The Breakfast Club Took Place 40 Years Ago Today

The Breakfast Club's official 40th anniversary isn't until next year, but fans of the iconic teen movie are still celebrating the film today. While the movie was released in 1985, it took place on March 24th, 1984. In honor of this milestone, many people have taken to social media to celebrate what's considered one of the best movies of all time. 

The Breakfast Club starred Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, and Ally Sheedy as the main group of teens alongside Paul Gleason as their tyrannical Vice Principal. The film was directed by John Hughes, a name synonymous with teen movies. Throughout the 1980s, Hughes wrote and directed Sixteen Candles, Weird Science, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and more. He also penned the scripts for Pretty in Pink, Some Kind of Wonderful, and more. The legendary director passed away in 2009 with eight directing credits and over 50 writing credits to his name.  

"At the time I came along, Hollywood's idea of teen movies meant there had to be a lot of nudity, usually involving boys in pursuit of sex, and pretty gross overall," Hughes once reflected. "Either that or a horror movie. And the last thing Hollywood wanted in their teen movies was teenagers! ... I think it's wrong not to allow someone the right to have a problem because of their age. People say, 'Well, they're young. They have their whole lives ahead of them. What do they have to complain about?' People forget that when you're 16, you're probably more serious than you'll ever be again. You think seriously about the big questions. Kids are smart enough to know that most teenage movies are just exploiting them. They'll respond to a film about teenagers as people. [My] movies are about the beauty of just growing up."

You can read some reactions to today's The Breakfast Club anniversary below...