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And on this day they’re all sentenced, for various offenses, to spend eight hours in detention thinking about the future. Dick is just there because when you sentence a kid to detention, the irony is that you have to serve the punishment along with them. Bender gleefully spends most of the film exploiting this hole in the Shermer High legal system. But eventually, the kids come to be alone. And like most kids, they immediately establish class boundaries, and do their best to act like different animals, despite all having the same stripes. As they reluctantly get acquainted, they begin to find common ground and come to decide that they have a common enemy. But the problem is, the film does a poor job of nailing down who and what it is. With the cast trapped in the school library most of the film, the story kind of plays out like a teenage Twelve Angry Men, but the only thing on trial here seems to be a system that dares place boundaries around its young people.

Too bad, because it isn’t that these kids don’t have real problems. Andrew’s father puts too much pressure on his son to succeed. Claire’s parents are bored and wealthy, and use their daughter as a weapon against each other. Brian’s family is determined for him to use his Big Brain to become the family cash cow. But while all kids occasionally struggle with their parents, The Breakfast Club presents this in a context that makes it look like an Upper Middle Class White Kid problem. That’s not a crime; just a fact. Not only this, but the message seems to be that it’s okay to pity yourself because you’re not alone. Really? That’s it? How about offering some solutions? That seems more realistic than painting your teens as a ragtag group of emotional mercenaries marching to some imaginary synth pop beat - armed with nothing but tears and ready to fight an enemy that has no face, and no name.

That’s not to say that this film doesn’t deserve considerable praise. The script has a great ear for the way kids did (and mostly still do) speak. The interaction between the characters feels (mostly) realistic, and you get sucked into their conversations unexpectedly because most of their observations are things we all consider from time to time, regardless of age. Despite some flaws of content I will say that I do think the film succeeds in the broadest possible context. The story pits the anguish of youth against the faceless monolith of adult indifference, and illustrates how hard it is to bridge the gap. That’s kind of a no brainer. “Welcome to Earth”, as Will Smith says.

But if you listen carefully, The Breakfast Club does offer at least ONE salient idea. It may be that the only way to peaceably coexist with someone is not just to talk to them, but to get to know them. It’s not an easy thing to do, but if a Jock can get along with a Brain can get along with a Criminal, a Princess and a Basket Case, then maybe anyone can. Instead of feeling sorry for yourself, turn and face the strain. Maybe Mr. Bowie was right.

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