The Breakfast Club is a 1985 American comedy-drama film written, produced, and directed by John Hughes. The film stars Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, and Ally Sheedy. So, today we’re examining The Breakfast Club ending.
The plot follows five high school students— Bender, Brian Johnson, Claire Standish, Andrew Clark, and Allison Reynolds — who are forced to spend Saturday in detention. The movie became iconic for its portrayal of teenage angst and has been named one of the best films of the 1980s. The Breakfast Club was well received by critics and has since developed a cult following.
The Breakfast Club Plot
On Saturday, March 24, 1984, nerdy Brian Johnson, varsity wrestler Andrew Clark, introverted outcast Allison Reynolds, and popular snob Claire Standish. And rebellious delinquent John Bender reported to Shermer High School at 7:00 a.m. for all-day detention. In voiceover, the five are described as “a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal” in voiceover.
They congregate in the school library. Where Vice Principal Richard Vernon orders them not to speak, move from their seats, or sleep until 4:00 p.m. He gives them each a 1,000-word essay in which they must describe “who you think you are.” He departs.
John Bender
John is a rule-breaker who spends most of his time bullying or harassing Claire, Brian, and Andrew. After seeing how he deals with adults so abusive like Vernon, who gives John eight weekends of extra detention. They all feel sorry for him. The five sneak out of the library at one point to recover John’s marijuana stash; John allows himself to be apprehended by Vernon so that the others can return to the library undetected. As a punishment, Vernon locks John in a storage closet. But he manages to escape and return to the library by crawling through the ceiling panels. When Vernon comes to investigate the noise caused by John’s escape, the others assist him in hiding and covering for him.
Spending The Day
They are talking, arguing, smoking marijuana, and listening to music. These are ways the students pass the time. They gradually open up and share their secrets, as well as their strained relationships with their parents. Claire’s popularity puts her under a lot of peer pressure, and her parents use her to retaliate when they fight; John’s father is physically and verbally abusive.
Why Are They In Detention?
Allison’s neglectful parents turned her into a compulsive liar, and she dreamed of one day running away from home. Andrew admits that his dad emotionally abuses him to succeed in wrestling, leaving him unable to think for himself; he was sent to detention for bullying to gain his father’s approval.
Brian’s parents put so much pressure on him to do well in school that he considered suicide after receiving an F in shop class. He was detained for taking a big flare gun to high school. Allison claims she wasn’t sent to detention and simply showed up because she had nothing else to do. Despite their differences, they all recognize that they are dealing with similar issues.
The Breakfast Club Trailer
The Breakfast Club Ending Explained
At the ending of The Breakfast Club, at Claire’s request, Brian is forced to write a group essay for them. Meanwhile, Claire removes Allison’s black eyeliner and styles her hair with a bow, giving her a complete makeover. This allows her to have an affair with Andrew while Claire has an affair with Bender.
As a token, Claire gives Bender one of her diamond earrings, and Allison takes Andrew’s athletic patch from his letter jacket. They’re strengthening their bonds with each other by exchanging tokens and gifts in the hopes that they’ll last. They’re ready to reap the benefits of learning and romantically connect now that they’ve learned profound truths about their experiences. On the other hand, Brian gets the pleasure of writing an essay.
Allison Gets A Makeover
The Allison makeover is a contentious part of the film and worth delving into. Many critics were outraged that she needed to change her appearance and become more Claire-like to win Andrew’s affection fully. Defenders claim that the scene is more about seeing Allison’s face clearly for the first time in the film than getting rid of her punk or pseudo-Goth look.
However, suppose it’s about how she needs to change for Andrew. In that case, it undercuts the movie’s overall message of acceptance of different types of people. Of course, the scene could also illustrate how change has limits, such as when Brian doesn’t end up with either of the girls and is forced to write the essay alone.
Brian Writes An Essay
Brian, on the other hand, is the one who, in the end, brings the film’s message into sharp focus. He expresses the more profound truth they’ve all realized, even if he loses romantically. Isn’t that the most valuable reward of all? Maybe? (Perhaps not.) Anyway… “[…] we discovered that each of us is a brain, and an athlete, and a basket case, a princess, and a criminal,” Brian writes at the end of his essay.
They’ve all shared their stories and connected. Isn’t it lovely? While Brian expresses his realization through words, Bender expresses it through a fist pump as he walks across the football field after detention. He’s happy because he’s learned something. The film’s final image freezes the pumped fist in place as Simple Minds’ “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” plays in the background, emphasizing their need to remember each other and not fall back into their old, habitual patterns of behavior. They must maintain their faith.
Also Read: Not Another Teen Movie Filming Locations: Where was the 2001 Spoof Flick Filmed?
