What We Learned from John Hughes

Although most of us never met John Hughes, he seemed to know all of us. Can you imagine growing up in the 80's and 90's without John Hughes' movies? His stories defined the coming of age of a generation, showing us how to laugh at our own angst and insecurities and, even more importantly, to laugh at other people's angst and insecurities. And the lessons we learned in his movies are ones we can use throughout our lives. Here are just a few:

1. We're all the same in different ways. -- Breakfast Club
2. Rich or poor, life can suck. It just sucks more if you're poor. -- Pretty in Pink
3. Everyone's family is embarrassing and insane. -- Vacation, Christmas Vacation
4. It's not the destination, it's the journey. -- Planes, Trains & Automobiles
5. Never give your panties to a geek. -- Sixteen Candles
6. You don't know how far you can go until you test the boundaries and then cross them. -- Ferris Bueller's Day Off


7. If you want to get to know someone, take a vacation together. -- The Great Outdoors
8. The romance of adulthood can get lost in the reality of growing up. -- She's Having a Baby
9. Be careful of women you meet on the computer. -- Weird Science
10. Sometimes what you're looking for is right in front of you, dumb ass. -- Some Kind of Wonderful

And...

11. You never truly appreciate someone until they're gone. -- Home Alone

Comments

[BlackJAC]

12. A little confidence goes a long way (WEIRD SCIENCE).

[OSUgrad1]

It's way too rare to find movies both funny AND meaningful­...he will be missed.

[Nadeski]

Definitely enjoyed a few of his movies, but got to say I didn't even see the majority of them. Time to update the NetFlix queue and pay tribute.

[skantea]

I was fifteen when Ferris Bueller came out.

I think I learned more in 1 and a half ours than I'd learned in since 6th grade.

[BearmanCartoon]

Don't forget this lesson "Be careful where you put your hands...th­ey may not be pillows" Planes, Trains & Automobiles

My own cartoon tribute http://beartoons.com/2009/08/07/bearman-cartoons-john-hughes-tribute/

[NotSoTweetOne]

I was very sad to hear about John Hughes passing and my thoughts go out to his family. He was and will always be an icon from Chicago. I loved all of his movies but the "Breakfast Club", and "Ferris Buellers Day Off" were my favorite.

"Ferris Bueller" was filmed in 1986 when I was a junior in high school, and my school Lockport Township High School in Lockport, Illinois is the band in the parade when "Ferris" perfoms to "Twist and Shout". It was the coolest thing to have our school be a part of, and even now it is fun to watch the movie and see some friends of mine who were in the band.

[wook44]

I think Ferris Bueller has influenced me the most--for better or worse! That has to be my favorite John Hughes-directed movie. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles might be the funniest though--especially the rental car scene. Check it out here and vote for your favorite movie at my Tribute to John Hughes blog. http://tributetojohnhughes.blogspot.com/

[wbtravis]

Well said. John Hughes will be missed.

I've seen Planes, Trains & Automobiles at least ten times, and each time it made me laugh.

[katbourgeois]

I was trying to decide this morning, when I heard that John Hughes had died, just what was so engaging about these movies, my very favorite of which is Ferris Bueller's Day Off. I think it's that they were funny and empathetic at the same time.

I heard recently that every one thinks he or she is the one person who doesn't fit into the group - the family, the class at school, the party - and if that's true (it certainly was for me and everyone I've ever asked), then he captured that in his films.

Thanks, Beth, for reminding us of those lines and those movies...

Kat