Addisyn Madeen
When someone says ‘80s’ you may think of the bright bold colors, with the various shapes making up a lot of patterns. The bright colors, the disco, the loudness of everything. Yet, these assumptions didn’t affect what was shown on screen. At least not too much. Movies produced during this time are widely renowned, not just because of the nostalgia factor, and the grainy camera quality reminiscent of home movies, but also because of the sheer freedom to say anything, whether right or wrong, without fear of repercussions. ‘Back to the Future’, ‘Heathers’, and ‘The Breakfast Club’ can barely represent a minuscule fraction of the 80s but they are culturally significant enough to represent a decade chock-full of humor, Meryl Streep, John Hughes, and so much more.
80s movies are often described as the apex of film history by older generations but for the younger generations, they are shamed and cast as movies that can’t make a single joke without insulting someone. The movies are merely a way to shame everyone and anyone. Except, I don’t believe that is entirely accurate. By analyzing three movies from various genres, we can examine whether they are outdated or ahead of their time.
Image credit: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088763/, https://www.amazon.com/Heathers-Winona-Ryder/dp/B0053TWVQ4, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088847/
Back to the Future
‘Back to the Future’ follows the seemingly normal Californian teen, Marty McFly, whose passion for skateboarding and defiance of authority represents the youthful rebellion of the 1980s. Marty is also shown to be a loyal friend to Doc Brown, an off-the-kilter scientist who creates inventions such as a mind-reading machine and a wall full of clocks that are all exactly 25 minutes late. The plot of the movie begins when Doc debuts his newest invention, the DeLorean time machine. This machine makes up the central plot device of the entire trilogy, providing Marty and Doc endless opportunities to embark on thrilling adventures through time.
Despite being a movie from the 80s, ‘Back to the Future’ offers a unique perspective of the 50s era it portrays, commenting on social and political issues that are still relevant today. It does this through the character of Goldie Wilson, who was scoffed at for daring to dream of becoming mayor as a Black busboy. Regardless of the discouragements he faced, Wilson went on to become the mayor and ran for re-election in the 80s.
Another aspect of ‘Back to the Future’ that would cause a stir today is the lives of Marty’s parents. His parents were originally supposed to meet when George McFly falls out of a tree in front of Marty’s grandfather’s car. In this scene, George is watching Lorraine, Marty’s mother, change in her room, showing how he had been attracted to her before she ever noticed him. However, in the rest of the movie, George’s Peeping Tom activities are never addressed.
However, at the end of the movie, before Marty is sent back to the future, his mother gets groped and forced into a dangerous and vulnerable position in a car with Biff, the antagonist. George comes to her rescue and knocks Biff out. Biff was his bully and someone he feared for years but for Lorraine, he faced his fears. He stopped Biff from taking advantage of Lorraine and we finally see a man keep another man accountable. Ahead of its time. We then also see Marty McFly start to play “Johnny B-Good” on stage for his parents to dance to and have their first kiss (this is what cements their relationship) and the guitarist calls his cousin saying this is the sound you’ve been looking for. It can be deduced that it’s Chuck Berry and one of his most popular songs of all time was one he stole from a teenager who went back in time to perform it. How quaint that a music legend is getting deduced to a song performed during a school dance…
Heathers
‘Heathers’ follows the protagonist, Veronica who is brooding, edgy, and witty, but desperate to be popular. Her high school is run by the Heathers; Heather McNamara, Heather Duke, and Heather Chandler. They are the wealthiest and most popular girls at school but Heather Chandler is the ‘queen bee’. Veronica is called to be a part of their group when she gets them all out of trouble by forging a hall pass. This movie has more substance that would raise a flag today than many videos from the Vlogsquad.
‘Heathers’ relies on the “fat-token friend”, objectification of women, and many other harmful, outdated tropes. But it also presents the message of female empowerment: the Heathers use men for their own satisfaction and rely on their parent’s money proudly. On the other hand, Veronica values intelligence and being honest about one’s honest thoughts above things that are considered more trivial. Yet, even Veronic struggles with the need to be popular and teenage angst. Veronica shows how having a good head on your shoulders whilst doing everyday teenage things doesn’t make you boring, it makes you
someone the Heathers deem good enough to be someone they drag along with because even the best can see when someone’s better. Even in this day and age, we lack movies that have women with half as much depth as Veronica. She likes JD and she follows along mindlessly but that doesn’t make her another “stupid girl.” Veronica is flawed and relatable, and it is through her mistakes and desires that we see her humanity. Unfortunately, it is still rare to see female characters portrayed as fully fleshed-out individuals back then (or even now).
The Breakfast Club
Lastly, John Hughes’ seminal movie, ‘The Breakfast Club’ followed the classic tropes of every movie that focused on teenagers: The Brain, The Princess, The Criminal, The Basket Case, and The Jock. However, what sets this movie apart from other movies with similar tropes is that it delves into the characters’ lives beyond their stereotypical labels. It takes a look at how each character forces each other to fit into their standard tropes but when they spend all day in detention together, they begin to get to know each other beyond their roles in their high school hierarchy. As one of the characters says, “You see us how you want to see us.”
The whole movie is about five students who have landed themselves in detention in one way or another. The Principal is detestable and constantly shames and berates the students. John Bender (The Criminal) isn’t having it and is the principal’s biggest antagonizer.
In this film, all of the characters portray outdated gender norms or sexist behavior toward one another, most especially, John Bender as he stares up Claire’s skirt, pees in front of everyone in their shared space, and calls Allison a nymphomaniac. That isn’t to say it only falls on the men in this movie, the women didn’t spend much of it empowering each other or themselves until the end.
However, the overall message of this movie is one that is hopeful, self-growth, and personal reflection. They learn that there will always be issues and there will always be people to blame, but they also realize that they are also at fault too. A lesson that can never be too old-fashioned to learn.
Through venturing into three different films in the same decade, it is safe to say that ‘Back to the Future’, ‘Heathers’, and ‘The Breakfast Club’ are the pinnacle of what it means to watch a great movie. The 80s and before have always been judged as poorly written, using minorities as the butt of the joke, and always centering the movie around a white, male protagonist with no diversity. Although I have not watched every possible movie ever produced during the 80s and have chosen some of the most popular, this commentary is still a blanket representation of how society has progressed in what is considered humorous and what is not. Three decades ago, these jokes might have elicited more laughter than those that are considered acceptable today. However, it also demonstrates how humor has evolved towards a less offensive approach over time. That being said, not all of the jokes in these movies hit the mark. These movies, along with many others, are constantly underestimated for their profoundness and contemporary significance and are not appreciated for what they are: movies that can withstand the ages.
Addisyn Madeen