In the previous part, I started a series of articles about the filmography of John Hughes. You could read about the beginning of his career, which was not very successful, but we stopped at the moment when the author got his first success and the status of a "screenwriter whose films make money." This means that he was finally no longer restricted by studios and could create as he wished.
Between 1986 and 1990, John Hughes made 9 films, and each one is better than the other! So let's start discussing them, it will be very interesting!
Pretty in Pink (1986)
Molly Ringwald had previously inspired John Hughes to write a screenplay during the making of Sixteen Candles. This time, she introduced him to a song by The Psychedelic Furs, which inspired John to write the script for his new movie, Pretty in Pink. This time, he wrote a love story about two teenagers from different social backgrounds and the problems they face.
The production process of the film went quite quickly, and soon the film was shown to a test audience. But the audience did not like the ending. In the original version of the script, the main character was supposed to break up with the rich guy at the end of the movie and stay with her best friend from her neighborhood. Most of those who were at the screening perceived the idea of the movie as "rich and poor can't be together" and John Hughes had to change the script in a hurry. After watching the film, I can't say for sure whether it was for the better, but I think the original version looked more "unconventional" and in the style of the screenwriter. Looking ahead, I should note that the author realized an alternative ending the following year in the movie Miracles of a Kind (but more on that later).
Pretty in Pink tells the story of a girl named Andy Walsh (Molly Ringwald) who lives in poverty with her unemployed father, whose mother has abandoned them and whose main character has to work after school at a record store. She has a strange friend named Ducky (played by Jon Cryer), as well as her best friend Aiona, who is in her 30s. Andy falls in love with a wealthy classmate named Blaine (Andrew McCarthy), and he likes her too, but his friends don't approve of him dating a girl who is openly called a "mutant" because of her social status.
The plot is absolutely classic and is unlikely to surprise the viewer, but that doesn't make it bad. It just seems as if John Hughes, when writing the script for Pretty in Pink, was creating it according to his own template of a "typical teen movie." The film itself is reminiscent of Sixteen Candles in its atmosphere and plot, because in that movie, Molly Ringwald's character also fell in love with a wealthy older man, but the details of the stories are completely different. Although I think Sixteen Candles is the better film, Beauty in Pink has the standard set of advantages of John Hughes' films, namely: good acting by teenagers, sometimes good humor, memorable characters that evoke pleasant emotions when watching, a sense of sincerity and nostalgia for this period of my life. The ending of "Beauty in Pink" proves once again why such love stories still attract attention, even if you have seen them for the billionth time. It turned out to be cute and can touch almost anyone.
In general, Pretty in Pink by John Hughes partially repeats his previous works and does not create innovations in the genre, but the "magic" of this creator's scripts makes the work quite interesting and leaves a pleasant feeling after watching it. It's definitely worth watching once, especially if you're a teenager!
With a budget of $9 million, the film grossed $40 million and became another financial success in the career of John Hughes, who was about to release one of his best films!
There is one more point worth mentioning. This work has not yet been dubbed into Ukrainian, but there are Ukrainian subtitles, which makes it easier to watch for people who do not have a very high level of English.
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
Youth is about energy and daring. These two words perfectly describe the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
The plot of the movie: Ferris Bueller is convinced that life is not only about preparing for exams, but also about enjoying the moment. That's why he resorts to tricks to deceive his parents and skip school. Together with his friends, Ferris goes on an unforgettable adventure around the city.
John Hughes used a very interesting technique, namely "breaking the 4th wall". That is, Ferris Bueller regularly interrupts the action and communicates with the viewer. His story reveals his inner motivations in a driving way: why and how he decided to skip school and have an incredible weekend. This format essentially creates a direct dialog between the protagonist and the viewer and allows you to delve into the story on the screen in a more vivid and emotional way.
The plot is developing dynamically. Okay, so the character deceived his parents and stayed at home, but how do you get your girlfriend and best friend out of school? Ferris comes up with intriguing plans all the time and implements them just as effectively. He is intelligent, attentive, and gets out of even the most difficult situations, but the most important thing is his confidence.
Matthew Broderick perfectly played the role of a guy who always goes according to plan and cannot be disturbed by either the stuffy school principal or his sister who wants to catch him in a lie. In the story, Ferris' character has a strong desire to skip school. School is coming to an end soon and after the exams it is not a fact that friends will be able to get together and have a good time, so the main character tries to spend a weekend that he and his friends will never forget in their lives!
In general, the movie's "trick" is in its characters. Ferris's charisma has been described above, but his friend Cameron is no less interesting. He goes through a transformation over the course of the movie from being insecure and afraid of his father to being completely ready to resist him. It was also very funny to watch the unsuccessful attempts of Ferris's sister Gini and the principal of their school to bring the character to light. By the way, at the moment when Jeanie was taken to the police station and kissed one of the offenders, this role was played by a young Charlie Sheen.
Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a wonderful movie that is recommended for everyone to watch! Smart and interesting script, truly lively and charismatic characters, cool humor and music. In particular, Ferris Bueller and his friends took us to the sights of Chicago in the late 1980s in a very atmospheric and soulful way. This is definitely one of the best projects John Hughes has ever created! If you've ever skipped class, this movie will remind you of your school days and your own adventures. After all, where else can you have such a carefree time if not at school?
The movie was very successful. With a budget of $5 million, it grossed as much as $70 million. The role of Ferris Bueller remained the main one in Matthew Broderick's life. The character himself became popular, and Barbara Bush even referred to him in her speech in 1990. "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" influenced the music of an entire generation and you can be sure that any movie or TV series about teenagers that has many cunning plans and regularly breaks the 4th wall was definitely partially inspired by this work. The film has been parodied many times, for example, the post-credits scene was repeated one-for-one by Deadpool in 2016. And in general, the film can be consistently seen in good places in the ratings of the "best comedy films of all time" or "best films about school."
Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)
John Hughes was very unhappy that the ending of Pretty in Pink had to be changed because of the test group's dissatisfaction, and he was determined to create a film with a similar theme, but to change the gender of the main characters and show the ending of the story that the author wanted from the very beginning. He offered the leading role to the protagonist's girlfriend, Molly Ringwald, but she refused because she wanted to act in a more adult movie. John Hughes took it as a personal insult and that was the end of their collaboration. Molly Ringwald never appeared in his films again, and John Candy became his favorite actor to work with. This can also be linked to the fact that after Miracles of a Kind, John Hughes did not create a single film about teenagers, and the main characters in his next films were always either adults or children.
The film tells the story of a boy named Keith, a high school student who works as a mechanic after school and lives with his family in a poor neighborhood. His father wants him to go to college, but Keith doesn't agree because he is more interested in art. When the girl of his dreams, Amanda, breaks up with her rich boyfriend, Keith asks her out, and she agrees to get even with her ex. But the rich guy plans to take revenge on Keith.
In my opinion, the character of Keith will be close to most men, because almost everyone has faced similar problems in their teenage years. Namely, the situation when your peers like richer and older people more, and you still have to wait for some time to achieve something and be noticed. The protagonist has a much worse car than his classmates, lives in a poor family, has to work hard to go to college, but he does not give up in his quest to charm the girl he really likes.
But it's not that simple. John Hughes approaches the script in a very unconventional way, and the main question is whether the main character should get the girl he wants? I don't remember hearing such an idea in a movie like this before. In the story, Keith spends all the college money he has been saving for a very long time on a date with Amanda, not to be with this girl, but to prove to himself that he is no worse than anyone else. Although there are certain feelings between the characters during the meeting, it becomes clear to Keith that they are very different and that they are unlikely to succeed. I won't spoil the ending of the movie, but it turned out to be quite vital and unconventional, each of the characters changed during the plot, as well as their priorities. The story itself is so structured that there could be no other ending, for which John Hughes deserves a lot of respect, especially for the fact that he managed to realize his key idea that he wanted to show in Pretty in Pink the second time around.
It is not known what the film's budget was, but it grossed $18 million, which is more than half as much as Pretty in Pink, but it received better reviews from critics and audiences. One might even consider Miracles of a Kind a kind of gem of its time.
Some Kind of Wonderful is indeed a more refined version of Beauty in Pink. I am convinced that the film will appeal to many viewers and will definitely help some teenagers to determine their desires. The main success of the film is that it does not create illusions for the younger generation, but instead offers real life experience that will make them think and subsequently make their own conscious choice. The work is definitely worth watching! Very few people mention it as the best work of John Hughes, but Miracles of a Kind is really worthy of being on a par with The Breakfast Club or Ferris Bueller's Day Off!
Unfortunately, the film has not been translated into Ukrainian even with subtitles (the title used in the article and most often found on Google is essentially a Russian translation, I hope that someday this film will be dubbed and will receive the euphonious title "Something Beautiful"). In the meantime, you can watch the movie in the original English.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)
Starting with this film, John Hughes gave up writing about teenagers and created a project that became one of the best of his career.
The movie tells the story of Neil Page, a successful advertiser who is trying to get home on the eve of Thanksgiving. However, his journey turns into a real chaos due to canceled flights and a series of unexpected events. Neil's accidental companion is Del Griffith, a carefree and eccentric shower ring salesman. These two completely different people are forced to spend several days together, overcoming various difficulties and obstacles.
It's a benchmark road movie that has greatly influenced the genre, and most comedies about "two unlikely characters who are forced to travel together" have clearly been inspired by this work. No wonder, because By Plane, By Train, By Car is an incredibly funny movie that has one of the best comedy duos in history.
Steve Martin and John Candy are great actors in their own right, they really know how to create humor and make every scene with their participation funnier. They not only played their best roles, but also embodied the perfect comedic interaction between the characters on the screen, which does not let go until the very end. At the same time, the characters are real people with their own experiences and problems. John Hughes, like no one else, knew how to create realistic characters, so no matter how frivolous the character of Del Griffith is, when Neil Page expresses in one of the early scenes how much he dislikes him, John Candy's face changes to a sadder one, he explains that he is not going to change because he does not want to be a hypocrite and the audience is ready to sympathize with him because they feel that this guy is not as simple as he seems. This storyline comes to a climax in the finale and reveals Del Griffith from a completely different perspective, causing not the usual laughter but sincere tears, because you wouldn't expect such a sad story from this character.
It's worth mentioning how this project received an R-rating, i.e. for adults. This is very strange, considering that 99% of the movie's scenes are completely innocent and perfect for family viewing. However, everything was decided by the moment when an angry Steve Martin, after a long and arduous walk to the terminal, yelled at the car rental agent, using the word "fuck" 19 times. This is not only one of the funniest and most sincere scenes in the movie, but also in the comedy genre in general.
It would be a real crime against art to cut it, but it was essentially the only reason why the Thanksgiving family comedy is in the same category as RoboCop, which came out the same year. Now think back to the most memorable and violent moments of the RoboCop movie to understand how unfair the rating system can be. No matter how much John Hughes tried to appeal this decision, the rating board was adamant. You don't have to worry about this scene if you're watching it with your kids, as the Ukrainian dubbing has eliminated all the swearing.
Despite its adult rating, the film was successful at the box office, grossing almost $50 million against a budget of $15 million, and receiving favorable reviews from critics and audiences. It has become a Thanksgiving tradition for many Americans to watch "By Air, By Train, By Car" on Thanksgiving Day. In Ukraine, strangely enough, many people consider this movie to be a Christmas or New Year's movie, and indeed, a certain winter holiday atmosphere is definitely present. The situation is similar to Die Hard, which was not intended to be a holiday movie, but managed to become one.
Definitely watch Planes, Trains and Automobiles, the movie really deserves it! It's a very fun adventure performed by two incredible actors with a finale that will move you to tears. If you've already watched it, you might want to rewatch it, because the winter holidays are coming soon.
She's Having a Baby (1988)
It's time to enter controversial territory, because some people consider this film to be one of the best, while others consider it to be a failed and confused work of the director. But as always, the truth is somewhere in the middle.
The first thing that strikes the eye is that John Hughes decided to move away from pure comedy and resorted to a certain experiment - now we are watching a dramatic story from the life of a young couple Jake (Kevin Bacon) and Christy (Elizabeth McGovern). "She's Having a Baby begins with the preparations for their wedding and Bacon's character's worries about his future: whether he is ready for it. Then he marries his beloved girl and everything is just like in real life, namely: moving to a new home, looking for a job, problems with fertilization, uncertainty about his life choices, etc. Despite the simple and predictable plot, the film very clearly and realistically conveys the problems that almost every adult faces. But, in my opinion, some of the film's storylines seem unnecessary, for example, Alec Baldwin's character remains an incomprehensible character for me, who just appears periodically and most of the scenes with him are created simply to stretch the running time.
Most of all, I liked the image of the main character Jake, who was perfectly embodied by Kevin Bacon. He was able to pull out even the not-so-good moments with his acting. The character turned out to be very lively and you sincerely sympathize with him. That's why the ending with his wife Christy's difficult childbirth is really emotionally moving and really interesting. To me, Jake turned out to be so real because John Hughes used him to tell us about his own experiences when he was young. This is indicated at least by the parallel that Jake, like John himself, worked as an advertising copywriter and has a talent for writing.
The credits are of particular interest because they feature many actors, including characters from Hughes' previous films, who choose the name of Jake and Christy's child. These include Ferris Bueller, the characters from the screenwriter's next work, Good in the Country, Bill Murray, Woody Harrelson, Michael Keaton, and other star cameos. It doesn't make a lot of sense, but it's just cool.
She's Having a Baby features the screenwriter's signature humor, though not always successful, a heartwarming atmosphere, and a good soundtrack. The movie is definitely worth watching at least once, and it will either become your favorite work of John Hughes, or you will not like it and dislike this project. My opinion is somewhere in the middle, because while She's Having a Baby is a good movie, it's really enjoyable, it has a lot of problems.
The film grossed $16 million dollars against a budget of $20 million and was given a poor rating by critics, which was a moderate failure for the director.
She's Having a Baby is also not dubbed into Ukrainian and there are no subtitles, so let's hope it will be dubbed someday. In the meantime, you can watch it in the original English.
The Great Outdoors (1988)
The plot: The protagonist, Chet Ripley, decides to spend a family vacation at the lake, hoping to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city and strengthen his relationship with his sons. But his peaceful plans are shattered when his wife's sister, Connie, unexpectedly arrives with her rich and arrogant husband, Roman Craig, and their two twin daughters. Roman is accustomed to luxuries and is not going to give them up even during a vacation in the countryside. His desire to demonstrate his status and wealth constantly clashes with the simple pleasures and calm rhythm of the Chet family's life.
The Great Outdoors is reminiscent of the "Vacation" films, only the focus has shifted from the relationships within one family to the hilarious confrontation between two heads of families, one played by John Candy and the other by Dan Aykroyd, whom you may know from Ghostbusters. This is actually the highlight of the movie, because it is the on-screen interaction of this duo that makes the action so funny. In fact, it's hard to write a long description about Good Will Hunting because it's a fairly simple movie and definitely not John Hughes' best work. The movie doesn't impress with an unpredictable plot or interesting reflections, but it's very pleasant to watch and it's a great mood booster. A must have for family viewing! After The Great Outdoors, I also want to go out of town and spend time with my family.
With a budget of $24 million, the film grossed $43.5 million, which is a pretty good result. Critics rated John Hughes' new film mediocre, but the audience received it quite warmly, and judging by the next releases, this gap between the ratings will only grow.
Uncle Buck (1989)
When the parents of three children are forced to leave unexpectedly, they turn to their carefree relative named Buck for help. He's a typical bachelor who doesn't really like children and doesn't know how to take care of them at all. At first, everything goes wrong: a messy house, naughty children, and constant misunderstandings. But gradually, despite all the difficulties, a strong bond develops between the uncle and the nephews. Buck discovers unexpected fatherly qualities in himself, and the children find in him not only a guardian but also a friend.
This is one of the examples when a charismatic actor pulls a movie to its fullest potential. It's impossible to imagine Uncle Buck without John Candy, and if it weren't for him, this project would definitely be one of John Hughes' worst films. Imagine the protagonist as an unemployed softie who constantly smokes and drinks beer and gambles for a living. He likes to make lascivious jokes and drives a car that produces more emissions than an entire factory, and he has sadistic tendencies. And only John Candy could play such a repulsive personality so that the audience could feel for him and he evoked positive emotions. Although this character has many flaws, he is generally a good guy and a loving uncle who is always ready to help his nephews, even when they treat him unfairly. In particular, this applies to the plot twist when Buck's older niece named Tia frames him. At this moment, the viewer's heart literally bleeds, because the hero did not deserve what was happening to him on the screen. Despite this betrayal, he still came to her aid later on, sacrificing potential earnings at the races. Buck demonstrates by his actions that he can be a great father and his bad habits do not make him an unworthy person. Thanks to John Candy's excellent acting, even the seemingly evil and unpleasant jokes become softer and better perceived, and his interaction with his nephews evokes a variety of emotions.
This is the first John Hughes film to star Macaulay Culkin. His role is small, but quite memorable, with this character almost all the scenes turned out to be funny and sweet at the same time. No wonder Hughes chose this actor to play Kevin in Home Alone.
Uncle Buck became a box office hit, earning almost $80 million against a budget of $15 million. Critics rated the movie mediocre, in particular Roger Ebert gave it 1.5 stars out of 4 and was very unhappy with the film. These people can be understood, because if Buck had been played by a different actor, the film would have been perceived as somewhat angry and tense, and jokes like "Go downtown and let the rats chew it off your face" would have looked offensive and unpleasant. At the same time, the audience was more positive about Uncle Buck, and it became one of John Hughes' favorite films for many. In Ukraine, this film is also very popular and I recommend it to everyone who hasn't seen it yet!
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
While the first film in the series, Vacation (or, alternatively, Vacation, which was used in the previous part of the article), is rightfully considered one of the best family travel films, its sequel, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, has become a benchmark representative of Christmas cinema. It's not as popular as Home Alone, but it's no less funny and entertaining. The plot literally repeats the scheme of the first part, only in a new setting: everything that could go wrong during the preparation for the Christmas celebration goes wrong! Some of the jokes are repeated, but they create a sense of connection between this and the previous project, despite the fact that the children in Christmas Vacation are played by new actors. But Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo still shine in their portrayals of Clark and Ellen Griswold. The sequel has also become a more family-friendly movie, so you can keep your children's eyes open during some scenes.
An interesting fact: Chris Columbus was supposed to direct the film, but he was constantly fighting with Chevy Chase, who treated him negatively and decided to leave the project. Subsequently, John Hughes offered him two scripts to make his next movie, and Chris chose Home Alone. Given the future success of this work, this guy definitely knew how to choose.
The film became a hit, grossing $73 million on a budget of $25 million, and eventually gained the status of a "Christmas classic" from audiences, despite mediocre reviews from critics.
In my opinion, the sequel turned out to be, if not better, then at least on par with the first film, and I recommend watching it to everyone, especially to people who might be bored with the annual viewing of John Hughes' next work.
Home Alone (1990)
In this series of articles about John Hughes, the title of this work has already appeared more than once, but it could not be otherwise, because it is the author's most successful project. I think it's impossible to imagine a person who hasn't seen this movie. It is a Christmas classic that has taken root in Ukraine. Of course, this is Home Alone.
Не бачу смислу переповідати сюжет, тому розповім більше про створення фільму та цікаві факти.
John Hughes conceived of Home Alone when he was preparing for a vacation. Quote: "I was about to go on vacation and was making a list of everything I didn't want to forget. I thought: "Well, I better not forget my children." Then I thought: "What if I left my 10-year-old son at home?" He wrote eight pages of notes, which grew into a script. Imagining that children are naturally most afraid of burglars, Hughes also brought this aspect into the film's plot.
Chris Columbus directed the film, but he was more than just a hired hand, as he partially rewrote John Hughes' script (he is not credited as a screenwriter). Chris's greatest contribution was the character of Kevin's old neighbor named Marley, whose storyline became the heart of the film and touches the heart.
John Hughes suggested Macaulay Culkin for the lead role after filming Uncle Buck because he was impressed by the young actor's talent. Columbus decided to audition 200 children first, but then agreed that Culkin would be the best performer. The gangster Harry could have been played by Robert De Niro, but he refused, and the role was eventually played by Joe Pesci, who was very unaccustomed to acting in a family movie. John Candy played Gus, a traveling musician, but he had a very busy schedule and could only spend one day on the movie. All the scenes with him were shot in 23 hours and Candy was the only actor whom Hughes allowed to reject the script, so all the dialogues of this character were improvised. The actor himself received a little over $400 dollars for Home Alone, as he considered his participation to be more of a favor to an old friend.
The main shooting took place from February 14 to May 8, 1990 and had many interesting moments. The scenes from the movie that Kevin used to play the pizza delivery guy and the gangsters don't actually exist and were a kind of parody of the 1938 film Angels with Dirty Faces. This "movie within a movie" scene was shot in a day. Because of his age (10 years old), Macaulay Culkin could not work later than 10 pm, which made it difficult for the crew to shoot at night. The most problematic actor was Joe Pesci, who constantly complained to the assistant director that he could not play golf in the morning because of the inconvenient shooting schedule. The actor's obsession with this sport was so great that the schedule had to be moved two hours later. In particular, Joe Pesci tried to avoid Culkin to make his fear of gangsters look more real. But he overdid it a bit and actually injured the young actor in the scene where Harry bites Kevin's finger. Kalkin still has a scar from that time. The stunts created a separate tension, because it's very funny for the viewer to watch the final result, and Chris Columbus and the entire crew were holding their hearts and praying that the stuntmen would stay alive.
The composer of Home Alone was John Williams himself, and it is one of his most famous works. The music in the film is notable for Ukrainian audiences because it re-popularized "Carol of the Bells," which we know as the English-language version of "Shchedryk." The tune "Somewhere in My Memory" received an Oscar nomination, as did the soundtrack itself.
The premiere of Home Alone took place on November 10, 1990 in Chicago. Critics did not like the movie and gave it mediocre reviews. They said that "this movie will never become a Christmas classic". As a result:
- The third highest-grossing film in history at the time ($476 million in revenue with a budget of $18 million);
- The first film in terms of box office receipts within 12 weeks of its premiere, and it was in the top ten films in terms of weekly receipts from November until mid-June;
- For 21 years, Home Alone held the status of the highest-grossing comedy in history;
- For 28 years it had the status of the most successful Christmas movie;
- 2 Oscar nominations for Best Soundtrack and Original Song, as well as 2 Golden Globe nominations, including Best Actor for Macaulay Culkin.
And the fact that in 2023 the Library of Congress selected Home Alone for preservation in the National Film Registry as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" closes the issue.
One can be surprised at the reaction of critics for a long time, but in fact, Home Alone was not supposed to be a good movie. From its sequels, you can see that this story turned out only because the authors tried very hard, and even scenes that were not supposed to be funny or heartwarming became so thanks to the great cast and the skills of Chris Columbus and John Hughes.
Home Alone has a great script, it is incredibly funny and heartfelt, the music has become the second calling card of the film, and Macaulay Culkin impressed everyone with his acting, despite his young age. Even naïve and inappropriate jokes, which are usually annoying while watching, were perceived naturally and made us smile. No one expected anything extraordinary from Home Alone, and people were pleasantly surprised by how wonderful it was. The film has won the hearts of people all over the world, including in Ukraine, where Home Alone is broadcast every year before the winter holidays and people never get bored of watching it!
On this high note, the second part of the story about the work of John Hughes comes to an end. I hope that the films I have reviewed have made you interested in watching or rewatching them. In the third part, I will review other cult films by the director, because there are many more!