I loved John Hughes movies...

I love to look up movie information. Before I see a movie, I look at the critics reviews and I have learned to navigate by them. Even if it gets panned, I may still see it because of time and opportunity. I then accept that it might not be any good, lower my expectations and then go with it, and just enjoy being out and entertained for 2 hours without children which is a treat. I don't know what they said about John Hughes movies but in hindsight, they not only entertained me but there was just something about them that was special. (And who knew Anthony Michael Hall would grow so tall!!) I watched Sixteen Candles in the last year, and I was still so obsessed with Jake that I wanted to know what ever happened to him. He was so cute and I wanted him to be there waiting for me leaning on a Porsche after my sister's wedding and then sit with me on top of a table and listen to my birthday wish.

Mr. Hughes films just resonated with me. I took them for granted back then but when you watch Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller or others, twenty plus years later, they stand up to the test of time, and that's the sign of a really good movie. I wanted to get up and dance with Ducky in the record store to "Try a Little Tenderness." His movies had GOOD music, and I love music and sometimes I forget to enjoy it. The kids did that to me. (Well you know I did it to myself) Instead of trying to make them listen to my music, I needed to further educate, stimulate them, so I put children's music on and it killed me. Sucked my music loving self into deep recesses that I have begun pulling out again. Now when I put something on that I really like, Mallory & Riley scream for me to turn it down and Mallory says stop singing. That is why the little lady watches DVD's with headphones in the van ALL the time.

The movies that John Hughes wrote that I remember liking were Mr. Mom, the Breakfast Club, the Vacation movies (well the first one for sure), Some Kind of Wonderful, and She's Having A Baby and of course, the previously mentioned ones. I remember liking Mr. Mom back then but after catching it on cable recently and being a stay at home, it hit home in a more meaningful way. The letting oneself go, getting interested in mindless tv (reality shows about Housewives(?) do it for me now not "Young and the Restless") and the monotony of doing the same thing with blessed little loved ones day in and day out but really wanting to do it well. Loved it.

During this past year, I caught Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club on cable, I became engrossed in them and then hit my favorite movie website, IMDB to read more. I eventually got to the point of realizing that John Hughes had been involved in them and read his resume and said, "Wow". I then found the music from the movies that spoke to me on You Tube to experience this nostalgia a little bit longer. (I also discovered that the Jake character was born in Wilkes Barre, PA where George's dad grew up and Jake, aka Michael Schoeffling, allegedly now makes furniture.)

It is sad that Mr. Hughes passed away recently. I will turn on the music from Breakfast Club and let Riley watch one of the Beethoven movies that she enjoys. Thank you John Hughes. You struck a chord with this kid who grew up in the 80's. Thank you for the great writing, and the great music. Teen angst was never so intelligently and comically written.