Director, writer, producer… is there anythingJohn Hughescouldn’t do? Having applied his talents to numerous iconic movies across the 80s and 90s, fromPretty in PinktoHome Alone, Hughes has rightfully earned himself a place amongst the greats in the annals of cinema history. With a legacy that will live forever, Hughes was honored by the Academy after his untimely passing in 2009.
However,Hughes only ever directed eight movies, a remarkable feat considering his large footprint in modern pop culture. More famed for his producing and writing work, with the latter his greatest export, it can come as a surprise to learn that his directing ventures were low in quantity but certainly not low in quality.All 8 movies directed by John Hughes are seminal entries into the very fabric of the 1980s, and while some are stronger than others, they all contributed a great deal to American cinema.
8’She’s Having a Baby' (1988)
Starring: Kevin Bacon, Elizabeth McGovern, Alec Baldwin
A cameo inPlanes, Trains and Automobileswasn’t enough forthe iconicKevin Baconand Hughes, with the Golden Globe winner starring inShe’s Having a Babyjust one year later. It follows Bacon andElizabeth McGovernas the newly married couple Jake and Kristy Briggs. Soon, the realities of marital life come crashing down at full speed, with the pressures of living up to their parents, friends, and expectations proving a lot to handle.
By this point in his career, Hughes was a household name not just for his style but his ability to portray the realities of many people’s lives. Although married life may seem like a breeze from the outside, no journey is without its obstacles, andShe’s Having a Babyexplores those obstacles in Hughes' typical comedic fashion. Bacon and McGovern are believable in the lead roles, finding thenuance between a pair that love each other and sometimes find it difficult to be in the same room. As far as Hughes’s movies go, this isn’t going to win any awards, but it still stands as 106 minutes of fun.
She’s Having a Baby
7’Curly Sue' (1991)
Starring: Jim Belushi, Kelly Lynch, Alisan Porter
Steve Carellmakes his acting debut (credited as Steven Carell) as Tesio inCurly Sue, a story about a homeless pair that simply seeks enough to eat. Bill Dancer (Jim Belusci) and his young companion, the titular Curly Sue (Alisan Porter), don’t want to scam anyone out of their life savings, instead wishing to make just enough money to survive. However, their lives change when a simple scam captures the heart of Grey Ellison (Kelly Lynch), with the trio forming an unlikely bond born from both deception and love.
The ensemble inCurly Sueis the stand out, with young Porter impressing so much that she won theBest Young Actress award at the1993 Young Artists Awards. By bringing representation to a homeless population often overlooked, especially by proving that circumstance doesn’t change a person’s morals,Curly Suebecomes a more socially conscious film than many may expect from Hughes, although his typical sprinkle of comedic stardust is clear throughout each scene.
6’Uncle Buck' (1989)
Starring: John Candy, Amy Madigan, Laurie Metcalf, Macaulay Culkin
WhenJohn Candywas let loose, there was no funnier man on the planet.Uncle Buckstars the comedian in the titular role of the man tasked with babysitting his brother’s kids, with his laidback nature suggesting he may not be up to the challenge. However, throughout their time together, a bond forms, with Buck’s true soft nature and the kids' kind hearts becoming clearer, leading to a dynamic once thought impossible.
The epitome of a heartwarming movie,Uncle Buckfeatures some of the era’s best comedic actors, from Candy toMacaulay Culkin. From the wacky set pieces to the slow breaking of the rebellious shell of Tia (Jean Louisa Kelly), many factors point towardsUncle Buck’s success, but it is simplyCandy’s charming and unleashed lead performance that places this as one of both his and Hughes' most enjoyable movies.
Uncle Buck
5’Weird Science' (1985)
Starring: Anthony Michael Hall, Ilan Mitchell-Smith, Kelly LeBrock
One of Hughes’s most enigmatic films,Weird Sciencefollows the teenage pair of Gary Wallace (Anthony Michael Hall) and Wyatt Donnelly (Ilan Mitchell-Smith), who are unpopular at school. Looking for any way to get noticed, they decide to create a woman on their computer. They succeed, and Lisa (Kelly LeBrock)thrusts them into the world of adulthood with a range of challenges ready to turn them into “men.”
Although some of the film’s theming may have aged poorly,Weird Sciencestill stands as an almighty jumble of fun, with both Hall and Mitchell-Smith’s energetic lead performances bursting through the screen.Weird Sciencefeels like a movie bathed in the decade it was made in, with everything from the color and the soundtrack to the dialogue and the costume a wonderful slice of a decade that many fondly remember as Hughes' wackiest and most shameless efforts.
Weird Science
4’Sixteen Candles' (1984)
Starring: Molly Ringwald, Paul Dooley, Justin Henry, Anthony Michael Hall
The partnership ofMolly Ringwaldand Hughes is one of cinema’s best, withSixteen Candlesperhaps their greatest collaboration. With her birthday forgotten by her friends and family and the love of her life not even recognizing her, 16-year-old Samantha (Ringwald) feels like her luck is out. With her venture into adulthood on the horizon, Samantha must battle awkward parents, broken friendships, and a feeling of invisibility to come of age and become the woman she had always dreamed of.
One of thequintessential teen movies of the 1980sthat is now over forty years old, the dreamySixteen Candlesset the standard for many similar films that came after it. Itbeautifully summarizes the anxieties and chaos of this time in a young person’s life, ebbing and flowing between tender and hilarious. Ringwald, in particular, delivers her finest performance to date, crafting a unique and effortlessly endearing heroine that somehow captures every universal feeling of doubt and insecurity that one experiences in high school.
Sixteen Candles
3’Planes, Trains and Automobiles' (1987)
Starring: Steve Martin, John Candy, Laila Robins
When two comedic legends collide, genius ensues.Steve Martinand Candy star inPlanes, Trains, and Automobiles, a road trip movie where Martin’s Neal Page, a marketing executive from Chicago, cannot catch his flight due to bad weather. Along with shower-curtain-ring salesman Del (Candy), Neal must find other often absurd ways of getting back for Thanksgiving.
The charisma and chemistry of Martin and Candy are the shoulders upon which this movie rises, with their hilarious bickering and genius comedic timing making for an unforgettable cinematic experience. Like the legendary comedy duoLaurel and Hardy, the irreverentMartin and Candy seamlessly work together, creating iconic momentsthat have long lived in the minds of the movie’s fans.Planes, Trains and Automobilesisn’t just a retrospective success, but it alsosmashed the global box officeduring its first run, more than tripling its $15 million budget.Planes, Trains, and Automobilesis a bonafide Thanksgiving classicand one of Hughes' most enjoyable efforts, a comedy that keeps on giving.
Planes, Trains & Automobiles
2’Ferris Bueller’s Day Off' (1986)
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara, Alan Ruck
The movie that inspired a generation of truants,Ferris Bueller’s Day Offis exactly what it says on the tin, withMatthew Broderick’s titular Ferris going to extraordinary lengths to pull off his day off school. As somewhat of a legend at his school,Bueller inspires those around him to join in, pulling along best friend Cameron (Alan Ruck) and his girlfriend, Sloane (Mia Sara), along for the ride.
Hughes' understanding of the angst and dreams of high school students was unmatched, withthis iconic tale providing the perfect escapism for the teenagers of 1986. Broderick became the spokesman for an entire generation, embodying the carefree, effortlessly charming behavior many wished they could pull off. From the ever-quotable one-liners to the unforgettable fourth-wall break,Ferris Bueller’s Day Offis brimming with moments that have stood the test of time, with even the most 1980s-infused scenes still feeling gorgeously relatable to this day.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
1’The Breakfast Club' (1985)
Starring: Emilio Estevez, Paul Gleason, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy
The Breakfast Clubfollows a group of five high school students, each fitting a distinctive stereotype, who are collected by Richard Vernon (Paul Gleason) and placed into Saturday detention. There, the students are bemused by the frustrating differences of those they must spend their day with. However, as time passes, stereotypes are unpacked and common ground is found as the five become unlikely friends and even share their darkest secrets.
A movie that touches the hearts of all who watch it,The Breakfast Clubis a champion of friendship despite identity. Each central character is judged by not just each other but the audience themselves, leading to a journey of discovery for the protagonists that mirrors the audience’s experience with the film. Whether they’re the criminal, the brain, the jock, or something else entirely,The Breakfast Clubencourages its audience to burst out of the confinement of their label and become, simply, a friend. Hughes' script contains some of the most tender and relatable lines of dialogue ever given to a teenager on the brink of young adulthood.One of the all-time best coming-of-age movies,The Breakfast Club’s success is highlighted by its inclusion as number 38 in Empire magazine’s 2014 list of the300 Greatest Movies of All Time.
