Remembering John Hughes

The first movie that I ever worked on was directed by John Hughes. (I actually worked on another, smaller film before that, but I call that one a mulligan and I don't count that.) Hughes made a movie called She's Having A Baby, starring Elizabeth McGovern and Kevin Bacon. It was shot in 1986.

By that time, Hughes had already established himself as a phenomenally successful writer-director. He had written, produced and/or directed Mr. Mom, various National Lampoon Vacation films, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Breakfast Club, Pretty In Pink, Planes, Trains And Automobiles, Some Kind Of Wonderful, and the Home Alone series. A generation of young, talented, charismatic and, in some cases, enduring film actors emerged from John's films. Hughes' name became synonymous with both comedies and dramas wherein teenage angst and the pain of finding and holding onto young love were primary. Hughes was a juggernaut. His films made a lot of money. He bristled at the intrusions of the studios he worked with. He left Hollywood and moved back to the Chicago area with his wife, who he had been with since high school. In the 90's he rewrote others' work under pseudonyms. The halcyon period of his career behind him, Hughes seemed to virtually disappear. Which is a shame, because Hughes was a great guy and a great director.

I think a director's job is to help actors (and all of the crew members) make the best possible choices they can and help them execute those choices. Hughes was a wonderful director to work with. Positive, generous, supportive, unassuming. Hughes told me that when he directed, he cast as critical an eye toward the material as if someone else had composed it. "Who wrote this shit?" he would joke when he felt he had hit some impasse in his scene work. On the set, Hughes did not conceal his enthusiasm about your work, as some directors automatically feel they must. I have worked on some comedy films where the director was the least funny person on the set. Hughes was funny.

Dry and with a twist of mid-western straightforwardness, Hughes always seemed capable of making a more adult, complicated film. In She's Having A Baby, for that matter, we shot a handful of scenes that seemed like a departure for Hughes from his more saccharine fare. But Hughes was working at the studios. He was in the potato chip business, movie-wise, and deviating from his highly successful formula seemed unlikely. The darker scenes of the film were cut.

I will always remember Kevin, who is clever and funny and dry, like John actually. I will always remember Liz McGovern, the incredibly beautiful, smart, kind and gifted actress with whom I was so excited to work. And I will always remember John Hughes, who, at that time in his career, had every actor in Hollywood available to him and gave me my first studio movie role. I have a real debt to John. I have worked with Tim Burton, Mike Nichols, Oliver Stone, Jonathan Demme, Rob Reiner, Michael Bay, in parts big and small. Working with John was one of the three best experiences I've had. I'm sorry he stopped making films and I am sorry he's gone.

Comments

[kissmygrits]

Now, for a moving and brilliantly written John Hughes epitaph:
http://wellknowwhenwegetthere.blogspot.com/2009/08/sincerely-john-hughes.html

[LMKay66]

Alec, thanks for your post. I enjoy them. Hughes provided me with a lot of great memories from my youth. I remember getting together with my friends, as a teen, and watching all his films. Today I watch them with my kids and still enjoy them no matter how many times I've seen them. They are terrific learning experiences and facts of life.

My favorite line from She's Having a Baby was yours, by the way. When Kevin asked you, "You think I'll be happy?" and you replied, "Yeah, you just won't know it."

Another fact of life.

[MrsCaviar]

I'm 60 and a member of AARP. There was a featured article months ago re older writers being put out to pasture in television, etc. Two weekends ago, I attended a Paolo Nutini concert and was confronted with the question by a young woman near me, "how do YOU know him?" I laughed and answered I watch videos every morning and that he was one of my Myspace friends. It's sad, we have so many experiences and usually stay "young at heart" by our children, grandchildren, internet and media. The creative mind never ages. "Uncle Buck" was my favorite. He and John Candy are working on a big script in the sky. P.S. I'm still laughing at your comment to Lemmon after Carrie Fisher left your office: not ever wanting to talk to a woman that old again.

[Ohioan730]

Awwwww. He married his high school sweetheart? :-)

Now it makes sense why Ferris was pre-proposing to Sloan and she so pointedly said; "He's gonna marry me." at the end. I used to think Ferris was just a naive kid thinking he and Sloan were going to make it but now its obvious that Hughes knew something about Ferris that I didn't. Hughes meant to let us know that Ferris and Sloan meant what they said and most importantly, it DID work out between them.

:-)

[rmd1064]

Alec: Thanks for your comments about the John Hughes you knew and respected. On the Saturday after he passed, my wife and I watched "She's Having A Baby". For some reason, that movie did not get mentioned much in all the John Hughes reporting recently--he wrote, directed it and dedicated it to his wife. It is probably one of our favorites of the JH canon. The movie's story about a young couple starting a new life had so many great and funny moments that it became one of our favorites. Great soundtrack too as is typical with the JH movies. I did not know it was your first movie, but you were terrific in it--especially the scenes in the kitchen discussing life choices with Kevin Bacon, and then of course, your flirtation with the beautiful Elizabeth McGovern. Thanks again for your comments.

[jemborg]

Was/is Hollywood that bad that he had to give up movie making altogether? Shame, I still see good stuff come out amongst all the dross.

I am not one who worships the good old "Golden Age" of Hollywood. I find that rather naive. I would like to think that in some areas things have improved. I like to think that, say, Buster Keaton if he were alive today would be given the respect and chance to do his stuff rather than be pressured to do the old Stone-face shtick.

[Dapylil]

Thanks, Alex. I'm 64 years old, and I still remember fondly and watch when I can those early teen angst movies. Hughes had the right touch of feeling the pain and alienation of young people and of putting the same funny face on it that I remember. I fell in love with Molly and Liz and Ally and Mary and Lea and all the others because of his deft direction of those, then, young talents. I knew then that who ever directed these films had the right touch to find that wonderful talent in each of them.

By the way, thank you for "Ghosts of Mississippi!"

[libdemannie]

Thanks for Alec's tribute and all the comments. I am older than Hughes but have enjoyed his movies that I have seen. Will make a point of seeing all of them again.

[shanesdad]

Thanks for writing that Alec. Not much has been written about the personal side of Hughes except the basic stats. It is a shame that he withdrew his participation from the business. His undeniable insight into sophisticated comedy and human nature was obviously quite a solid box office niche that has most likely paved the way for the likes of Judd Apatow and others. Thanks again.

[Statsboy196]

Forever Lulu? heh heh... I think my favorite Hughes films are Ferris Bueller and Planes Trains and Autos, and probably because one followed the other, I don't know. And you gotta hand it to him: Home Alone is just one of those landmark movies, forever assured its place in Hollywood ledgers history. The part where Macaulay drops the groceries was perfectly timed in terms of the audience reaction. Hughes transcended his National Lampoon roots... P.J. O'Rourke has as well, but in the opposite direction.

[ddadm09]

It was great to read this Alec. Thanks. My Condolences to his family. He was born on 18 February 1950 in Lansing, Michigan, USA. I'm too young to know of him as a director but I loved his movies, especially the breakfast club, Home Alone and Home Alone 2 are Christmas classics that are always on in our house during that time of year. And of course, all those brat packer movies. He even wrote Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase. His movies defined a generation, as well as gave us plenty of chuckles. He is one of the best filmmakers. For all his fans I have collected some good sites and articles (more than 250 sites ) related to his latest news coverage, biography, Movies, Movie Quotes and Interviews. If you are interested take a look at the below link
http://markthispage.blogspot.com/2009/08/all-you-want-to-know-about-john-hughes.html

[sabina71]

Very well said, Alec. As a 38 year old, several of John Hughes films defined my generation. Whenever I watch Pretty in Pink or The Breakfast Club, I get a nice, comforting, warm nostalgic feeling that always makes me feel better.

[gdcb1128]

John did the same for me as he did for you--the difference was, I was a young college graduate beginning a career in marketing (mostly public relations for the studios) working in Atlanta. I met John while coordinating a press junket for him for Pretty in Pink. We spent a day together working and the next day he called me from L.A. and offered me a job and moved me to Los Angeles. That was 1986 and I have been here since. While we did part ways and I eventually left the film business, John Hughes forever altered my life. I have been reflecting a lot on that lately and being thankful for the wonderful life I have made here with my incredible family. My life would certainly have been different if not for John. It is a joy for me to share so many of his films with my own teens now and see how truly timeless they are.

John Hughes was one of the smartest humans I have ever known. He could captivate an audience for hours on end weaving fascinating tales right before our yes.

[gdcb1128]

eyes* (sorry for the typo)

[MsMsBurning]

Thanks, Alec, for such a wonderful account! This is why you are one of the best in the biz!

[profsteph]

Well said Alec. His work will never go away - we'll always have a piece of him.

I always thought that your performance in "She's Having a Baby" was fantastic. Hughes' films are often seen as lighter and therefore not taken seriously. However - the scene you have in the kitchen with Kevin Bacon is a fantastically REAL scene - there was no Alec Baldwin - you disapeared into the character. Great work.