This is the only R-rated film I let my kids watch before the age of 16. It touches on so many experiences of being young, and it's a great conversation-starter when talking about difficult subjects with young people. Great reaction! A celebration of our humanity. Blessed Bee🐝
Funny enough, this movie resonates with me more deeply as I get older. I always liked it, but as I’ve gained life experience and become a teacher, I find it more emotionally upsetting and personally motivating. I remember having teachers like the one in this film. They are becoming rarer, but they need to go extinct. I see Bender and just see a young man who has been failed by a long line of adults in his life. This is one his last screams for help. He’d rather be in detention being yelled at by Vernon than home being beaten by his dad, and no adult is noticing or caring. This teacher has an opportunity to change a life for the better, but instead he’s become cynical and given up.
Emilio Estevez is the son of actor Martin Sheen (Apocalypse Now) and brother of actor Charlie Sheen (Hot Shots), neither of whom you probably have seen either... YET!
This movie does a good job of explaining that in middle school and high school it can seem like you're one thing or another, and stuck in a particular social strata, but everyone has a back story, and everyone has elements of all the groups and cliques if you'll only take the time to get to know people outside "your group". I showed it to all my kids when they were in 7th grade, to give them some perspective (and some hope) as they went through the trauma of coming of age in today's society.
I was in high school when this came out. The biggest impact it had on me was that my school decided to try Saturday detention to get kids like me to behave. Didn't exactly work. In the approximately 12 weeks they tried it (before the teachers had enough), I was in there for all but 2. I went to a small school in a tiny town so the lines between cliques were easily crossed unlike in bigger schools like in the film. I played football so fit in with the jocks and popular people (though I wasn't one), I was very smart so could have fit in with the needs had I wanted to, but mainly I was the troublemaker and had been getting in trouble since kindergarten. When I graduated my former 8th grade teacher told me he never thought I'd make it. He thought I would have been kicked out, dropped out, or been in jail. If it hadn't been for football he probably would have been right. So I was Bender but with a good home life.
A really good film popped in my head that you need to watch. It's called The Big Chill. It's sort of an adult version of the dig into the mind of the people
I know Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall are in another movie by this John Hughes. I forget if it is "Pretty in Pink" or "Sixteen Candles". My favorite Emilio Estevez film is "Young Guns" (and its sequel). You seem like you would likely enjoy westerns. I always say, there are only 3 westerns I truly love, and 2 of them are "Young Guns". The other one is "Once Upon a Time in the West", which is an old classic Spaghetti Western with an all star cast from its day. What stands out to me in all three is that there are no "good guys". Maybe guys justified to one extent or another for their actions, versus guys that are not, but definitely not good guy vs bad guys!
You should definitely watch "St. Elmo's Fire" as well. It has a lot of the same actors from this too. It has Ally Sheedy, Emilio Estevez and Judd Nelson. You should also watch "Sixteen Candles" and "Pretty in Pink". They're all included in the Brat Pack films. St. Elmo's Fire has to be my favourite though.
I was 13. This movie was literally life-changing. I didn't know anyone who had not seen this movie multiple times. Teachers were playing it in class. One got suspended, ironically, because she didn't get permission first. I grade most of my favorite movies on rewatchabilty. But this movie goes to another level. My kids didn't recognize the same dynamics today, such as nerds nowadays being extinct lol, but the message is timeless. Compassion. Empathy. Understanding. All kids need to learn these kinds of traits.
You are correct. It think the others were around 23. I read that Anthony Michael Hall hit a growth spurt from the time he was cast & ended up taller than Judd Nelson, which you can see in a couple shots during the movie.
20 something year old adults playing teens, yeah that's a standard trope of '80's teen movies. It's also just a simple premise of "Put these random strangers (specifically teens) in an isolated room and let the humanity happen." You'll definitely like 12 Angry Men since it also has a similar premise but a different story.
It's a very powerful film that doesn't only apply to teenagers. We as adults live out our daily lives with the same type of pressures and how we deal with our friends, families, the socio-economics of adult life balanced with a work evironment. The movie came out in the 80's, but the themes resonate throughout our lives. I'm glad you liked the movie.
Fun reaction! This is my fave John Hughes film. Amazing how it still holds up. He also wrote "Some Kind of Wonderful" so I hope that's also on your incredibly long list. 😊
Great review. I remember watching this film back in 1984 and it had a great impact on my life. It sent me back to high school and reminded me of the climate as a student trying to nagivate all the young developing miinds while trying to learn. Thank you.
@@joshgellis3292 Your correct; it was released in 1985. I was trying to make a good quest. I was close. My long term memory is not what it is to be. lol
This movie is SO timeless. It will always be the story of kids. This movies is universal to us all....and our kiddos. No matter what, our struggles don't change from generation to generation.
I graduated in 1988 from a LARGE high school (grad class 1,600+) and we watched this in 12th grade health class. It was one of the best things we did in that class as it applied to everyone.
The depth of this movie is pretty intense, but it resonated with me as a teenager and still does as an adult. I appreciate it more now than I did then, even. The amount of discomfort that I feel now might even be more than when I was younger. Pretty powerful stuff. Glad you appreciated it! Great reaction, as always.
This movie just epitomizes why my kids are homeschooled. And this was with problems from the eighties . Todays problems with kids are so much deeper and dangerous. Add on the anonymity of bullying on social media, no accountability,
Wikipedia said that Judd Nelson was so into character that he was difficult for a couple of the actors to work with even off camera. It also said that John Hughes refused to work with him again. I don’t know if they ever made up later before he died, but maybe they did. I hope so. It’s still a great movie. One of my all time favorites. It’s pretty amazing the emotional impact a movie like this can have on your life. It made me appreciate going to the library more, and other things. Also I think Wikipedia said they wanted Billy Idol to do the theme song, but he was unavailable so they got Simple Minds to do it.
The ages of the cast were Judd 25, Emilio 22, Ally 22, Molly 17, and Anthony 16 at the time of filming. Trust me, that is pretty young and a lot mote realistic compared to most Hollywood movies. The only actor who was a little old IMO, was Judd Nelson, but he still did a great job in this movie.
This movie is perfect for kids at that age. It came out when I was in HS and it was so relatable. A couple of other coming of age films to consider; Breaking Away and Dead Poets Society. Thanks for your channel, really enjoying it.
James, super reaction! I was worried that you would not "get it". So many younger movie reactors don't get it. Having said that, I graduated in 1985. This movie was so relevant back in that time. Watching it as a middle aged person, it just seems a tad melodramatic now. That doesn't mean I don't still like this movie & appreciate the value of it. I think that adulthood does make you jaded. And times are very different now. I weep for the children & very young adults of today. Because in comparison, we had it good.
Your reaction to this movie had me watching this again after a long, long time. I forgot how simple but powerful this movie is. It came out when I myself was a teenager, but I continually discover a deeper side to it every re-watch. This time around, I wonder what happens on Monday to the bunch -- will they revert back to their old ways as the pressure from family and 'friends' on them has not changed, or will they deepen this friendship and use it to survive? When I was younger, there was a sense of hope that they will take this 'breakthrough' to deepen their relationships with each other. As a middle-age, we know that this is not always the case. I suspect at least John Bender would have reverted back to his old ways.
TBC was one of the all-time greatest movies I’ve ever seen. It addressed a lot of issues people didn’t talk about back then, such as peer pressure, parental abuse (physical and psychological), and teen suicide. In case you didn’t notice, there’s also a lot of symbolism. Seating arrangement: Front row: Homecoming queen and jock sit together as they have equal standing at the top of the social ladder Middle row: The rebel and the nerd sit at separate tables as they each have their own circle of friends, though low on the social totem pole Back row: The outcast sits alone in the back, far away from the rest, as she’s ignored by everyone There’s been a lot of criticism for the makeover because some people feel that it’s a cop out to make her acceptable to Andy, the wrestler, when the reality is that it was her coming out of her shell and finally getting the attention she craved. Andy was digging on Allison from the moment she said “Ha!”. He also said, “I can see your face. That’s good.” He didn’t say, “Oh, my God! I didn’t know you were so pretty.” He asked about her problems. He paid her attention. He cared. The makeover wasn’t the only revelation or shedding from the actors/characters. The more they opened up, the more clothing was shed. Bender came in wearing an overcoat, then a denim jacket, and then shirts. Andy began wearing his letterman jacket, then a hoodie, then a tank top. Claire started with a leather jacket and went down to a pink blouse. Brian went from a winter coat to a sweater, to a t-shirt (and leading the way out after gaining his confidence as the one writing the letter on behalf of the group). Allison came in wearing a heavy coat, went down to a turtleneck, and then a white slip and a lot less makeup. Vernon (when he was in the closet with Bender) took off his jacket revealing his black shirt, thus letting everyone know that he was the actual villain of the story. Even Carl loosened up his jacket revealing his White Sox t-shirt when talking to Vernon in his office.
@@AwesomeUSMovies I also don’t buy that Allison showed up because she had nothing better to do. Remember, she was a compulsive liar, and a kleptomaniac, so I think she stole. She stole Bender’s knife and padlock, she stole Brian’s wallet, and she stole Andy’s patch off his letterman jacket while he was wearing it. If she wasn’t supposed to be there, why would Vernon have distributed five sheets of paper and five pencils?
The starring credits are usually listed in an intended order of star power. When listed alphabetically, it’s usually because they don’t want any one actor identified as more important than another.
March 24, 1984, my dad was a senior in high school and about a month away from turning 18. According to him, he liked to think of himself as Bender, a cool, bad boy but he was to much like Brian, a nerd, with to much pressure.
John Hughes movies in the 80s…. I was a teenager becoming a young adult, so the actors in SIXTEEN CANDLES, PRETTY IN PINK, ST. ELMO’s FIRE, FERRIES BUELER’s DAY OFF, etc etc… as you can tell, I’ve been all over the movies from Classic Hollywood 1930s…(some silent movies from the 20’s)…. All the way - up until a few years ago . I love the movies 🎥📽🎬oh and MUSIC 🎶
"He's a good looking guy, he just has a messed up family." ...a thought nobody thinks when they see a guy standing in the unemployment line, or begging for change on a sidewalk.
Yep, I was also in high school at this time. I was a wild teen, long hair, leather, beat up Chevy Nova. One day I was late and had to park way in the back. I was walking towards the school and this girl, who lets say... was kind of nerdy and not popular, was on a moped and offered me a ride up to the entrance. When we got there it was obvious we didnt want to part ways. We ended up ditching 1st period and going to McDonalds. A girl I never would've given much thought about became my girlfriend for 2 years. I can still remember our first kiss.
Great reaction! It was nice that you saw the sort of 'point' of the movie. When this came out I was a senior in high school, so it was very relevant. I was also just married (and no, not for the 'usual' reason), and my SO and I watched this so many times (first time in our lives with cable and a VCR!). It had a lot of impact, and holds a really important spot in our hearts; i think, for my whole generation.
I love that you connect so well with the nuances of the film. You were correct that majority of them are not kids still young but only Anthony Michael Hall and Molly ringwald were teenagers. Side note if you ever look it up Anthony Michael Hall produce a film called the class which was a version of this film. You and your kids might want to check it out.
It's basically telling kids to stop caring what people think, including your parent's expectations, and to be nice to the people you like, and ignore the bullies. Hard to do at that age, and not necessarily good advice when you are trapped in an environment that has bullies.
So I came across this thumbnail you reacted to one of my favorite movies and I admit.. I didn’t think this would be one you would enjoy. The teenage high school drama, the profanity, etc. I was clearly wrong- you see that something special in John Hughes movies and you get the message in this. Thank you for doing these 80s classics .. I sincerely enjoyed watching your reaction 👏
Another great reaction here. One of my favorite films of all time. A lot of reactors have a hard time understanding this movie for some reason. Either they are too young and don't get the social circles and the way some teachers and parents treated the kids or the tractor is older and forgot what it was like to be a teenager. But you are spot on. This movie reads like a play. It could be required reading in junior high or high school if not for the explicit content. I have officially subscribed to you due to this reaction.
This movie reminded me a little of Can't Buy Me Love with Patrick Demsey. great movie as well! I know it was in the 80s but can't remember if it was before or after this.
fun fact the woman who drops off anthony m. hall is his mother(mercedes hall), and at the end of the film the person who picks up anthony m. hall is the director john hughes
Nice, James - good job. Several of these actors appeared together in other teen oriented movies and were branded, The Brat Pack. A play on a much earlier clique of actors, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Jery Lewis, et al, who were dubbed The Rat Pack. Another great Coming Of Age film from a year later, was STAND BY ME (1986). Worth reacting to.
Ok, just finished looking through your suggested list and one that I was surprised I didn't see was "Not Another Teen Movie". It's a rated R comedy/parody movie of John Hughes movies. Glad to see basically every other movie I suggested in other video comments was already on the list suggested by others!
I love how this movie is still relevant today in many ways. Of course I was in high school at the time and my kids related to it in the 2010's. Great reaction it's so fun watching you react to films I've seen many times.
A unimportant note: The most likely reason for listing the actors in alphabetical order is they were all up and coming young stars. They probably had their agents demanding top billing so to solve the problem John Hughes just did it alphabetical.
Great movie. Another great 80's spy comedy which is almost unknown today is Gotcha! which I highly recommend. Also Emilio Estvaz has some great movies like Loaded Weapon (A spoof on lethal weapons movies), Free jack a great Sci Fi, Young Guns movies which are great westerns and Judgment Night a great action/thriller movie.
Great reaction, one of my all time favorites! Wondering about the shoe? He put on a sneaker because there are no hard shoes allowed on the court. The fact its only one shoe makes it hilarious! 😂😂😂
I know I'm a bit of a broken record when I tell you (James) thatr I just ❤your post-viewing comments and how you always look for the real world connections.
@@AwesomeUSMovies Oh, are you referring to Dead Poets Society? I watched it today via Patreon, which is what prompted me to jump back over to your YT channel to continue catching up on all the reviews you've done before I knew about you (hence my recent comments to your older reviews). 😉