MovieChat Forums > The Breakfast Club (1985) Discussion > Was the Ending a Product of a Tight Sche...

Was the Ending a Product of a Tight Schedule?

posted 7 years ago by Retromogul (1082)
11 replies | jump to latest

I remember watching it years ago for the first time and expecting such a profound and satisfactory ending. Instead Allison is dolled up for the sake of comformity - despite the film having dealt with the hardship of comformity - and hooks up with the jock when there had been no interest between them. Then there's Bender hooking up with Claire - ignoring the severe mistreatment she suffered from him throughout. I gathered that like the Jock hooking up with Allison, that this was to show they are all defying comformity by going with those that would be considered beneath them (well, Andrew only notices Allison after her make over but the theme is still there). Yet that outcome feels so contrived and unconvincing, failing to address the themes. Teen angst was what created all the bonds between them, but it would still take much more for the prospect of romantic relationships after knowing each other for only a day. As it happened, the couplings felt rushed, cheap, and hard to swallow. Perhaps the only "Hollywood" ending they could come up with, the only way to have the teens maintain a connection was by having them hook up, yet where does that leave the "Nerd"?
The teacher simply vanishes from the film.

On a side note, who the hell has ever felt a burst of manic energy & started dancing after puffing on a joint?

[–] Washingtonnative (2613) 7 years ago

Nah, not a product of a tight schedule.

[–] therefdotcom (964) 7 years ago

no, it wasn't. perfect ending.

"On a side note, who the hell has ever felt a burst of manic energy & started dancing after puffing on a joint?"

there is pretty trippy weed out there.

[–] MovieManCin2 (26342) 7 years ago

I disagree. It was an excellent ending IMHO.

😎

"I Am the FBI."

[–] Stratego (30511) 7 years ago

I actually agree it was a pretty lame ending. Especially Ally Sheedy's make over and hook up with Emilio Estevez. I thought there was more of a thing between her and Anthony Michael Hall.

[–] Retromogul (1082) 7 years ago

Indeed. Also, despite the fact that Sheedy was a non-conformist she was suddenly enamored with a jock like Estevez whom she would more likely see as a boy scout.

[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

Maybe the characters were just a bit more open-minded than folks today?

[–] Retromogul (1082) 7 years ago

Since writing the OP I've read a few critical reviews from the time the film was released in 1985, and there was a view among some that the ending felt rushed and undermined the message of the film. The Allison make over was a particular point of contention.

"The Allison makeover part of the movie is pretty controversial, and it's worth delving into. A lot of critics were disgusted that she needed to change herself and look more like a Claire-type girl in order to fully win Andrew's affection. Defenders have said that the scene is less about getting rid of Allison's punk or pseudo-Goth look and more about being able to see her face clearly for the first time in the movie.

But if it is about how she needs to change for Andrew, then it does sort of undercut the message of the movie, this newfound acceptance of different kinds of people."

https://www.shmoop.com/the-breakfast-club/ending.html

[–] [email protected] (5871) 7 years ago

I never thought Allison looked like "Claire-type girl" after her makeover. She just looked like herself without all that, as Claire said, "Black sh!t" around her eyes.

Nothing wrong with a makeover anyway. There have been a number of TV shows addressing the issue like "What Not to Wear".

It seemed to me that Allison's layers of clothes and heavy make-up were a disguise anyway, a shield of armor to cover herself up and hide from the world. Because of the way her parents treated her, actually ignored her, she went out of her way to cover up her true self and try to be invisible. She didn't trust anyone.

[–] Retromogul (1082) 7 years ago

That's a great interpretation there. Maybe the problem of the audiences and critics mixed responses could of been solved by delving more into why Allison wanted to be invisible and distant while maintaining a pseudo-Goth persona. There were apparently many scenes removed from the final product, perhaps some of them explored Allison more fully in the way you described.

[–] GunWillTravel (198) 7 years ago

Agreed!

Throughout the film she felt totally detached from mainstream society, and by her own words she was ready to jam. Her makeup and unconventional clothes served to distance her from everyone else. She feared further rejection, and by making herself into an oddball she didn't have to worry about being accepted.

I don't think she wanted to be a cheerleader, or join the student council, or become Claire. She just wanted to be accepted for being herself - to have someone look at her and see something beautiful, rather than something to ignore.

[–] Quint (957) 7 years ago

Watch the movie again. Andrew always tried to get Allisons attention. He looked most of the time into her direction. So there always was some emotion between them. The makeover was just the last detail which lead to their relationship!