I’m trying to catch up on my one-movie-a-day promise and was scheduled a virgin viewing at this point but after my John Hughes/Molly Ringwald double-bill yesterday I just had to give this a second shot, in a way almost just to make sure it was the classic I’ve made it in my mind since my first viewing (it amazes me I’ve only seen it once, so huge has it grown in my mind in the meantime). In fact it was meant to form the middle part of a triple bill, technicalities decided otherwise though. For the record, that triple bill would’ve been a good one … heck … the whole John Hughes slate would be good, make a day of it lol.

Anyway, long story short, it really is a classic. Not only that, it’s special. It just always (okay, all two times, but I know this feeling is never gonna change) strikes me like some kind of special document, it just really feels like it captures something true. And like the other Hughes movies, it’s a slow burn. It’s very much almost “just” a teen comedy for a long while, lulling you into a sense of security before disarming you with what the characters you’ve now come to love are really feeling deeper than you expect. My fave is still Ally Sheedy. She’s so me it almost hurts. This movie is just so cathartic on levels I don’t even wanna talk about. If you love it, then you know what I mean. It’s the best John Hughes movie for certain; the best teen movie ever, possibly; like I said, it’s just really special, it can’t be denied.

January 2nd, 2004:

My first “proper” John Hughes experience, I think. I’ve seen Curly Sue and loved it (and will be reviewing it soon, I’ve got the VHS coming… it’s a shameful personal fave…) but from what I’ve learned, that’s not exactly a John Hughes movie. He’s famous for the 80s stuff. I’ve seen Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (and loved it) and Planes, Trains and Automobiles, even Uncle Buck, but they too aren’t really John Hughes movies. I now see wherefrom Kevin Smith springs. I see wherefrom all teen movies spring in fact. But this does owe something to the 70s horror chain. It’s just missing the horror. But all the better for it. A total character piece, and I’d guess that almost anybody could relate to at least one of the widely varied characterisations. I personally loved Ally Sheedy. A great soundtrack, and ultra-simplified moments (hey, what’s your personal lunch concoction) make this some kind of classic.

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