My John Hughes week as part of #Johnuary has come to a close. I’ve extremely enjoyed watching and rewatching a big chunk of John Hughes’ work. I’ve not managed to watch everything but I picked the ones that I felt were the biggest hitters and that I knew, or had heard of, the most.
I’m a huge fan of John Hughes work now. He’s a great writer of characters and dialogue but also has such a fun element that he adds to his movies. His movies make me feel like a teenager again, which is almost always a good thing!
I only just discovered a podcast about John Hughes now, at the end of John Hughes week, but I’m going to give it a listen and I want to learn more about Hughes’ work and back catalogue. My journey through Hughes’ work has certainly not ended.
Here is my Top Ten list of the John Hughes movies that I watched.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Uncle Buck
I think this was great in places and I liked the premise but I just felt it was a bit flat overall compared to his other works.
This was almost a great film. I just felt the plot was very jumpy and a lot of the acting was underwhelming. Stoltz was great though. 9. Curly Sue
A very cute and touching movie. A lot of fun to watch and one my wife and I will keep going back to. 8. National Lampoon’s Vacation
Very funny and easy to watch and I love all the scenery along the way. Great seeing Chevy Chase and Anthony Michael Hall on screen together. 7. Pretty in Pink
Very cool film with some great acting. It touches upon some very interesting teen social challenges. 6. Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Has to be considered a comedy classic. John Candy and Steve Martin at, or very near to, their peaks. Great film. 5. Weird Science
What a fun movie. Very John Hughesy plus sexiness, geekiness, and one of the best house parties on screen. 4. Home Alone
A modern classic. The performances of Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern alone make this film great. But it’s more than just a slapstick comedy. It works on a few levels. Very well made. 3. Sixteen Candles
I loved this movie. Very much a John Hughes High School teen movie. Brilliantly made, very cool and with superb acting all round. 2. The Breakfast Club
An 80s classic. Such a simple premise but expertly acted and made. Very 80s but also holds up very well. 1. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
What can I say. A unique film. I can’t really think of any other successful film that’s like it. Total genius. So many iconic moments. All round fun and also inspirational to rebellious teenagers everywhere.
Mick Yarber
Jan 23, 2017 -
I think Planes, Trains, and Automobiles would be my #1, but really, I’m fine with any order. They’re all really good films. He was a master.
Retromash
Jan 23, 2017 -
It’s a great film. It just goes to show just how many great films he made. Extremely impressive.