Home/Episodes/The Breakfast Club
‘The Breakfast Club’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Wesley Morris
February 13, 2020 · The Breakfast Club (1985) · Comedy · Drama · 1:43:17 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
Categories
Most Rewatchable Scene
Bill SimmonsThe 15-minute stretch including Larry Lester speech, Brian's confession, lipstick trick, Bender railing at Claire, Brian asking if they'd still be friends, everyone confronting Claire, Brian talking about pressure, and Ally Sheedy admitting she's there because she had nothing better to do▶ 51:12
Wesley MorrisAgrees with Bill's pick - the confession sequence where characters switch sides and develop, calling it a really well refined scene▶ 51:49
What's Aged the Best
Bill SimmonsThe Niagara Falls joke - Brian's lie about having a girlfriend 'you wouldn't know her' has provided 35 years of comedic mileage▶ 58:31
Chris RyanThe five high school archetypes (jock, burnout, prom queen, nerd, outcast) still feel very real even if they don't match contemporary high school▶ 58:16
What's Aged the Worst
Bill SimmonsThe whole nymphomaniac thing - it's so unrealistic and ridiculous that anyone would believe it▶ 1:01:23
Chris RyanSupports the storyline's believability by explaining that much of life was unprovable back then, before social media documentation▶ 1:01:48
Wesley MorrisDefends the nymphomaniac storyline as realistic teenage behavior, noting everyone told unbelievable lies at that age▶ 1:01:28
Casting What-Ifs
Bill SimmonsJohn Cusack — Discusses multiple casting alternatives: Robin Wright would have been too beautiful for Claire, prefers the actual casting choices, finds John Cusack as Bender would make it a totally different movie since he's not threatening enough▶ 1:05:51
Chris RyanJohn Cusack — Suggests John Cusack as Bender would have played it more sensitive, imagines Rick Moranis wanting a more serious dramatic approach to the janitor role▶ 1:07:43
Wesley MorrisTom Cruise — Agrees Rob Lowe made Molly Ringwald a star and switching parts would have broken her persona continuity, notes Nicholas Cage as Bender would have been too much but a better performance, Tom Cruise would have been perfect for Andrew the wrestler▶ 1:06:05
Half-Assed Internet Research
Bill SimmonsPresented extensive trivia including filming location (Maine North High School), Judd Nelson's method acting issues, cast height changes during filming, deleted scenes, Simple Minds song origin, and cast feuds▶ 1:18:42
Chris RyanAdded details about Anthony Michael Hall's growth spurt during filming, clarified the swimming scene involving Vernon and Carl, and noted Molly Ringwald's influence on script changes▶ 1:20:28
Wesley MorrisDiscussed Simple Minds being a soul band making the song unusual for them, praised Annie Leibovitz's poster photography, and analyzed the cinematography style that created movie star iconography▶ 1:21:29
Apex Mountain
Bill SimmonsJohn Hughes — Yes for Molly Ringwald, yes for Judd Nelson, yes for Anthony Michael Hall (after initially saying no), yes for Ally Sheedy, Ferris Bueller for John Hughes▶ 1:26:08
Chris RyanAlly Sheedy — Discusses Ally Sheedy's later career work like High Art but notes it comes in third act of her career▶ 1:26:38
Wesley MorrisAnthony Michael Hall — Agrees that Anthony Michael Hall's leads to Weird Science and Full Metal Jacket opportunity, sees Molly Ringwald's three John Hughes movies as one unified work rather than separate films▶ 1:26:22
Best Quote
Bill SimmonsMultiple quotes including 'Does Barry Manilow know that you rate his wardrobe?', 'So it's sort of social, demented and sad, but social', and 'We're all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it'▶ 1:32:43
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Bill SimmonsMultiple questions: What's going on with Brian's flare gun (possible school shooting plot?), Is this the beginning of Claire's bad choice in men?, What was the ending to Bender's blonde joke?, Where does everyone go to college? (suggests Brian to Northwestern, Claire to Barnard/Elon, discusses 2020 remake casting)▶ 1:34:44
Chris RyanFlare gun was a cry for help, discusses college destinations (Brian to Berkeley/Purdue for wrestling, Andrew to Michigan State/Purdue, Allison to RISD/Antioch/Kenyon), questions why Brian writes the essay while others make out▶ 1:35:17
Wesley MorrisFlare gun doesn't make sense but makes sense for Brian's character, asks why Claire and Bender make out in front of her dad, discusses college (Claire as legacy kid at elite school, University of Miami), suggests 2020 version should be monoracial (all black, all Latino, etc.)▶ 1:35:22
Movies Referenced (37)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full Metal Jacket (1987) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Wesley Morris | ▶ 1:08:07 |
| Apocalypse Now (1979) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 28:49 |
| Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons | ▶ 21:59 |
| Some Kind of Wonderful (1987) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 18:13 |
| Die Hard (1988) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 3:12 |
| Inside Out (2015) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris | ▶ 1:12:52 |
| Man of the Year (2006) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:25:37 |
| Risky Business (1983) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris | ▶ 9:56 |
| She's Having a Baby (1988) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 18:18 |
| Sing (2016) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 1:21:17 |
| Weird Science (1985) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris | ▶ 18:10 |
| All the Right Moves (1983) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 9:55 |
Directors Referenced (4)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Hughes | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 17 | Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris | Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Uncle Buck, The Breakfast Club | ▶ 1:54 |
| Sean Penn | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | Mystic River, 21 Grams, Dead Man Walking | ▶ 0:56 |
| Joel Schumacher | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Wesley Morris | The Phantom of the Opera, 8MM | ▶ 26:49 |
| Joy Division | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | Donnie Darko | ▶ 41:48 |
Actors Referenced (46)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emilio Estevez | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 39 | Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris, Chris Ryan | ▶ 1:45 | |
| Molly Ringwald | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 26 | Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris, Chris Ryan | Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink | ▶ 1:51 |
| Judd Nelson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 21 | Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris | The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo's Fire | ▶ 1:50 |
| Ally Sheedy | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 18 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Wesley Morris | WarGames, The Breakfast Club | ▶ 1:52 |
| Anthony Michael Hall | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 16 | Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris, Chris Ryan | Live by Night | ▶ 1:48 |
| Andrew McCarthy | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 9 | Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Pretty in Pink | ▶ 41:30 |
| Martin Sheen | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 8 | Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris, Chris Ryan | The Departed | ▶ 27:37 |
| John Cusack | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Wesley Morris | High Fidelity, 1408 | ▶ 25:47 |
| Paul Gleason | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | The Breakfast Club | ▶ 1:47 |
| David Caruso | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons | First Blood, Proof of Life | ▶ 38:42 |
| Demi Moore | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Striptease, Indecent Proposal | ▶ 26:31 |
| Rob Lowe | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Wesley Morris | St. Elmo's Fire | ▶ 24:40 |
Writers Referenced (2)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roger Ebert | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris | ▶ 24:59 | |
| Elmore Leonard | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Wesley Morris | Out of Sight, Get Shorty | ▶ 40:38 |
Cinematographers Referenced (1)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Grantland | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | The Other Guys | ▶ 2:21 |