Highlights
- Molly Ringwald admits The Breakfast Club has problematic elements.
- John Bender’s character didn’t age well due to sexual harassment.
- Despite flaws, the movie remains relatable and classic.
’80s star, Molly Ringwald has had one heck of a career, notably working with John Hughes on some of the decade’s best movies. Sure, she’s made some mistakes, but if you add on success in TV and in other projects, it’s easy to see why Ringwald has a nice legacy in Hollywood.
The Breakfast Club remains arguably her greatest film, and while it did wonders for her career, Ringwald has been brutally honest about the film, and how it’s aged poorly.
Let’s hear what she had to say about The Breakfast Club, and how the movie has some problematic elements.
Molly Ringwald Believes Some Things From The Breakfast Club Aged Poorly
Time gives way to change, and movies from yesteryear don’t always age gracefully. Case and point, The Breakfast Club, which star, Molly Ringwald, admits falls into that trap.
Per Yahoo!, when speaking to The Sunday Times with her daughter, Ringwald said, “I only rewatched ‘The Breakfast Club’, which came out in 1985, because Mathilda wanted to see it with me.
“There is a lot that I really love about the movie but there are elements that haven’t aged well — like Judd Nelson’s character, John Bender, who essentially sexually harasses my character. I’m glad we’re able to look at that and say things are truly different now.”
To be fair, she’s not entirely wrong. The character Bender does some pretty awful things throughout the movie, and, coupled with severely out of date slang and actions, it’s easy to see how this movie aged poorly.
Even fans have noticed that elements from the film aren’t so great these days.
“I really enjoy it, but yeah, some of the jokes didn’t age that well. The “let’s get the queen impregnated” scene always makes me a little uncomfortable for example,” one Reddit user wrote.
Another user even cited what Ringwald had said some time ago.
“I still enjoy the movie but less than I did cause of all the weird stuff that goes on, Vernon wanting a student to hit him, the “weird quiet girl” is only seen as pretty when she gets a makeover and let’s not forget, Bender practically sexually assaults Molly Ringawalds character and its just laughed off,” they wrote.
Does this mean that The Breakfast Club is mysteriously a bad movie now? Not at all. It holds up well in a number of important ways, and it remains insanely relatable.
The movie has been a classic for ages, and it’s just one of several collaborations that Ringwald had with legendary filmmaker, John Hughes.
Ringwald Was An ’80s Darling Who Did Great Work With John Hughes
During the 1980s, Molly Ringwald and John Hughes were dynamite together.
Their collaboration kickstarted with the coming-of-age classic, Sixteen Candles, where Ringwald portrayed the relatable Samantha Baker. Their next venture, the aforementioned Breakfast Club, solidified their status as a dynamic duo.
Continuing their streak of success, Hughes and Ringwald reunited for Pretty in Pink, which captivated audiences and further established her as the quintessential ’80s teen icon.
“They were all really fun movies to make. Sixteen Candles, the first movie I made with the director John Hughes, in 1984, was filmed during the summer. He would just let the camera roll and we would improvise. It was a very free, creative experience,” Ringwald said about their time together.
In a previous interview with PEOPLE, Ringwald talked about the nature of their relationship.
“John and I had a symbiotic, respectful relationship. I didn’t know I’d be talking about it 30 years later! But it was a great experience,” she said.
Circling back to the initial interview where these feelings emerged, Ringwald was being interviewed alongside her daughter, who has now entered the entertainment industry.
Her Daughter Is Now Breaking Into Acting
Ringwald is aware that her daughter, Mathilda, will have doors opened for her that others aren’t as lucky to get.
“The nepo baby thing is ridiculous. Of course if you have a parent in the industry, it’s something that you’ve heard about and might be genetically predisposed to.
“We wouldn’t let Mathilda pursue acting when she was a child, as we wanted her to concentrate on being a kid.
“She fought us on that — she’s still kind of mad about it, but it was the right decision.
“I don’t think that professional acting is a great way for kids to grow up. It’s way too stressful… I did my first professional job at ten years old and it was not easy,” Ringwald said about her daughter working in entertainment.
The Breakfast Club hasn’t aged well, but there are still some good things to take from the film.
Source: NewsFinale
