Breakfast Club - Der Frühstücksclub

At times I thought it was a bit naive, an "old man's" (which John Hughes was definitely not) view of teenage life, but on the other hand I would carve some of the statements and ideas in stone. Certainly the mental processes of teenagers stemming from the traumatic "despotic father vs. son" relationship was hit perfectly by Hughes, the unusual comedic exaggeration was surprisingly fine considering the seriousness of the topic, the light hinting of sexual themes was amusing, the five completely different characters complemented each other perfectly and it just flowed very nicely. A very nice film and a well-deserved major overseas cult following. (18.02.2024)

An original premise – one Saturday, the movie fills a single classroom with five completely different people who are characterized by exactly what they are; so a nerd, a jock, a wannabe gothic, a princess and a crook. They all hate each other and they all become friends in the end. A classic that interestingly hints at its era, young people and their opinions, which do not differ from what our generation went through years ago in many respects. (25.01.2016)

Nice guys didn't die out, resistance didn't fall off. A film that deserves to be quoted (Scrubs), imitated (Dawson's Creek), and parodied (Not Another Teen Movie). In any case, it is an ideal generational statement surpassing either the famous Ridgemont High or Linklater's Dazed and Confused. (31.03.2009)

There is simply no other way to rate this. Great drama and comedy!! Unforced timeless humor and lots of brilliant ideas. The intrigue and the weirdness of each character is brilliant. (26.04.2011)

In The Breakfast Club, there is a visible effort to make it a generational film and supposedly it is a cult phenomenon in the United States. I don't know, it doesn't seem to me that it significantly portrays the young generation of the 80s, rather it is some sort of pretentious manifesto of teenagers. Everyone had to go through puberty and those who are currently going through it can naturally identify with the film's characters. Nothing more can be deduced from their dialogues and actions than annoyance toward parents and authority figures. They are far from being real characters, rather they represent classic school types - so typical that it reeks of script convenience. It's not funny and considering the aforementioned, the psychological aspect doesn't work for me either, and I can't emotionally identify with those guys, especially the jock and troublemaker portrayed by Judd Nelson, who I think needs a few slaps rather than understanding. His idea of independence and life ends where the French film The Class takes place. For the system to function, not everyone can just talk about their rights, they must also contribute. The film's characters don't behave realistically and their pairing at the end is also just a result forced by the script. Overall impression: 40%. (20.04.2011)

Ich verstehe, was John Hughes sagen wollte, und ich möchte dem Film – besonders im Hinblick auf die Pointe – nicht vorwerfen, dass die Haupthelden typischen (nicht nur) US-amerikanischen Highschool-Schablonen entsprechen. Wenn ich mich aber bei ihren Dialogen und Monologen nicht so schrecklich gelangweilt hätte, wäre ich mindestens um einen Stern zufriedener gewesen. (13.04.2020)

In the fifties it was Rebel Without a Cause, in the eighties it was The Breakfast Club. Two films that portrayed (and still portray) the contemporary problems of adolescents and their exacerbated relationship with authority and parents far more eloquently than any others. A small auteur film that through clever dialogue, believable characters and a dash of non-violent rock grimace has deservedly become a cult and quotable classic. Although it won't say much at times to someone who doesn't identify with any of the characters, it is undoubtedly an exceptional timeless work. (26.05.2016)

Obwohl ich in mehr als einem Film oder einer Fernsehsendung Anspielungen auf diesen mittlerweile Kultfilm gehört habe, bin ich erst jetzt, fast vierzig Jahre nach der Premiere des Films, auf The Breakfast Club gestoßen. Ehrlich gesagt hatte ich ein eher komödiantisches Stück erwartet, aber nachdem ich ihn gesehen habe, muss ich sagen, dass Hughes' Film trotz einiger humorvoller und unbeschwerter Szenen einen recht ernsten Unterton hat. Im wirklichen Leben würde diese Geschichte, die sich über ein paar Stunden erstreckt, wahrscheinlich anders ablaufen, dennoch hat mir der Film letztendlich gefallen. Anderthalb Stunden lang beobachtet der Zuschauer eine Gruppe scheinbar ungleicher Menschen, die durch ihre gemeinsamen familiären und persönlichen Traumata miteinander verbunden sind (im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes). Die Handlung entwickelt sich langsam von banalen Problemen zu wirklich dichten Ebenen, aber der Film vergisst dabei nicht, auch lustig zu sein. Ein Bonus ist der Titelsong "Don't You (Forget About Me)". (25.06.2023)

Those archetypical characters have their justification in the film. Because nowhere else do you come close to the psychology of these figures. The Breakfast Club doesn't go extremely deep on this one, and even leaves a lot to the viewer's imagination (which in this case is a cop-out), but it surprisingly doesn't go to any extreme lengths to enrich the film with some pretty fresh humorous elements. Otherwise, I'd gladly pay two paychecks for the model they smoked there -) (05.12.2010)

John Hughes always managed to write very good characters, but here he really let loose. At first glance, the protagonists may seem like caricatures, but they are deep, which is actually the essence of the whole film, and John Hughes captured it perfectly. We are who we are, and this film beautifully shows that. Nothing will transform us unless we want it. We just have to realize it. (30.12.2015)