“The Breakfast Club” Movie Review Essay Example

lives of their peers. However, their actions expose their personal struggles of every student in their cliques and homes. The reason for detention for each of them is revealed culminating into a climactic discussion on who they are. In the process, answer the assignment unanimously and change their perspectives of their peers.

Initially, John the rebel directs his anger at Andrew and Claire as he envies their “good life” not knowing that everyone has problems (Maslin). In reality, Claire wished that her parents cared for her and also faces immense pressure from her friends for being a virgin. Andrew desired to stand up to his overbearing father. Brian the Nerd who seems to be the “perfect son” has attempted suicide due to pressure from parents (The Breakfast Club). Allison the reclusive outcast is a liar and turns out to be the inventor of her problems. John fights with overcoming abuse by his father. This revelation leads the group to form friendships and write a joint essay on who they are (Dilts). Although the friendship ends with the detention, the experience changes their outlook on their peers.

The movie is a masterpiece in deconstructing the stereotypes against teenagers and their struggles to be understood. The teens belong to various groups which account for their behavior. The social groups put pressures on them to fit into high school, and social constructs of their parents, teachers and authority figures (Dilts). The film also has a gender conflict displaying the position of ladies in the society. The girls tend to listen instead of catching the attention of the others. Allison rarely speaks, is insecure, nonassertive and suffers from low self-esteem. John

also directs his anger towards Claire while John’s mother is a victim of abuse signifying the gender inequalities and female maltreatment (The Breakfast Club).

A micro-level analysis reveals different types of families that affect the behavior of teenagers. However, despite the differences, every family places a particular kind of pressure on a teenager (Dilts). The demands from parents that teenagers have to deal with include the push for better grades, domineering family members, abuse and lack of care. The mesolevel is the community and the school which create various stereotypes for students. The movie relates closely with theorist Erik Erikson’s on the stages of psychosocial development. The theory holds that each stage in life has a psychological crisis which an individual must resolve must address before moving to the nest one. Being teenagers, the characters in the film are at the identity versus role confusion stage where they are exploring who they are in life (The Breakfast Club). This yields a deeper understanding of self as evidenced by the unanimous essay on their real personality.

A mesolevel analysis yields different groups represented by the students’ aggregate which is a collection people at the same with no other connection. The role of each character is representative of the five subcultural groups in a typical classroom. The princess and the jock are the most social and famous thus take the front seats (The Breakfast Club). The rebel is usually found in the middle of the class as this position makes them the center of attraction. The nerd and the outcast are typically at the back of the class and are rarely recognized by anyone. However, the movie promotes assimilation

where the group members give up their beliefs to blend into new ones (Dilts). Teachers should understand the different needs of the various cliques and strive to promote equality.

The theme of stereotyping is found in the film. The five teenagers carry examples of high school stereotypes. These stereotypes convey the thoughts of people about teenagers in a quick way (The Breakfast Club). However, the film breaks the stereotypes creating a counter-culture against the dominant practices of judging people before interacting with them adequately. Avoiding such can lead to understanding and the development of better relationships. Therefore, the film provides comprehension on the pain and misconception resulting from social hierarchy affecting teenagers. The film also encourages cultural relativism where parents and teachers view themselves with the context of the teenagers so as to understand them. Therefore, all the agents of socialization should avoid pressuring the teenagers as this can lead to social deviance where they violate norms.

Bibliography

1. Dilts, Jason. "Why John Hughes’ ‘The Breakfast Club’ Is Still Relevant In 2015". Kansas. N.p., 2015. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
2. Maslin, Janet. "Movie Review - - JOHN HUGHES's 'BREAKFAST CLUB' - Nytimes.Com".Nytimes.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
3. The Breakfast Club. “The Breakfast Club.” Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
4. The Breakfast Club. America: John Hughes, 1985. DVD.