Bender: How many is that?

Brian Johnson: That's seven including when we first came in and you asked Mr. Vernon whether Barry Manilow knew that he raided his closet.

Richard Vernon: Now it's eight. You stay out of this.

Brian Johnson: Excuse me sir, it's seven.

Bender: [after Claire kisses his neck] Why'd you do that?

Claire Standish: 'Cause I knew you wouldn't.

Claire Standish: [pause] Were you truly disgusted with what I did with my lipstick?

Bender: The truth?

Claire Standish: Yeah.

Bender: [nods] No.

Allison Reynolds: I'll do anything sexual. I don't need a million dollars to do it either.

Claire Standish: You're lying.

Allison Reynolds: I already have. I've done just about everything there is except a few things that are illegal. I'm a nymphomaniac.

Claire Standish: Lie.

Brian Johnson: Are your parents aware of this?

Allison Reynolds: The only person I told was my shrink.

Andrew Clark: And what did he do when you told him?

Allison Reynolds: He nailed me.

Claire Standish: Very nice.

Allison Reynolds: I don't think that from a legal standpoint what he did can be construed as rape, since I paid him.

Claire Standish: He's an adult.

Allison Reynolds: Yeah, he's married too.

Claire Standish: Do you have any idea how completely gross that is?

Allison Reynolds: Well, the first few times...

Claire Standish: The first few times? You mean you did it more than once?

Allison Reynolds: Sure.

Claire Standish: Are you crazy?

Brian Johnson: Obviously she's crazy if she's screwing a shrink.

Allison Reynolds: Have you ever done it?

Claire Standish: I don't even have a psychiatrist.

Allison Reynolds: Have you ever done it with a normal person?

Claire Standish: Didn't we already cover this?

John Bender: You never answered the question.

Claire Standish: Look, I'm not going to discuss my private life with total strangers.

Allison Reynolds: It's kind of a double edged sword isn't it?

Claire Standish: A what?

Allison Reynolds: Well, if you say you haven't, you're a prude. If you say you have you're a slut. It's a trap. You want to but you can't, and when you do you wish you didn't, right?

Claire Standish: Wrong.

Allison Reynolds: Or are you a tease?

Andrew Clark: She's a tease.

Claire Standish: I'm sure. Why don't you just forget it.

Andrew Clark: Oh, you're a tease and you know it. All girls are teases.

John Bender: She's only a tease if what she does gets you hot.

Claire Standish: I don't do anything.

Allison Reynolds: That's why you're a tease.

Claire Standish: OK, let me ask you a few questions.

Allison Reynolds: I already told you everything.

Claire Standish: No. Doesn't it bother you to sleep around without being in love. I mean, don't you want any respect?

Allison Reynolds: I don't screw to get respect. That's the difference between you and me.

Claire Standish: It's not the only difference I hope.

John Bender: Face it, you're a tease.

Claire Standish: I'm NOT a tease.

John Bender: Sure you are. Sex is your weapon. You said it yourself. You use it to get respect.

Claire Standish: No, I never said that she twisted my words around.

John Bender: What do you use it for then?

Claire Standish: I don't use it period.

John Bender: Oh, are you medically frigid or is it psychological?

Claire Standish: I didn't mean it that way. You guys are putting words into my mouth.

John Bender: Well, if you'd just answer the question.

Brian Johnson: Why don't you just answer the question?

Andrew Clark: Be honest.

John Bender: No big deal.

Brian Johnson: Yeah answer it.

Andrew Clark: Answer the question, Claire.

John Bender: Talk to us. Every one: C'mon, answer the question. Come on. Answer it.

John Bender: C'mon, it's easy. It's only one question.

Claire Standish: NO I NEVER DID IT.

Allison Reynolds: I never did it either. I'm not a nymphomaniac. I'm a compulsive liar.

[first lines]

Brian Johnson: [opening narration immediately after the title sequence] Saturday, March 24, 1984. Shermer High School, Shermer, Illinois, 60062. Dear Mr. Vernon, we accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. What we did *was* wrong. But we think you're crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. What do you care? You see us as you want to see us - in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. You see us as a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal. Correct? That's the way we saw each other at 7:00 this morning. We were brainwashed.

John: Hey, how come Andrew gets to get up? If he gets up, we'll all get up, it'll be anarchy.

John Bender: Does Barry Manilow know that you raid his wardrobe?

Claire Standish: You know why guys like you knock everything?

John Bender: Oh, this should be stunning.

Claire Standish: It's because you're afraid.

John Bender: Oh God, you richies are so smart, that's exactly why I'm not heavy into activities.

Claire Standish: You're a big coward.

Brian Johnson: I'm in the math club.

Claire Standish: See, you're afraid that they won't take you, you don't belong, so you have to just dump all over it.

John Bender: Well, it wouldn't have anything to do with you activities people being assholes, now would it?

Claire Standish: Well, you wouldn't know, you don't even know any of us.

John Bender: Well, I don't know any lepers either, but I'm not going to run out and join one of their fucking clubs.

Andrew Clark: Hey! Let's watch the mouth, huh?

Brian Johnson: I'm in the physics club too.

John Bender: Excuse me a sec. What are you babbling about?

Brian Johnson: Well, what I had said was I'm in the math club, uh, the Latin, and the physics club... physics club.

John Bender: Hey, Cherry. Do you belong to the physics club?

Claire Standish: That's an academic club.

John Bender: So?

Claire Standish: So academic clubs aren't the same as other kinds of clubs.

John Bender: Ah... but to dorks like him, they are. What do you guys do in your club?

Brian Johnson: Well, in physics we... we talk about physics, properties of physics.

John Bender: So it's sorta social, demented and sad, but social. Right?

John Bender: Uh, Dick? Excuse me; Rich. Will milk be made available to us?

Andrew Clark: We're extremely thirsty, sir.

Claire Standish: I have a really low tolerance for dehydration.

Andrew Clark: I've seen her dehydrate, sir. It's pretty gross.

Richard Vernon: What if your home... what if your family... what if your *dope* was on fire?

John Bender: [truthfully] Impossible, sir. It's in Johnson's underwear.

Allison Reynolds: When you grow up, your heart dies.

John: So, who cares?

Allison Reynolds: I care.

John Bender: [after Claire performs her lipstick trick, claps sarcastically] Wow, Claire. That was great. My image of you is totally blown.

Allison Reynolds: You're a shit. Don't do that to her, you swore to God you wouldn't laugh.

John Bender: Am I laughing?

Andrew Clark: [shouts angrily] You fuckin' prick!

John Bender: What do you care what I think anyway? I don't even count, right? I could disappear forever and it wouldn't make any difference. I might as well not even exist at this school, remember?

[turns to Claire]

John Bender: And you... don't like me anyway.

Claire Standish: You know, I have just as, many feelings as you do and it hurts so much when someone steps all over them.

John Bender: God! You're so pathetic. Don't you ever, *ever* compare yourself to me, okay. You got everything, and I got shit. Fuckin' Rapunzel, right? School would probably fuckin' shut down if you didn't show up. Queenie isn't here. I like those earrings, Claire.

Claire Standish: Shut up.

John Bender: Are those real diamonds Claire?

Claire Standish: Shut up.

John Bender: I bet they are. Did you work for the money for those earrings?

Claire Standish: Shut your mouth.

John Bender: Or did your daddy buy those for you?

Claire Standish: [shouts] SHUT UP!

John Bender: I'll bet he bought those for you. I bet those were a Christmas gift. Right? You know what I got for Christmas? Oh, it was a banner fucking year at the old Bender family. I got a carton of cigarettes. The old man grabbed me and said, "Hey, smoke up Johnny." All right? So go home and cry to your Daddy. Don't cry here, okay?

Andrew Clark: My God, are we gonna be like our parents?

Claire Standish: Not me. Ever.

[Bender nods]

Bender: Remember how you said your parents use you to get back at each other?

Claire Standish: [nods]

Bender: Wouldn't I be OUTSTANDING in that capacity?

Brian Johnson: Chicks cannot hold their smoke, dat's what it is.

Richard Vernon: [From his office] Jesus Christ Almighty! What in God' s name is going on in here? What was that ruckus?

Andrew Clark: Uh, what ruckus?

Richard Vernon: I was just in my office and I heard a ruckus.

Brian Johnson: Could you describe the ruckus, sir?

John Bender: What's in there?

Claire Standish: Guess? Where's your lunch?

John Bender: You're wearing it.

Claire Standish: You're nauseating.

John Bender: [pointing to Claire's lunch] What's that?

Claire Standish: Sushi.

John Bender: Sushi?

Claire Standish: Rice, raw fish, and seaweed.

John Bender: You won't accept a guy's tongue in your mouth, and you're going to eat that?

Claire Standish: Can I eat?

John Bender: I don't know. Give it a try.

John Bender: YOU ARE A BITCH.

Claire Standish: Why? 'Cause I'm telling the truth, that makes me a bitch?

John Bender: NO. 'Cause you know how shitty that is to do someone, and you don't got the balls to stand up to your friends and tell them you're gonna like who you wanna like.

Andrew: Why do you have to insult everybody?

John Bender: I'm being honest, asshole. I would expect you to know the difference.

Allison Reynolds: I don't have to run away and live in the street. I can run away and I can go to the ocean, I can go to the country, I can go to the mountains. I could go to Israel, Africa, Afghanistan.

John Bender: Sporto.

Andrew Clark: What?

John Bender: You get along with your parents?

Andrew Clark: Well, if I say yes I'm an idiot, right?

John Bender: You're an idiot anyway. But if you say you get along with your parents, well, you're a liar too.

[Richard Vernon places magazine rack in front of door to hold it open]

John Bender: That's very clever, sir. But what if there's a fire? I think violating fire codes and endangering the lives of children would be unwise at this juncture in your career, sir.

Andrew Clark: What do they do to you?

Allison Reynolds: They ignore me.

Andrew Clark: Yeah... yeah.

Allison Reynolds: You have problems.

Andrew Clark: Oh, I have problems?

Allison Reynolds: You do everything everyone tells you to do and that is a problem.

Andrew Clark: Okay, fine, but I didn't dump my purse out on the couch and invite everyone into my problems.

Andrew: Speak for yourself.

Bender: Do you think I'd speak for you? I don't even know your language.

John Bender: What're we having?

Brian Johnson: Uh, it's your standard, regular lunch I guess...

[Bender reaches in the bag and pulls out a thermos. He sets it on the table and points at it]

John Bender: Milk?

Brian Johnson: Uh, soup.

John Bender: Ah.

[Bender goes in again and pulls out a juice box. Brian reaches toward the bag and Bender slaps his hand]

Brian Johnson: That's apple juice...

John Bender: I *can* read. PB & J with the crusts cut off... Well, Brian, this is a very nutritious lunch. All the food groups are represented. Did your mom marry Mr. Rogers?

Brian Johnson: Uh, no, Mr. Johnson.

Bender: [running through the halls singing] I wanna be an airborne ranger / I wanna lead a life of danger / Before the day I die / There's five things I wanna ride / Bicycle, tricycle, automobile / Virgin's mother and a ferris wheel...

Andrew: Look, you guys keep up your talking and Vernon's gonna come right in here. I got a meet this Saturday and I'm not gonna miss it on account of you boneheads.

Bender: Oh, and wouldn't that be a bite, huh? Missing a whole wrestling meet!

Andrew: You wouldn't know anything about it, faggot! You never competed in your whole life!

Bender: Oh, I know. I feel all empty inside because of it. I have such a deep admiration for guys who roll around on the floor with other guys.

Andrew: Ah, you'd never make it. You don't have any goals.

Bender: Oh, but I do!

Andrew: Yeah?

Bender: I wanna be just... like... you. I figure all I need is a lobotomy and some tights!

Brian: You wear tights?

Andrew: No, I don't wear tights. I wear the required uniform.

Brian: Tights.

Andrew: [short pause] Shut up!

Claire Standish: Do you know how popular I am? I am so popular. Everybody loves me so much at this school.

Bender: Poor baby.

[to himself, crawling above some acoustic ceiling tiles]

Bender: Naked blonde walks into a bar with a poodle under one arm, and a two-foot salami under the other. The bartender says, I guess you won't be needing a drink. Naked lady says...

[the ceiling gives way]

Bender: Oh, *shit*.

Andrew: [after Claire has given Allison a makeover] What happened to you?

Allison Reynolds: Why? Claire did it... What's wrong?

Andrew: Nothing's wrong... it's just so different, you know? I can see your face.

Allison Reynolds: Is that good or bad?

Andrew: It's good.

Brian Johnson: [after Brian explains his F in shop] Did you know without trigonometry, there'd be no engineering?

Bender: Without lamps, there'd be no light.

[as Bender prepares to urinate under his desk]

Andrew Clark: Hey, you're not urinating in here, man.

John Bender: Don't talk. Don't talk. It makes it crawl back up.

[Vernon catches Bender playing basketball in the gym]

Bender: Don't you want to hear my excuse?

Richard Vernon: Out.

Bender: I'm thinkin' of tryin' out for a scholarship.

Claire Standish: Why didn't you want me to know that you are a virgin?

Brian Johnson: Because it's my business - my personal business.

John Bender: Well, Brian, it doesn't sound like you're doing any business.

Andrew Clark: If I lose my temper you're totaled, man.

John Bender: Totally?

Andrew Clark: Totally.

Bender: You're kind of sexy when you're angry.

Claire Standish: [about her parents] I don't think either one of them gives a shit about me. It's like they use me just to get back at each other.

Allison Reynolds: [her first word of dialogue so far] Ha!

Claire Standish: [long pause] Shut up!

Claire Standish: What would your friends say if we were walking down the hall together. They'd laugh their asses off and you'd probably tell them you were doing it with me so they'd forgive you for being seen with me.

John Bender: Don't you ever talk about my friends. You don't know any of my friends. You don't look at any of my friends. And you certainly wouldn't condescend to speak to any of my friends. So you just stick to the things you know: shopping, nail polish, your father's BMW, and your poor, rich drunk mother in the Caribbean.

Claire Standish: SHUT UP!

John Bender: And as far as being concerned about what's gonna happen when you and I walk down the hallways of school together, you can forget it cuz it's never gonna happen. Just bury your head in the sand and wait for your fuckin' prom.

Claire Standish: [Crying] I hate you!

John Bender: Yeah? Good!

John Bender: My impression of life at Big Bri's house, "Son?" "Yeah, Dad?" "How was your day, son?" "Great, Dad. How's yours?" "Super. Say, how would like to go fishing this weekend?" "Great, Dad. But I got homework to do." "That's okay, son. You can do it on the boat." "Gee." "Hon, isn't our son swell?" "Yes, dear. Isn't life swell?"

[kiss]

Andrew Clark: So... what's your poison?

[Allison says nothing]

Andrew Clark: ... Ok, forget I asked.

Allison Reynolds: Vodka.

Andrew Clark: Vodka? When do you drink vodka.

Allison Reynolds: Whenever.

Andrew Clark: How much?

Allison Reynolds: Tons.

Allison Reynolds: Your middle name is Ralph, as in puke, your birth date's March 12th, you're 5'9 and a half, you weigh 130 pounds and your social security number is 049380913.

Andrew Clark: Wow. Are you psychic?

Allison Reynolds: No.

Brian Johnson: Well, would you mind telling me how you know all this about me?

Allison Reynolds: I stole your wallet.

Bender: How does one become a janitor?

Carl: You wanna be a janitor?

Bender: No, I just want to know how one becomes a janitor. Because Andrew here is very interested in pursuing a career in the custodial arts.

Carl: Oh really? You guys think I'm just some untouchable peasant? Serf? Peon? Well, maybe so. But following a broom around after shitheads like you for the last 8 years, I've learned a couple of things. I look through your letters. I look through your lockers. I listen to your conversations, you don't know that but I do. I am the eyes and ears of this institution, my friends.

[Carl looks up at the clock and looks at his watch]

Carl: By the way, that clock's 20 minutes fast.

Andrew: I said, leave her alone.

Bender: You gonna make me?

Andrew: Yeah.

Bender: You and how many of your friends?

Andrew: Just me. Just you and me. Two hits. Me hitting you. You hitting the floor. Anytime you're ready, pal.

John Bender: Being bad feels pretty good, huh?

Richard Vernon: [Andrew laughs at Bender's backtalk] You think he's funny? You think this is cute? You think he's "bitchin," is that it? Let me tell you something. Look at him - he's a bum. You want to see something funny? You go visit John Bender in five years. You'll see how goddamned funny he is.

Claire Standish: What's your name?

John Bender: What's yours?

Claire Standish: Claire.

John Bender: Claire?

Claire Standish: Claire. It's a family name.

John Bender: Oh, it's a fat girl's name.

Claire Standish: Oh, thank you.

John Bender: You're welcome.

Claire Standish: I'm not fat.

John Bender: Well not at present, but I can see you really pushing maximum density. See I'm not sure if you know this, but there are two kinds of fat people: there's fat people that were born to be fat, and there's fat people that were once thin but became fat... so when you look at 'em you can sorta see that thin person inside. You see, you're gonna get married, you're gonna squeeze out a few puppies and then, uh...

Richard Vernon: That's the last time, Bender. That the last time you ever make me look bad in front of those kids, you hear me? I make $31,000 a year and I have a home and I'm not about to throw it all away on some punk like you. But someday when you're outta here and you've forgotten all about this place and they've forgotten all about you, and you're wrapped up in your own pathetic life, I'm gonna be there. That's right. And I'm gonna kick the living shit out of you. I'm gonna knock your dick in the dirt.

Bender: You threatening me?

Richard Vernon: What are you gonna do about it? You think anyone's gonna believe you? You think anyone is gonna take your word over mine? I'm a man of respect around here. They love me around here. I'm a swell guy. You're a lying sack of shit and everybody knows it. Oh, you're a tough guy. Hey c'mon. Get on your feet pal. Let's find out how tough you are. I wanna know right now how tough you are.

[offers Bender his chin]

Richard Vernon: Just take the first shot. I'm begging you, take a shot. Just one hit. Come on, that's all I need, just one swing...

[Bender pauses, staring]

Richard Vernon: That's what I thought. You're a gutless turd.

John Bender: Hey, homeboy, what do you say we close that door, we'll get the prom queen impregnated.

[John Bender is absently tearing up books]

Andrew Clark: That's real intelligent.

John Bender: You're right. It's wrong to destroy literature. It's such fun to read. And

[examines title]

John Bender: Moe-Lay really pumps my nads.

Claire Standish: Moliere.

Brian Johnson: I'm a fucking idiot because I can't make a lamp?

John Bender: No. You're a genius because you can't make a lamp.

Claire Standish: I hate it. I hate having to go along with everything my friends say.

Andrew: You ask me one more question and I'm beating the shit out of you.

John Bender: [to Vernon] Keep your fuckin' hands off me! I'd expect better manners from you, Dick.

Richard Vernon: What did you wanna be when you were young?

Carl: When I was a kid, I wanted to be John Lennon.

Richard Vernon: Carl, don't be a goof. I'm making a serious point here.

Richard Vernon: You ought to spend a little more time trying to make something of yourself and a little less time trying to impress people.

Bender: You keep eating your hand and you're not gonna be hungry for lunch...

Richard Vernon: Well, well. Here we are. I want to congratulate you for being on time.

Claire Standish: Excuse me, sir. I think there's been a mistake. I know it's detention, but I don't think I belong in here.

[Vernon ignores her and looks at his watch]

Richard Vernon: It is now 7:06. You have exactly 8 hours and 54 minutes to think about WHY you are here, to ponder the error of your ways.

[Bender spits out a wad of saliva in the air and catches with his mouth, prompting Claire to almost exclaim in disgust, but Vernon stops her by pointing]

Richard Vernon: You may not talk.

[Brian tries to move to the chair next to him on the table]

Richard Vernon: You will not move from these seats.

[to Bender, who is relaxing his feet on a chair, but Vernon pulls it out from under Bender's feet]

Richard Vernon: And YOU... will not sleep. All right, people, we're going to try something a little different, today. We are going to write an essay of no less than a thousand words describing to me who you think you are.

[starts handing out sheets of paper]

John Bender: Is this a test?

Richard Vernon: And when I say 'essay' I mean 'essay' I do not mean a single word repeated a thousand times. Is that clear, Mr. Bender?

Richard Vernon: Cry-Stal.

Richard Vernon: Good. Maybe you'll learn a little something about yourself. Maybe you'll decide, whether or not, you'd care to return.

Richard Vernon: Uh, you know, I can answer that right now, sir. That'd be no... No from me, 'cause...

John Bender: [contemptuously] Sit down, Johnson.

Brian Johnson: Thank you, sir.

Richard Vernon: My office is right across that hall. Any monkey business is ill-advised. Any questions?

John Bender: Yeah, I got a question. Does Barry Manilow know that you raid his wardrobe?

Brian Johnson: I'll give you the answer to that question, Mr. Bender, next Saturday. Don't mess with the bull, young man. You'll get the horns.

[exits the library]

Richard Vernon: That man... is a brownie-hound.

Brian's mom: Now is this the first time or the last time you do this to me?

Brian Johnson: Last.

Brian's mom: Now get in there and use the time to your advantage.

Brian Johnson: Mom, we're not supposed to study, we just have to sit there and do nothing.

Brian's mom: Well mister, you figure out a way to study.

Brian's sister: Yeah.

Bender: [after putting his head between Claire's legs under the table] It was an accident.

Claire Standish: You're an asshole.

Bender: Sue me.

Allison Reynolds: [after Andrew says he would drive to school naked for one million dollars] I'd do that. I'll do anything sexual, and I don't need a million dollars to do it either. I'm a nymphomaniac.

Richard Vernon: You think about this: when you get old, these kids - when *I* get old - they're going to be running the country.

Carl: Yeah.

Richard Vernon: Now this is the thought that wakes me up in the middle of the night. That when I get older, these kids are going to take care of me.

Carl: I wouldn't count on it.

John Bender: [after Claire flips him off] Oh, obscene finger gestures from such a pristine girl.

Claire Standish: He's just doing it to get a rise out of you. Just ignore him.

John Bender: Sweets. You couldn't ignore me if you tried. So... so. Are you guys like boyfriend-girlfriend? Steady dates? Lovers? Come on, sporto, level with me. Do you slip her the hot beef injection?

Claire Standish: Go to HELL.

Andrew: Enough.

Richard Vernon: Hey. What's goin in there? Damn pricks.

Andrew: Just me. Just you and me. Two hits... me hitting you, you hitting the floor. Any time you're ready, pal.

Bender: [Bender goes to hit Andrew but Andrew tackles him to the floor] I don't wanna get into this with you man.

Andrew: [Andrew lets him go and they both stand up] Why not?

Bender: Cause I'd kill you. It's real simple, I'd kill you and your fucking parents would sue me and it'd be a big mess and I don't care enough about you to bother.

Andrew: [whispers as he turns around] Chickenshit.

[Bender pulls out a switchblade and stabs into a chair]

Andrew: Let's end this right now. You don't talk to her... you don't look at her and you don't even think about her! You understand me?

Bender: Are you a virgin? I'll bet you a million dollars that you are. Let's end the suspense! Is it gonna be... a white wedding?

Claire: Why don't you just shut up?

Bender: Have you ever kissed a boy on the mouth?

[Claire doesn't answer]

Bender: Have you ever been felt up? Over the bra, under the blouse, shoes off... hoping to God your parents don't walk in?

Claire: Do you want me to puke?

Bender: Over the panties, no bra, blouse unbuttoned, Calvins in a ball on the front seat, past eleven on a school-night?

Allison Reynolds: [Chews fingernails]

Bender: You keep eating your hand; you're not gonna be hungry for lunch.

Allison Reynolds: [Spits fingernail at Bender]

John Bender: But face it. You're a neo maxi zoom dweebie, what would you be doing if you weren't out making yourself a better citizen?

Bender: Claire, you wanna see a picture of a guy with elephantitis of the nuts? It's pretty tasty.

Claire: No thank you.

Bender: How does he ride a bike?

Bender: Oh Claire, would you ever consider dating a guy who looked like this?

Claire: Can't you just leave me alone?

Bender: I mean even if he had a nice personality and a cool car... although you'd probably have to ride in the backseat because his nuts would ride shotgun

Mr. Clark, Andrew's Father: Hey, I screwed around. Guys screw around, there's nothin' wrong with that.

[Andy nods head]

Mr. Clark, Andrew's Father: Except you got caught, Sport.

Andrew: Yeah, Mom already wringed me, alright?

Mr. Clark, Andrew's Father: You wanna miss a match? You wanna blow your ride?

[Andy shakes head no]

Mr. Clark, Andrew's Father: No school's gonna give a scholarship to a discipline case!

Richard Vernon: Why is that door closed? WHY IS THAT DOOR CLOSED?

Richard Vernon: Don't mess with the bull, young man. You'll get the horns.

Bender: You load up, you party.

Brian Johnson: Uhh, no, actually, we dress up.

Andrew Clark: I'm not a winner because I want to be one. I'm a winner because I've got strength and speed... kinda like a racehorse. It's about how involved I am in what's happening to me.

Bender: Can you hear this?

[makes a middle finger pointing downwards]

Bender: Want me to turn it up?

[turns his middle finger right side up in his face]

Principal Richard Vernon: The next time I have to come in here I'm crackin' skulls.

Andrew: Yo wastoid, you're not gonna blaze up in here.

Brian: Are you gonna be, like, a shopping bag lady? You know, like, sit in alleyways and, like, talk to buildings and wear men's shoes and that kinda thing?

Bender: [as Mr. Vernon leaves the library] That man... is a brownie hound.

Andrew: [standing up for Claire after she's been bullied by Bender one too many times] Let's end this right now. You don't talk to her, you don't look at her and you don't even think about her! You understand me?

Bender: [nonchalantly] I'm trying to help her.

Principal Richard Vernon: Don't mess with the bull young man, you'll get the horns.

Bender: Oh, shit! What're we s'posed to do if we have to take a piss?

Claire Standish: Please.

Bender: If you gotta go, you gotta go.

Claire Standish: Oh my god!

Andrew: Hey, you're not urinating in here man!

Bender: Don't talk, don't talk. It makes it crawl back up.

Andrew: You whip it out and you're dead before the first drop hits the floor.

Bender: You're pretty sexy when you get angry.

Richard Vernon: [enters the library before lunchtime] All right, girls, that's 30 minutes for lunch.

Andrew Clark: Here?

Richard Vernon: Here.

Andrew Clark: Well, I think the cafeteria would be a more suitable place for us to eat lunch in, sir.

Richard Vernon: [irritably] Well, I don't really care what you think, Andrew.

John Bender: [raises his hand] Dick, uh, excuse me. Rich, will milk be made available to us?

Claire Standish: [to Vernon] I have a low tolerance for dehydration.

Andrew Clark: I've seen her dehydrate, sir. It's pretty gross.

John Bender: Relax, I'll get it.

Richard Vernon: [stops him] Ah-ah-ah! Grab some wood, there, bub. What do you think, I was born yesterday? You think I'm gonna have you roaming these halls?

[points to Andrew]

Richard Vernon: You

[Andrew willingly points to Claire, but Vernon points to a spaced-out Allison]

Richard Vernon: and you. Hey!

[snaps fingers and turns to the others]

Richard Vernon: What's her name? Wake her up. Wake her up. Hey, come on, missy, on your feet, let's go! This is no rest home.

[Allison stares strangely at Vernon as she stands up]

Richard Vernon: There's a soft drink machine in the teacher's lounge. Let's go!

[the rest of the kids take their time giving Andrew and Allison change]

Richard Vernon: Come on, shake your tail feather, let's go, ante up! Some people don't even get a lunch hour. Come on, get a move on!

Claire Standish: [takes out a $20 bill] Excuse me, sir, can you break this?

[Vernon scoffs sarcastically]

John Bender: [to Andrew] Sounds like your father and my father should just get together and go bowling.

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