The Breakfast Clubhas not aged well in one way, according to starMolly Ringwald. The actress, who appeared alongside the likes of Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson and Ally Sheed inthe John Hughes ‘80s hit, recently commented that on watching the movie back with her 21-year-old daughter, she realized that there are “elements” that just no longer sit right with her.
The Breakfast Club
The Breakfast Clubwas released in 1985, and several of the stars of the movie went on to be big hitters of the decade and beyond. However, like many popular films and TV shows of the era, there are certain aspects that just don’t have the same sensibilities that modern movies strive to uphold. In an interview withThe Times, Ringwald shared her feelings on reassessing the film that helped make her a star. She 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.”
While not the most problematic movie of the ‘80s,The Breakfast Clubis just another example of how times have changed in the last 40 years. As many movies of the era are reevaluated, andin some cases censored or slapped with a discretionary noticeon streaming platforms, Ringwald’s comments just add another layer to the debate, with actors now having children that are old enough to watch some of their old movies, and finding out for themselves that some things are just not acceptable as they once were.
Molly Ringwald Turned Down Some Big Roles
Despite building herself a strong career, Ringwald could have potentially become an overnight megastar if she had accepted one particular role that she chose to turn down; the lead inPretty Woman.
The role of Vivian Ward would eventually go to Julia Roberts in the 1990 romantic comedy, but Ringwald recently recalled being offer the role herself, but finding the whole story too “ick” to accept it. She toldThe Guardian:
“Julia Roberts was wonderful in it, but I didn’t really like the story. Even then, I felt like there was something icky about it. I didn’t really feel like darker roles were available to me. The ones that I wanted to do, I didn’t get. I was too young for certain roles. I was at this weird in-between stage.”
Molly Ringwald’s Best Performances, Ranked
Molly Ringwald gained international celebrity as a teen in the 1980s as part of director John Hughes' group of oft-used actors known as the Brat Pack.
Pretty Womanwas not the only major movie of the early ‘90s that Ringwald would not entertain due to her strong opinions on the subjects of the movies. The list includesThe Silence of the Lambs, Ghost, andWorking Girl. Despite that, the actress did go on to find a lot of success on the small screen, with recent roles includingNetflix’s Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer StoryandThe Bear.
The Breakfast Clubis currently available to stream on Max.
