Calling all John Hughes and 80s film fans! Over the weekend, I went back in time and had a John Hughes triple feature marathon. I am inspired by the love stories in two of the films. After rewatching them all, I found it difficult to choose which of the three I liked the most. 

Sixteen Candles (1984) 

Rating: 9.6/10

Molly Ringwald had her breakout role in this rom-com as Samantha, a high school teenager turning 16. Samantha’s family forgets her birthday while focusing on her older sister who’s getting married. The school nerd, Ted, keeps bothering Samantha, but she has a secret crush on Jake Ryan, a senior who doesn’t know she exists. The main subject “Sixteen Candles” explores is the troubles of being a teenager. One of my favorite scenes from the movie was the memorable opening scene with a hand in someone’s back pocket. This scene was recreated with a twist in one of my favorite rom-coms, Netflix’s 2018 film “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.”

The Breakfast Club (1985)

Rating: 9.4/10

The teen drama film, starring Ringwald, revolves around five high school students stuck in the school library for Saturday detention for different reasons. Each student is stereotyped differently: Claire as a princess, Andrew as an athlete, Brian as a nerd, Allison as a basket case and John as a criminal. Despite being complete strangers, they discover their shared struggles during their time in detention. What I loved about this movie was the themes portrayed throughout the movie and their importance such as identity, peer pressure, family issues, stereotypes, and etc. Additionally, I love the iconic ending scene featuring the song “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by the Scottish rock band Simple Minds.

Pretty in Pink (1986)

Rating: 9.5/10

Ringwald stars in this romantic comedy as freshly 16-year-old Andie, an outcast at her high school. Andie’s quirky best friend, Duckie, has a secret crush on her. Andie finds it hard to believe when the popular rich kid, Blane, asks her out. She starts to fall for him and deals with the struggles of dating someone from a different social class. Overall, I enjoyed the film because it was centered on navigating love in high school with real life complications along the way. “Pretty in Pink” makes the phrase “opposites attract” come to life. 

One thing the movies lacked was diversity. People want to see diverse and inclusive love stories on their screen. Despite Netflix’s original film series “The Kissing Booth” being a popular release, films like “Crazy Rich Asians” and “To All the Boys I Loved Before” trilogy drove up an interest of diverse love stories, specifically for Asian representation, within the genre. 

If you love classics, you must watch these John Hughes movies! As my favorite genre, I have high hopes for future rom-com movies to live up to others’ and my expectations. Here’s to pretending I’m living in a 1980s movie and wanting everything in my life to be a fantasy. 

Honorable mentions from The Carroll News staff:

“Planes, Trains & Automobiles”

“National Lampoons Vacation”

“Weird Science”

“Beetoven”

“101 Dalmations”

“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”