John Hughes: Reaching New Levels of Achievement in Hollywood

conjuration Hughes compass untried Levels of Achievement in Hollywood David Bordwell (2006) firmly commits that when faced with the challenge of creating, throng ask themselves how they can raise the premise to virgin takes of achievement, or revive a disreputable genre. He argues that people challenge themselves with the foreland How can I make unremarkable connections more than felicitous, twists more unexpected, eccentric psychological science more involving, excitement more intense, motifs more tightly woven? How can I display my own virtuosity? Following this quotation and my own research, Ive come to believe that John Hughes is a very evidential suit of a filmmaker to mountain range a whole new level of achievement in Hollywood. As the conductor and writer of several well-known teen exposures much(prenominal) as Sixteen Candles (1984), The breakfast Club (1985), and Ferris Buellers Day sa windingine (1986), from the mid- mid-eighties Hughes has been respect ed as one of the more influential figures of Hollywood for redefining and leaving a long-lasting impression on movies with a teen demographic.Through deeply foc development on new themes and motifs such(prenominal)(prenominal) as kindly hierarchy, he undeniably changed the teen movie genre forever by creating kindness and reading for adolescent suits. In the 1980s, teen senescers attitudes were changing, and galore(postnominal) theoreticians believe music television was to blame. Shary (2005) states that with celebrity appearances, mercantiles, and a brand-new, fast-paced style, MTV became the court where jejuneness culture was t elder what was cool off.He in like manner believes that the political changes in the States also heavily influenced teenagers perspectives, especially after(prenominal) the cargonfree attitudes of Carters presidency off into the peremptory dictates of Regans decade. He states that The new Republican ethos may clear won over voters, hardly at t he same time its naive secure say no approach to thoughtful adolescent choices gave youth a re- cause wiz of irritation for pornographic authority. To examine their views on Americas politics, the youth became eager to experiment with sex and drugs, and Hollywood felt the effect of the youths impact and took note.At this time period, Hollywood was experiencing a renewing of riddles, between what was labelled as the Hollywood Renaissance (Schatz,1993), into a more contemporary style of cinema which theorist Geoff King (2002) labelled as unexampled Hollywood Version 2. To escort the breakthrough of John Hughes movies, we must understand that before his coachial de barely of Sixteen Candles, films of the 1980s were not sympathetic to teens, and the majority f said films came in the form of slasher movies, or sex-comedies, where consultations would postdate teenagers be embarrassed and put up in various different forms. In this period of transition, these movies would re ap in profits, but did not focus on character psychology or strain mental process the steering in the beginning examples did. In this transition period, Hughes managed, in some form, to stay accredited to the earlier, character-based films, but yet managed to produce a successful profit, without any steep-scale production that would turn his films into the newer, blockbuster style pictures.He often worked on more than one movie at once, and released them very c get together, in a direction that provided more money for the studios, as his reputation as a director became more well-known and his movies became more successful. Its important to note also, that his films were released at a time where VCR and home videos were congruous more and more popular, which meant that young adults could watch his films over and over at home, and create a personal relationship with the characters.As a director, Hughes knew exactly what he wanted to show teenagers as important, intelligent, a nd not the sex-crazed and shallow adolescents that earlier movies acquainted them to be. Gora (2010) proposes that What would set Hughes apart, in an age when other filmmakers were quick to portray teens as vapid, horny, pimpled caricatures, was that he was wise ample to present the teenage experience with the pain, seriousness, and melodrama that so often imbues age. As proven by films such as Losin It (1983) and Little Darlings (1980), many movies in the early 1980s go around simply around the quest of teens to lose their arrant(a)ity (Shary, 2005). Although Hughes has focuse on the theme of sex, it is effective one of many different themes and motifs in his films, including the ever-popular idea of well-disposed hierarchy, or maternal pressure. Sixteen Candles, centres around the story of sixteen-year old Sam (portrayed by Molly Ringwald), whose birthday is forgotten by her family in spare of her older sisters matrimony the next day.This film implicates the solo all told nude scene of any of Hughes movies, and was only included due to pressure from the network, who insisted that it was requisite in order to compete with the other teen films on the market. The scene itself is not remotely sexual however, and exists only to emphasise Sams self-consciousness, when she and her best lifter spy on the girlfriend of her biggest pulverise whilst in the shower after gym. It does include many of the cliches, such as the virgin esperate to have sex, the luxuriant teen whimsical an expensive car which allow undoubtedly be wrecked somehow, or a house party where the house is destroyed, but unlike other teen films, it encourages us to laugh with the characters rather than at them. To portray the idea of social hierarchy, where some sort of clique is better than another, Hughes often uses a form of what Roz Kaveney (2006) entitles the anthropology panorama. Kaveney states that such shots lay down a number of social groups among high school students and pan between them to usher social divisions.This shot can be effective because despite the situation that we forget only really know a few select characters, it is able to prepare the kind of environment they are aliment in. An example of said shot is employ in Sixteen Candles, introducing the geeks at the dance. Although Hughes did not invent the shot, many films have reproduced the way he used it, such as Mean Girls (2004), where the character Janice introduces Cady to the social cliques in the cafeteria.As well as the anthropology shot, Hughes also used many low-angle shots in his films to connote the sense of inadequacy teenagers feel when looking at the world. This is also used often when the characters chew out to adults, and is especially ambleinent in The eat Club when the characters talk to the principal. This shows the control wizard Vernon has over the kids, and enforces the belief that because they are young, they arent as powerful. Hughes, as a director, s alaried a great deal of attendance to setting social background in his films.The opening of The breakfast Club, the story of flipper teens of different cliques who must spend their Saturday in detention, uses single shots to give us a feel for for each one character. Claire, for example, the typical rich and popular princess is introduced with the shot of a prom queen poster, although we havent formally met her character yet. Similarly, John bender, the criminal problem-child, is introduced using a shot of a vandalized storage locker with a noose attached.The film officially opens with a glass-shattering transition to an introductory shot of the high school, which could be read as foreshadowing eventually, the characters defences are broken down, and they open up to each other to become friends. The writing of Hughes films brought a great deal of attention to motifs that hadnt been paid much attention before, such as the idea of the child performing like the parent. A prime ex ample of this is Sixteen Candles, where Sams return apologises to her for missing her birthday. In this scene, Sam, the teenager, is the one to allay her emotional mother, and say Its okay, these things advance.Themes also explored were the ideas parental pressure, such as The breakfast Club, where geeky Brian contemplated suicide because he feared his parents would be disappointed in him for failing his start-off class, or the theme of money and social classes, which Hughes address by pairing Claire and Bender together the rich girl with the curt boy. He also brings a new light to female sexuality, which the character of Alison addresses without delay If you say you havent youre a prude. And if you say you have, youre a slut. Its a trap. Seeing such touching scenes on screen empowers teens, and helps the audience sympathize with their experiences. Said themes have since been addressed in many teen movies to this date, such as Clueless (1995) or unproblematic A (2010). The im pact that John Hughes has leftover on Hollywood is undoubtable and everlasting. Despite the fact that it has been over twenty-five years since The Breakfast Club was released, for example, countless references are still made to the film in straight offs pop culture, including homages in NBCs cult TV show club and a mention in CWs Gossip Girl (were the non-judging Breakfast Club).Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons and Futurama, is also a huge fan of the film. Bart Simpsons famous catchphrase eat my goldbrick is a direct reference to John Benders aura, which he says rebelliously to Principal Vernon. Judd Nelsons portrayal of the character was also the inspiration for the name of Futuramas temperamental robot Bender. The movie has also been spoofed in many American advertisements, including the 2008 commercial for chain clothing store JCPenney.The back-to-school line was heavily influenced by The Breakfast Club, and feature teenagers dancing in a subroutine library to the m ost popular song from the soundtrack, dupet You Forget About Me. non Another teenage Movie (2001) was a complete parody of the majority of Hughes material, and have a cameo from Molly Ringwald as an adult who disapproved of teenagers. To this day, Hughes is continually paid homage to, and because of the way he changed the portrayal of teenagers, people will continue to do so for a long time. (Word count 1,643) References & Bibliography Driscoll, C (2011).Teen Film A Critical Introduction. UK Berg. flaccid A, 2010. DVD Will Gluck, united States Sony Pictures. Clueless, 1995. DVD Amy Heckerling, fall in States worldwide Pictures. Ferris Buellers Day Off, 1986. DVD John Hughes, get together States Paramount Pictures Gora, S (2010). You Couldnt give the axe Me If You Tried The Brat Pack, John Hughes, and their blow on a Generation. New York pate Publishing Group Kaveney, R (2006). Teen Dreams Reading Teen Film and television receiver from Heathers to Veronica Mars. London I. B. Tauris King, G (2002). New Hollywood Cinema An Introduction.LondonI. B. Tauris Little Darlings, 1980. DVD Ronald F. Maxwell, coupled States Stephen Friedman/Kings Road Productions Losin It, 1983. DVD Curtis Hanson, unite States Tiberius Film Productions Mean Girls, 2004. DVD Mark Waters, join States Paramount Pictures Pretty in Pink, 1986. DVD Howard Deutch, join States Paramount Pictures Shary, T (2005). Teen Movies American Youth on Screen. London wallflower Press Sixteen Candles, 1984. DVD John Hughes, United States Universal Pictures The Breakfast Club, 1985. DVD John Hughes, United States Universal Pictures