#8. The Breakfast Club (1985)

August is coming to a close, football season is just beginning (Go Chiefs!), final BBQs are being held, and kids are returning to school. Back-to-School season brings a certain feeling along with it each year. It is a bittersweet feeling, a subtle combination of wistfulness, nostalgia, and endless possibility. For kids, going back to school is a fresh start, a new beginning. This is the first year that I will not be returning to school in the fall. I’m finally done and I’m in the real world (whatever that is!?). However, I’m pleasantly surprised that I’m beginning to get that bittersweet feeling again. It makes me wonder, will fall always bring this feeling with it or will this eventually wear off with time? Will I always fill the need to go down the school supply aisle even though I don’t need them anymore? Will the end of summer always bring with it an air of possibility? Truthfully, I hope this feeling never fades. Now that I’m a grownup (sort of), I have found that adults really need that to get this ‘fresh start-anything is possible’ feeling, maybe even more than the kids…As a recent grad I am beginning to understand how easy it can be to feel weighed down by real world responsibilities and expectations. For this reason, I chose to write about a movie that teaches great lessons in humanity that can inspire us to be ourselves. In honor of the back-to-school season, I decided to enjoy one of John Hughes’ greatest masterpieces—The Breakfast Club. Hughes so wonderfully wrote, directed, and produced some of the greatest teen movies to date! Therefore it is no surprise that The Breakfast Club is listed as one of the films we all must see before we die! The Breakfast Club features an all-star cast for 1985, starring teen queen of 80s, Molly Ringwald, along with Anthony Michael Hall, Ally Sheedy, Emilio Estevez, and Judd Nelson. Who would have thought that a movie about five Illinois teenagers spending a Saturday in detention would have had such a large impact?

Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

I am truly saddened by the news of Robin Williams’ death. Not only was he a master story teller and a comedy God, but he was also a father, husband, and one fantastic gift to Hollywood. He will be greatly missed by fans-both young and old. I first enjoyed the hilarious, gut-busting comedy of Robin Williams with a little film called, Mrs. Doubtfire. In 1993, Robin Williams took on the role of Daniel Hillard, an unemployed voice actor & devoted father of three, who transforms himself into Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire in order to spend more time with his children. Below are just a few pieces of evidence that perfectly explain why Mrs. Doubtfire will always be one of the best:

#7. Rocky (1976)

“But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.”- Rocky Balboa

Okay, so I know it’s crazy, but I just saw Rocky for the first time yesterday! It was one of those movies that I always meant to see but never actually got around to doing so. But thanks to Netflix (God’s greatest gift to the world), I can now proudly say that I have seen it and share with you all a few points of interest I had while watching Rocky for the first time.

#6. The Sound of Music (1965)

Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start…

 The Sound of Music is truly a staple in history. It really is a remarkable story. It opens on a young Julie Andrews as a quirky, yet kind  postulant, Maria,  frolicking in the hills of Austria. Wanting Maria to know in her heart that the church was the place for her, Reverend Mother sends her off to become the nanny for Captain Georg Von Trapp’s seven children. Throw in some side plots about the Nazi’s and the Baroness, a few comedic moments, singing nuns, and you have yourself one great piece of cinematic history. Did I mention that they have singing nuns?! SINGING NUNS!!! My Catholic upbringing can’t stress enough just how great singing nuns are!!

While I could go on and on about what every single detail of this movie means to me, I decided to narrow it down to the following…

#5. Clueless (1995)

Everything about the movie Clueless positively SCREAMS greatness!!

This 1995 comedy, whose roots lie within the pages of Jane Austen’s 1815 novel Emma, features the fresh faces of Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd, Brittany Murphy, Donald Faison, and Stacey Dash. The film is centered on the lives of two wealthy, Beverly Hills teens, Cher and Dionne, who are able to use their matchmaking and persuasion skills to get whatever they want. However, along the way they learn how to deal with relationships, friends, family, and the ever-important teenage social life.

I don’t remember what age I was when I first embraced this prize of a film. However, what I do remember was that I was in awe. I thought that Cher Horowitz was basically as cool as cool could get and I hoped that when I grew up, I could have her wonderful lifestyle. When the movie began, I immediately fell in love with her closet! I mean this movie came out in 1995 and Cher’s closet still ONLY exists in the world of Clueless! Could you imagine how easy getting ready for work would be with her outfit-matching computer?? I mean, that would easily save 10 to 15 minutes each morning!! How has this not been invented yet? Or if it has, why don’t we all have it?!