Remembering John Hughes

I was so sad to hear of the passing of writer and director John Hughes, who died yesterday at the age of 59. As a child of the 80s, John Hughes’ movies like Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Some Kind of Wonderful, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, were a huge part of my teen experience.

John Hughes was the first filmmaker to really get what it was like to be a teen. He invented believable characters we could all relate to and root for, created amazing soundtracks for our lives with the the new wave and cutting edge music weaved into his films, and started fashion trends through the unusual and alternative wardrobe choices of characters like Andi (Pretty in Pink) and Watts (Some Kind of Wonderful). His dialogue was so fantastic, so smart, so spot on, that pretty much everyone I knew in high school would quote his movies. I myself could recite the entire first half of The Breakfast Club without skipping a beat.

Though movies aimed at teens have continued to be made over the years, I don’t think anyone has even come close to capturing the teen experience with the honesty and humor of John Hughes. He will be greatly missed.

I would like to thank John Hughes for all he brought to my life as a teenager, and continues to bring to my life today as a writer of books for teens. Though his influence on me is immeasurable, in honor of his memory, I would like to share the following list:

A few life lessons I learned from John Hughes:

1. Never give your underwear to a geek
2. You can’t reverse the mileage on an odometer by putting the car in reverse
3. How to make a Captain Crunch cereal and Pixie Stick sandwich
4. Taking muscle relaxants on your wedding day isn’t a good idea
5. Every girl needs a Duckie in her life
6. Skipping out on school can be a cultural experience
7. Don’t get your hair stuck in a door while drunk at a party
8. Boxer shorts aren’t just for boys
9. Always make sure they know they didn’t break you
10. The meaning of Voodoo Economics
11. Be careful what you write on notes that are being passed around class
12. The boys’ bathroom doesn’t have candy machines
13. Befriending the tough kids while in detention is a smart choice
14. When kisses are really good, you’ll feel them in your knees
15. The joy of using priceless comebacks like “Eat my shorts”