We Were The Same
Have you ever seen a character in a movie do one thing or say one thing and at that moment, everything clicks and you think, holy crap, that character is me!
I recently felt that way while my family was watching The Breakfast Club, an 80’s movie about five kids trapped in detention on the weekend, and the shenanigans they get into while they have a whole school to themselves.
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Without spoiling too much, I will say that each kid has a role or stereotype they represent: the trouble maker, the popular girl, the nerd, the athlete, and the emo kid.
There is a scene where the kids are sneaking out of the library, which was the place they were supposed to be sitting quietly for the whole day. The nerd, Brian, begins to ask the athlete all these questions, like why are they sneaking out and if it’s worth the risk of being caught.
The athlete eventually says that if Brian asks one more question, he’ll beat him up, which silences Brian. In that moment, I saw myself, and my Dad said “That’s you!” to back it up.
We were the same. I was that kid at school. The type who wouldn’t dare do anything outside the teachers rules, and would be obedient even when the teacher wasn’t looking. I would strive to get the best grades at school, and got a kick out of when my parents praised me.
One difference between me and Brian was that his parents were putting pressure on him to get good grades, and so he felt there was no other option but to pass at everything with the best grade there was to get. If you asked me why I was a nerdy paragon of a school student, I guess I’d say it was because I liked to be perfect, and I liked being good, whereas some people might just do what works for them or try to have the most fun possible in school.
Brian was like me. A kid who worked to get good grades and was 0% percent rebel. We strive to be absolutely perfect, and break down when we can’t be.
But striving to be perfect all the time we’ll only make you miserable, and that’s something me and Brain had to learn.
I’ve always strived to be perfect, but no one is perfect, so when I make a mistake or mess up, I get really sad because I failed at my goal.
But you can’t strive to be perfect, you’ve got to live life knowing that you’ll make mistakes and break a lot of rules, especially if you wanna have fun!
Seeing Brain learn this in the end made me feel happy, because it’s like a win for both of us! By watching him, I can see how I do things, and how I can be better, because whatever I’d tell Brain, I can tell myself. If I could give Brian a pep talk, I’d tell him to loosen up, and remember that not everything is as big as it seems.
The Breakfast Club is a great movie that has a lot of relatable, hilarious characters, and this movie was just great in reminding me of the glee of being a high-shcool kid! You may have struggles, but you’re not alone, and there are other kids out there just like you!
Thanks for listening to my thoughts, opinions, and reflections regarding The Breakfast Club.
I’d recommend this movie for teens looking for a relatable, funny movie and anyone who wants an 80’s throwback!
Hey there! I’m Shila! I’ve loved books since I could read, and decided I would write books I wanted to see written for others! Check my children’s book Imagination on Amazon!
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