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.