Top 10 Things You Didn't Notice In The Breakfast Club

“The Breakfast Club’s” lunchtime scene is one of the most memorable interactions in a film chock-full of iconic moments. While still getting to know one another, the teens dine in the library. Ever opinionated, Bender reacts strongly to everyone’s lunch, whether with a pointed glance or outright mockery. But, in the midst of all this judgment, you might have missed the fact that he has no prepared food at all. And frankly, this is very telling, as it reflects Bender’s unstable home life, a source of pain and insecurity for the teen. The scene also exemplifies how he uses his tough-guy persona to distract from his own issues.

Brian’s memorable letter to Mr. Vernon puts each of the “Breakfast Club” members into high school stereotypes - from athlete to princess. This also includes the reclusive “basket case” Allison. But, despite her “withholding” demeanor, you may be surprised to learn she only speaks up 24 minutes into the film. And even then, it’s to utter a single “ha!” as a mocking response to Claire. In fact, Allison’s first scene with substantial dialogue doesn’t occur until a third of the way through the movie. While it’s certainly unusual for a film’s main character to spend so much time in silence, it was a clever way to capture Allison’s one-of-a-kind personality.

Suffice it to say, the “Breakfast Club” kids don’t always follow the rules. With a bit of a push from Bender, they engage in all sorts of illicit conduct. One shot in particular captures the rebellious spirit of youth that pervades the film. While Bender rips apart a book for fun, Brian can be seen next to a sign displaying the library code of conduct. There’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it addition to the line that reads “We ask students to please…” It’s a juvenile easter egg that implies that these five teens aren’t the only ones who take issue with authority at Shermer High. Mr. Vernon would not be happy about this!

One of the film’s most mystifying sequences finds Andrew in good spirits after smoking marijuana. While his peers relax on the lower floor, Andrew leaves a room filled with smoke, runs a circuit around the library’s upper floor, and then shatters the door he came out of. The last moment is a dramatic touch, but perceptive fans may notice that the glass reads “foreign language.” What does the shattering symbolize? A clue may be found earlier in the film, where Bender memorably tells Andrew “I don’t even know your language.” In this light, the door spontaneously breaking seems to represent social barriers dissolving over the course of the film. The gang has finally found a shared language.

The group really begins to loosen up after Bender’s unceremonious return to the library. At one point, the gang even begins looking through each other’s belongings. As Claire pores over pictures of Bender’s love interests, he examines the contents of her bag. Hilariously, he uses one of her makeup brushes to clean his teeth while looking in a compact mirror. Although funny, the moment doesn’t seem that significant unless you realize that this brush reappears later in the movie. Yep, it appears to be the same one that Claire uses to do Allison’s makeup in the film’s final minutes.

As Brian reads his essay to Mr. Vernon at the beginning of the film, we get various glimpses of the empty high school. In one instance, the camera lands on a “Man of the Year” plaque. It’s here we see that the 1969 recipient is none other than Carl Reed, the janitor. Of course, first-time viewers have no idea who this is, and may not recognize the character when he is introduced as the school’s custodian. But, with the film’s themes including the eternal struggle between youth and authority figures, it’s fascinating that Carl has occupied both positions at Shermer High. Perhaps that’s why his opinions are so level-headed.

The film’s introductory sequence contains numerous shots that yield interesting details and even foreshadow important plot points. Some of these images correspond to the high school stereotypes that the teens embody. But, one in particular doesn’t take on significance until far later in the movie. Over Brian’s voiceover, we see a damaged and singed locker with the door barely hanging on. This seems to be the aftermath of Brian’s accident that landed him in detention. In the climactic heart-to-heart, the brainy student shares that he was haunted over failing shop class and kept a flare gun in his locker. Unfortunately, it went off by accident, destroying the elephant lamp that he had desperately tried to make work.

Considering his love of teen movies, it’s not exactly surprising that writer/director John Hughes would set many of his projects in or around high schools. But, the connections between several of his movies may surprise audience members. A banner in Hughes’s “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” reveals that that film is also set at Shermer High. Although “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and “The Breakfast Club” used different locations for exterior shots, they both shot indoors at Maine North High School in Des Plaines, Illinois. That isn’t all - during a scene in a high school gym, we learn that 1985’s “Weird Science” is also set at Shermer. Oddly enough, that Hughes film also stars Anthony Michael Hall, but not, of course, as Brian.

We hear an awful lot about the characters’ parents in this film. While Bender reveals his father’s abuse, for instance, Claire discusses the ways her parents use her against one another. Although we don’t actually see much of them, the little that we do witness is quite revealing. For Brian’s part, his mother is clearly a force to be reckoned with. But, his father doesn’t even have a speaking role — and this might be because writer-director John Hughes actually plays the Johnson patriarch. It isn’t his only cameo role in his own work, but it’s one of the most surprising.

Although the teens have their fair share of animosity throughout the day, there’s no question who the true antagonist is. Vice Principal Richard Vernon has clear disdain for his students and truly relishes dishing out detention time to Bender. He’s even caught snooping through students’ private records by the bemused school janitor. Although Bender most obviously stands up to Vernon, there’s a moment when Andrew quietly shows his rebellious side, too. After an awkward attempt at helping the administrator prop open the library door, he subtly gives the latter the finger. Although it’s quite a shocking gesture, it’s subtle enough that many viewers have missed it.