Movie Icons: John Hughes

The problem with ruling a decade is that once the next decade comes in, no one remembers you anymore.

That, I believe, is the case with John Hughes. He ruled the eighties as a producer-writer-director. In the nineties, he concentrated more on screenwriting and producing. And by the turn of the century, he was slowly fading from public consciousness.

Mr. John Hughes was not a big-shot Oscar-winning director, nor was he a blockbuster king like Michael Bay. His films were simple, and rarely relied, if at all, on special effects.

What John Hughes has accomplished as a filmmaker was really the ability to encapsulate. Most of his films, especially the ones he directed, can be considered time capsules. If you want to find out about eighties love, watch Sixteen Candles. If you want to learn about detention in the American school system, watch The Breakfast Club. Hughes not only captures the spirit of the times, but the essence as well.

Too bad about his discoveries, though. Molly Ringwald and Macaulay Culkin went on to become famous, but not superstars. But still, John Hughes has given eighties kids something they will cherish forever---films about them, in their time. And for that, we honor a filmmaker who has given those now-grown up kids something to be nostalgic about.


John Hughes, Jr. 1950-2009.


*some info from Wikipedia
pic from eonline.com