If you are one of the ten people on the planet (like my husband...lol) who has not seen the movie, I will break it down for you. There are five high school students who all have detention on a Saturday for different reasons, they are being monitored by a worn out, jaded, "been there too long" teacher, and you are basically taken on a journey as their lives mesh together in ways they never imagined. Your characters are young Brian. He is a strong student, he works hard academically, and when it came to needing a "target" for personal enjoyment, Brian, like myself, usually found himself on most teenage radars. Claire was the girl who everyone wanted to be, but still secretly hated. She came from money and was selfish, egotistical, narcissistic, materialistic, and completely void of the ability to have awareness of anyone in this world who wasn't her. Andrew was the "top jock" whose father pushed him by telling him sports, winning, and complete manliness were the keys to success. His friends consisted of those who either lived with their lips on his butt or they are those souls he has deemed worthy to bask in his "jock glow". Bender of course is the guy everyone avoids like the plague because they either don't understand him, are afraid of him, or they fear they will catch his "poverty". Then we have Allison who is just your standard "odd duck" as I like to call them. She doesn't really belong to any group because she doesn't go out of her way to fit in to any group, but at the same time she doesn't go out of her way to alienate or hurt people either. She is just a girl, trying to find her way the best she can with what she has, and the sad part is most people don't want to take the time to understand her to help her.
I think there is a huge difference between "watching" a movie and being actively involved in it. It's pretty well known that my school years were not all that pleasant so when seeing the movie the first time, I was experiencing the same issues and it was very easy to relate to the characters as I am sure hundreds of thousands of other people have in the nearly 30 years the movie has been out. Childhood bullying is a hot button topic for this generation (as it should be), but unfortunately it was not so in the 80's. My school years took place during a different time. A lot of things were viewed as "just a part of growing up". For more than one reason, I think I related to the character of Brian the most. I was a book worm that cared a great deal about my grades because I knew an education was the only thing that was ever going to give me choices. So I worked really hard at my grades and couldn't really handle not getting the best ones possible. Plus, not being a very socially accepted kid, I did not go out a great deal and school work was something to do.
Having worked with children as long as I have, when I watch this movie I see a group of teenagers who issues are very parallel to so many of the kids I have and am currently working with. They feel they are living in a world in where they have no control, where they are not heard, and where they are not allowed to seek out and be who they feel they truly are. Since perception is reality, what a child sees and hears, creates their reality and becomes the voice of their inner soul. These kids, like a number of teenagers, feel surrounded by adults who thrive on the sayings "do I as I say, not as I do" and "You should respect me for no other reason than I am an adult", neither of which really have any value, carry any merit and are basically terrible teaching tools. As parents, even though we may have the very best of intentions, are only trying to act in our child's best interest, are only trying to help steer them in the right direction, often we completely forget our children will one day be adults...adults with their thoughts, feelings, opinions, ideas, and identities and it is our job as their parents to give them a solid foundation in which they can build all those things. However, for some reason we unintentionally force our children into a position where they feel they are fighting against a world that doesn't understand or listen to them which in turn causes them to act out. Every behavior has a reason, the key is as adults to find the meaning behind the behavior and stop focusing so much on the act itself. There is just a fine line between parenting and allowing our children to solely navigate their own path and we are constantly trying to find that line and manage it.
Watching the movie this time, I had 20 years of work experience to apply and relate to the characters which in turn caused me to naturally see it in a whole different light. It got me to thinking about the roads we walk as we grow, the personalities we take on, and if you really examine adult interactions and behaviors, it's not hard to see that "bullying" is not just a childhood issue. Regardless of how old we get, the deep seeded emotions, insecurities, and needs we felt as teenagers are secretly still hidden in the dark recesses of our hearts. Some things we do outgrow (some of us)...like not wanting to be involved in drama, avoiding pettiness, and moving away from all around nonsense. However, most human beings never outgrow our need to be loved, to be accepted, to be remembered, to be respected, to be included. There is always a longing deep down inside to be included by others and not be the one left standing on the outside of the circle. Before we even realize it, we can be forced to regress back to that little, lonely child on the playground when someone has hurt our feelings or made us feel bad ourselves. We don't like to be ignored when we reach out to others. With each passing year, we develop so many expectations of the adult world we live in and sadly we find that many people are still functioning from the high school hallways. Pain is pain and while some of us hide it better and/or manage it more effectively than others, the scars it left behind are all deep, all real, and all forever. Even as someone who is a lot closer to 40 than 14, there are even now many situations in my life that force me to be instantly transported back to those school days that often ended in tears...days when I try to reach out a hand to help, only to have it ignored...when I make every effort to fit in, only to be laughed at and judged...or the those moments when I put my heart out front only to be stabbed in the back. We are supposed to strive not to treat others as they treat us, but to treat others as we HOPE to be treated, but that's not always easy to do.
I have not developed the wisdom to understand why we treat each other as we do and I am not sure I will ever have the answer to that. Why some are so disrespectful, why they go out of their way to make others feel like they don't count, why some need to act as though their needs and feelings are so much more valuable than others, why some behave so selfishly, so immorally, so unethically. Why some feel they are justified in abandoning those they are supposed to love. I don't believe we are required to be the best of friends with every person we have contact with or even every family member we share, but I do believe we are required to treat other people with decency and dignity. You don't have to help every soul in your life, but you damn sure don't have to go out of your way to create pain and heartache for them either.
Anyone who enjoys 80's trivia as much as do, might know the number one question asked of director, John Hughs, about "The Breakfast Club" is "What did happen Monday morning?". There was never answer provided because he wanted people to create in their own minds what they thought or felt should happen. EVERY DAY is our own "Monday morning". EVERY DAY is opportunity to start over, to make another effort at getting it right, to try and correct the wrongs of the day before, to create a positive impact on another soul. When you end each day, ask yourself "what did I do today to make the world a little better?" and if your answer to that question is always "nothing"...well then I feel sorry for you...
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