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August 9, 2005

Like seeing an old friend

Dear Mr. Vernon: We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it is we did wrong, but we think you're crazy for making us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us: in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain, and an athlete, and a basket case, a princess, and a criminal. Does that answer your question?

Sincerely yours,
The Breakfast Club.
Brian Johnson
Last week we were in Memphis and I got to hang out and be lazy during Frankie's naps and do something I love - watch movies. My favorite movies are like close friends. As I get older and reacquaint myself with them, I see something I never saw before and learn something new about them. One afternoon, I got to watch The Breakfast Club. Can you believe it was released in 1985! Yikes, I'm old.

When I first watched this movie, I related to certain aspects of the athlete, the brain, the criminal and the basket case. I was pretty mischievous, fairly intelligent, a mediocre athlete and often in trouble. I loved it when I first saw it and I've probably seen it 20 times since. However, most of the time the television version has been edited and the cursing removed; this ruined the movie as I was reminded in the uncut version I just saw. High School kids curse. Alot.

At this point in my life, I'm afraid I relate more with Carl the Janitor than any of the kids or Mr. Vernon, but it wasn't about relating to a character during this screening that was significant. All I could think about were the problems these kids had and the parenting decisions that may have caused those problems. Parenting is tough and every decision can have profound ramifications. If I could pick one of the kids in detention for my daughter to turn out like, I'd pick the brain, Brian Johnson. His quote above closed the movie with him reading it aloud. I'll have to watch it and see who she resembles in about 13 years.

[ps, other movies I watch any chance I get: Clerks, Godfather (I-III), 25th Hour, Scarface, Zoolander (yes Zoolander), all the Airplane movies, ...]

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Some of My old favorites are: Ferris Buehlers Day Off, The Godfather 1,2,&3, The Music Box, The Birdcage, and Fried Green Tomatoes (I had to throw in one good chick flick!)

Anonymous said...

Of course, I almost forgot, Ferris is a great movie.

Anonymous said...

Blade Runner, GodFather I, Shaun of the Dead, Brazil. Every now and then some Buckaroo Banzai. :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Jon,
At the Md FilmFest several years ago (at the Charles), Kurt Schmoke hosted the playing of his favorite movie ... Godfather I.