The AP and other news outlets have reported that John Hughes -- the man who essentially invented the teen movie as we now know it -- has died at the age of 59.
The writer/director behind "Sixteen Candles," "The Breakfast Club," "Pretty in Pink," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and many, many others evidently had a heart attack while taking a morning walk in Manhattan.
For any child of the '80s, this is a tremendously sad moment. His movies may not have been Academy Award winners, but they resonated enormously with anyone trying to navigate adolescence during the MTV decade.
When we felt alone, he let us join a breakfast club. When we needed a girlfriend with a flair for thrift shop fashion, he gave us Molly Ringwald. And when we craved a rebellious role model, he provided us with Bueller, Ferris Bueller, a snappy-dressing slickster who reminded us that life moves pretty fast and we really should stop and look around once in a while, even if that means stealing our best friend's father's Ferrari.
Not long ago, Liz and I argued about which John Hughes teen movie was the most important, and attempted to rank them in order of most important to least. We both agreed that "The Breakfast Club" stands above them all, but as we mourn Hughes's passing, I'd like you to vote for your favorite in the poll below. And if you want to pay tribute to another beloved Hughes movie outside the teen genre -- like a "Planes, Trains & Automobiles" or an "Uncle Buck" -- please feel free to do so in the comments below.
John Hughes, you may be gone. But your movies will never be forgotten.
We are always, sincerely yours,
The Breakfast Club
Source: The Washington Post
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/celebritology/2009/08/john_hughes_dead_at_59.html?hpid=talkbox1
