Part of MovieSet’s Remembering John Hughes special series
By KL Hedberg
for MovieSet.com
Filming began in 2006. On August 6th of this year, my generation and those that have followed, lost a legendary storyteller. John Hughes sudden death at 59 was like losing a family member for many of us who saw his films as a mirror of our teenage years. I grew up in Evanston, Illinois, the setting for many Hughes films. I can remember fellow classmates trying to be extras when he posted open calls for his films. The excitement of Hollywood coming to the Midwest was more than we could bear. When the films were then released in theatres, we would try to spot our friends or classmates in the scenes. There really wasn’t a need to seek anyone out in particular as each character was our classmate or friend. We saw ourselves in each cast member. We saw our parents, grandparents, friends, those we aspired to be and those we mocked due to painful insecurities. This year was my 25th high school reunion. Instead of attending the event, I chose to watch “Sixteen Candles”. That was the high school time I chose to remember. (In case you wonder who I most relate to in his films, think Joan Cusack’s character in “Sixteen Candles”.)
“Don’t You Forget About Me” sets out to find the reclusive John Hughes shortly before we lost him. Four filmmakers pursue their quest to find Hughes in order to convey to him what he means to them and all of us. Fans of Hughes will revel in the nostalgia of film clips, music and interviews they have assembled. You can’t help but tear up when you see Jake Ryan kiss Samantha Baker over her birthday cake or see Annie Potts and Molly Ringwald slow dance while “Cherish” plays in the background. Interviews with cast members, filmmakers, co-workers, students and film critics are too few in this film. I could have used less time with the four filmmakers and more in-depth conversation with those who thought they knew him best or wished they still had contact with him. Comments from Roger Ebert were especially poignant.
Don't You Forget About Me - Film Team
Hughes chose to remove himself from the chaos of Hollywood and retreated back to his Midwest roots over a decade ago. He chose to live a reclusive life surrounded by his family, a life that many will never understand. Interviews with Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Andrew McCarthy and current filmmakers Kevin Smith and Jason Reitman convey sadness at the loss of Hughes not only as a filmmaker, but for some as a friend. Many send him a message through the screen in hopes of conveying to him the importance he has held in their lives. Current teens state that they have seen films like “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” repeatedly and that it is more meaningful today than upon its release. These teens state that no one makes films of this caliber anymore. They can’t relate to today’s characters like they can the cast of “The Breakfast Club”. His characters were authentic. They were bullies, jocks, beauty queens and misfits. They were us.
In the final scenes of the film, we see the four filmmakers quest take them to Hughes hometown. I have real difficulties with this scene. If these four people knew Hughes and heard the messages in his films, they would have respected the fact that he stepped out of the limelight. He had his reasons. Reasons we may never know. Let’s remember him for all he gave us, not for what we selfishly missed when he left the industry. We and generations to come will never forget the genius of John Hughes. His body of work will serve as window into the hearts and souls of teenagers everywhere. This film serves as a reminder that we will never see the likes of him again and along with him we have all lost a part of our innocence.
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