Don’t You Forget about Hughes: A Fond Farwell

“Most of my characters are romantic rather than sexual. I think that's an essential difference in my pictures. I think they are more accurate in portraying young people as romantic - as wanting a relationship, an understanding with a member of the opposite sex more than just physical sex.”

--John Hughes

John Hughes, 1950-2009

This summer continues to take celebrity icons away from us. John Hughes passed away Thursday morning of a heart attack while taking a walk in Manhattan. He was only 59.

Hughes was the director who helped make the MTV generation who it was. His comedies helped to foster a sense of fashion, music taste, and humor. He did it so effortlessly, giving the appearance of true to life tales. His characters were relatable, loveable and really seemed to speak to the teen angst, human condition.

Very few moviemakers can say they made movies as timeless as The Wizard of Oz. But Hughes is one of those special people, and it was not just one movie but dozens. Fifty years from now people will still be able to watch his movies and not just enjoy themselves but also relate to them.

Hughes had an innate ability to capture the multi-faceted lives of teenaged kids growing up in the age during a time of excess. Movies such as Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, Uncle Buck, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Pretty in Pink, Vacation and of course Home Alone really struck a chord with the 1980s youth. But even now 20 years later, these films are still entertaining to watch, because even though the decade is different. The angst is not.

Hughes can even be seen as a contributor to the recent hipster boom as people who were mere children during the heyday of his filmmaking careers can look back and relate to how his characters felt, or at the very least how they looked.

Not only that but he put child stars on the map. Molly Ringwold, Macaulay Culkin, Anthony Michael Hall, John and Joan Cusak, Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez, Matthew Broderick all became household names in part to their roles in Hughes’ movies.

It wasn’t just his ability to capture teen angst and create a complete, beautifully crafted film; it was his attention to detail and more importantly his ability to find humor in the mundane, films like Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Mr. Mom, and The Great Outdoors are prime examples of his craft. His writing was spot on even though he only directed eight films in his career. As a former advertiser turned movie household name, he achieved so much in the family comedy genre. His films never offended, they dealt with important topics but always made sure they were gently wrapped in comedy.

John Hughes had a gift of making movies that anyone from any generation could watch and laugh at. There were times when my family and I would watch these movies and everyone could always be on the same page because the humor was ageless. So John thank you for creating films that were memorable and could bring people closer to one another. You will be missed.

Mrs. Frisby to Return to the Big Screen

“I say, if you believe what you read in the comic strips, then you believe that mice run around with little gold buttons on their red pants and drive cars.”
-- Mort Walker

The movie world sent me some great news this week, with the announcement of a new adaptation of one of my favorite childhood books. That book is none other than “Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH.”

I was very excited to hear that this movie was announced for several reasons. The first being the animated film, The Secret of NIMH, (1982) was a phenomenal movie and really captured the essence of a haunting story. The second reason, is the fact that in a new era, the spin and interpretation of all of the intense sociological and political commentary that takes place in Robert C. O’Brien’s, Newberry Medal winning, book will show much this book stands the test of time.

Originally written in 1971, and inspired by the work of John B. Calhoun at the National Institute of Mental Health or NIMH (you see what O’Brien did there? Pretty clever!). Mrs. Frisby, has to deal with being a widow trying to protect her home from destructive humans, and enlists the help of Nicodemus and other Rats who escaped the research facility with knowledge comparable, if not exceeding, that of humans.

There is very little information out about this movie though rumor has it this film should be released sometime in 2013. Thus far Neil Burger is the only person attached to the film. Burger will be writing the screenplay, but in all reality he may direct as well, since that has been the case for all of the movies he has made, even though that is not a very long list.

Burger does have a knack for writing and directing darker films. To his credit, he has written and directed, Interview with the Assassin, The Illusionist, and The Lucky Ones. He is also in the process of making a remake of the 1935 classic Bride of Frankenstein. He took over directorial duties on this film after Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini both dropped out. To his credit Burger has worked with some great actors even if his movies have not been great successes. Tim Robbins and Rachel McAdams (The Lucky Ones), Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel and Rufus Sewell (The Illusionist), have all worked with Burger, so it shows he can bring in big name talent if necessary. It would be interesting to see Edward Norton or Tim Robbins doing voice acting for this movie too.

At any rate this will definitely be a movie to look out for, especially if Where the Wild Things Are turns out to be as big a hit as I think it will. But until then I highly recommend reading “Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH” or checking out The Secret of NIMH before the new edition comes out. You won’t be disappointed. Secret of NIMH is comparable to other fantastic, animated mouse movies like The Great Mouse Detective and The Rescuers Down Under for its darkness, or The Rescuers and An American Tail for their political and social commentary. Needless to say I am excited.