Peer Pressure - Effects Different People in Different Ways
The breakfast club highlights a variety of pressures that are placed upon teenagers through out high school. Peer pressure is clearly shown multiple times through out the movie, on various occasions it is also talked about between characters. The severity in which character face peer pressure alters from one to another. Clare explains to the group the pressures she feels and how she always feels as if she must always look good and be the prettiest, she also explains how its hard to be popular how she must not do certain thing or talk to certain people. This point Clare makes is further justified and supported when Brian asks I she thinks that any of them will talk after detention is over, she answers dismissively “ no, what would people think?” Showing the pressures that she feels to have to stay above certain people and groups. In this particular scene film conventions are used to reinforce the truth in the pressures she feels and how the others respond to her comment, when Clare answers Brian the camera closes up on her and then the other characters and their reactions. Brian faces a totally different sort of peer pressure, he is pressured into doing things he usually wouldn’t just to fit in and to have people accept him. When bender first offers Brian marijuana he is sceptical and unsure, the rest of the characters are more easily persuaded into it, they to are peer pressured as if they too also didn’t want to be the odd one out not doing it. In the end Brian is persuaded into smoking. If he were to have declined or said no he would have been considered more of an outcast, which he realised resulting in him falling subject to peer pressure and doing drugs.
Everyone Has Some Form of Family Issues or Pressures, These can Effect on How They Act as a Person.
Throughout the film the characters John Bender, Claire Standish, Andrew Clark, Brian Johnson, and Allison Reynolds have all shown us that they have family issues, these pressures have shaped the way they act. John Benders parents don’t care about him, Claire Standish parents hate each other and use her to get back at one another, Andrew Clarks dad pressures him to be number one and be rebellious just not get caught, Brian Johnsons parents pressure him to do well academically, and Allison Reynolds parents ignore her. All these pressures and issues are extremes of each scale though normal people do face these issues but not as extreme.
John Bender
John Benders parents don’t care about him or appreciate him. It’s evident that his parents don’t care about him in the scene when he is ripping into Claire about how rich she is when he starts to describe that “it was a better f*****g year at the Bender family, I got a packet of cigarettes, the ol’ man grabbed me and said smoke up Johnny.” It’s also obvious that his parents don’t care about him because at the beginning of the film he is the only student whose parents don’t drop him off at school for detention. This proves that his parents don’t care about him because there behaviour has influenced him to not care when he is being rude to someone, meaning he doesn’t care when he rips into Claire even though she is crying he just wants her to feel worse.
Claire Standish
Claire from the beginning is portrayed as the typical rich, popular daughter from the moment she is seen in her dads BMW. In this scene her father says he’ll make it up her because of that fact that she has detention, this obviously means that even though her daughter has done wrong he immediately feels sorry for her because she has detention. Her parent’s lack of enforcement of bad behaviour has meant that she thinks she can get away with breaking the rules. By being spoilt it has come across in the way she acts by her dressing nicer than everyone else, bringing in exotic food and she acts like she’s better than everyone else. This is evident when Brian asks “what is going to happen to us on Monday?... I mean I consider you guys my friend.” She replies with “Are you still friends you mean?... I don’t think so.” She then goes on to say that she wouldn’t talk any of them, to which Brian replies that he wouldn’t do that to anyone. Claire then mentions that it’s because they look up to her. This is when her belief that she is the best because she has the best from her parents is shown in the movie, even Brian comments on this when he says “you’re so conceded Claire… you’re so full of yourself, why are you like that?” Once again proving that her parent’s attitude and actions of always giving her what she wants has put herself into a position in that she believes she is better than everyone else.
Andrew Clark
Andrew’s dad is the parent who puts the most amount of pressure on him by pressuring him to be rebellious and the best athlete. At the beginning of the film when they’re in the car his dad says “…I screwed around, guys screw around… except you got caught” he then continues to say “Do you want to miss a match? Blow your ride?” The pressure that his dad puts on him to be rebellious like him made Andrew get into detention in the first place, simply because he got caught. Andrew describes that he “taped Larry Lester’s buns together”, he then goes on to say “that the bizarre thing is that I did it for my old man.” This proves that Andrew’s dad has influenced on the way he has behaved, this need for his dad to recognise him has made him tape Larry Lester’s bun together.
Brian Johnson
Brian’s parents pressure him to do well at school, this is evident in the first scene that we meet Brian. His mum shows that she pressures him in the first scene when she says
“Well get in there and use the time to your advantage,”
Brian replies “Mum we’re not supposed to study, we just have to sit there and do nothing,”
“Well mister you figure out a way to study.”
This shows that Brian’s parents put way too much pressure on him as they expect him to study even though he can’t. This has caused him to try to do self-harm to him, as he tried to kill himself because he failed a course and no matter if he aced the rest of the semester he would still have a grade point average of a B. He says “You can’t have an F, I can’t have it, and I know my parents can’t have it.” His parent’s pressures shaped his actions that might have caused his life.
Allison Reynolds
The beginning scene when she leaves the car she goes to wave goodbye at the front window as she walks past but before she is given the chance her parents drive off. In this scene there is no interaction with her parents, this suggests that her relationship with her parents is distant. This is apparent during the film as the first half of the film she says nothing, this may suggest that when she is at home she doesn’t talk with her parents or that her parents ignore her. This supports the idea that you are shaped by your parents actions because she is so socially awkward that she can’t even talk to her own parents making her mute when around other people.
Stereotypes
The 1985 film The Breakfast Club is a movie about 5 different teenagers who attend a detention on a Saturday with people who they would not normally associate with and for a short period become friends with.
We are presented with 5 very different teenagers, Alison (the Basket case), Bender (the Criminal), Clair (the Princess), Brian (the Brain) and Andrew (the Athlete)
Like many teenage movies and TV shows (Mean Girls, Glee), the use of stereotypes is used frequently because it enables people who watch them to form an opinion of the characters and their beliefs just from seeing them before they may have even spoken and sometimes just from the way they walk and are spoken to by other people.
These 5 teenagers are all an example of high school stereotypes.
Clothing is used to portray stereotypes as well. Andrew (the Athlete) wears a jacket which clearly identifies it as something to do with sport (known as a Letter Jacket) and shows he is part of a special group that not everyone can belong to being the wrestling team. Bender wears ripped jeans and a denim jacket showing he’s a tough person, Clair comes from a wealthy family and dresses very well.
Characters attitudes to each other help reinforce stereotypes.
For example Brian (the Brain) has his lunch, which he says is “just your standard regular lunch” picked up by Bender (the Criminal) who, after looking at it asking sarcastically “did your mum marry Mr Rodgers”? Brian replies ”No, Mr Johnson” which suggests he doesn’t understand when people are making fun of him – a stereotype often used against clever people in movies. Bender then imitates Brian’s life at home referring that Brian is a nerd who has a perfect family.
Another example of stereotypes in the movie is when Bender puts his drugs down Brian’s pants and runs away before they get caught. This is a stereotype because the principle wouldn’t expect the “nerd’ to have drugs on him.
Stereotypes use a variety of techniques to convey a message about a person in a simple quick way, such as their clothing, the way they look, speak and so on. Stereotypes are an effective way to portray characters so the audience will often have an initial view of the character. Later if their character changes, this both surprise and pleases the audience.
We are presented with 5 very different teenagers, Alison (the Basket case), Bender (the Criminal), Clair (the Princess), Brian (the Brain) and Andrew (the Athlete)
Like many teenage movies and TV shows (Mean Girls, Glee), the use of stereotypes is used frequently because it enables people who watch them to form an opinion of the characters and their beliefs just from seeing them before they may have even spoken and sometimes just from the way they walk and are spoken to by other people.
These 5 teenagers are all an example of high school stereotypes.
Clothing is used to portray stereotypes as well. Andrew (the Athlete) wears a jacket which clearly identifies it as something to do with sport (known as a Letter Jacket) and shows he is part of a special group that not everyone can belong to being the wrestling team. Bender wears ripped jeans and a denim jacket showing he’s a tough person, Clair comes from a wealthy family and dresses very well.
Characters attitudes to each other help reinforce stereotypes.
For example Brian (the Brain) has his lunch, which he says is “just your standard regular lunch” picked up by Bender (the Criminal) who, after looking at it asking sarcastically “did your mum marry Mr Rodgers”? Brian replies ”No, Mr Johnson” which suggests he doesn’t understand when people are making fun of him – a stereotype often used against clever people in movies. Bender then imitates Brian’s life at home referring that Brian is a nerd who has a perfect family.
Another example of stereotypes in the movie is when Bender puts his drugs down Brian’s pants and runs away before they get caught. This is a stereotype because the principle wouldn’t expect the “nerd’ to have drugs on him.
Stereotypes use a variety of techniques to convey a message about a person in a simple quick way, such as their clothing, the way they look, speak and so on. Stereotypes are an effective way to portray characters so the audience will often have an initial view of the character. Later if their character changes, this both surprise and pleases the audience.
Social Ranking in a High School Society
The audience is introduced to the high school social structure through a group of 5 characters. Each character assumes a stereotypical role in order of high school social ranking. The five different sub cultural school groups include: Brian Johnson – “the geek”, Andrew Clark – “the jock”, Claire Standish – “the princess”, John Bender – “the criminal” and Allison Reynolds – “the basket case”. The idea of social ranking is being demonstrated through the use of symbolic, written, audio and technical film conventions.
At the beginning of the movie the characters are separate, angry and awkward and the audience is positioned to feel the emotional and physical distance between characters. When they enter the class, they fall into their role within the school community. This is demonstrated through their position in the classroom. The princess and the jock take position at the front of the class as the most popular. The ‘rebel’ takes a seat in the middle of the classroom, positioning himself as the centre of attention. The ‘basket case’ and the ‘nerd’ are at the back of the class as the outsiders. They are ignored and not taken into consideration by others. Each character is known stereotypically and identified in this film as the whole student body.
By the end of the movie, the characters come out of their roles in the school society when they are comfortable with each other. The day they shared had an equalising consequence on the group social structure.
The group was able to find common ground and this was in the shape of their difficult family lives. All the students in the film believe that they have a difficult home life, and when they go to school they are able to belong to a stable peer group.
At the beginning of the movie the characters are separate, angry and awkward and the audience is positioned to feel the emotional and physical distance between characters. When they enter the class, they fall into their role within the school community. This is demonstrated through their position in the classroom. The princess and the jock take position at the front of the class as the most popular. The ‘rebel’ takes a seat in the middle of the classroom, positioning himself as the centre of attention. The ‘basket case’ and the ‘nerd’ are at the back of the class as the outsiders. They are ignored and not taken into consideration by others. Each character is known stereotypically and identified in this film as the whole student body.
By the end of the movie, the characters come out of their roles in the school society when they are comfortable with each other. The day they shared had an equalising consequence on the group social structure.
The group was able to find common ground and this was in the shape of their difficult family lives. All the students in the film believe that they have a difficult home life, and when they go to school they are able to belong to a stable peer group.
Character Relationships Grow Due to Rebellion Against Authority
What the characters have done to get into detention is they have rebelled, whether is was taping someone’s but together, ditching school, setting off a fire alarm or having a gun they all have done something that they never would get them in trouble with the school, the law and their parents. While each and every character is different they all share this element in common and come together as friends to further rebel.
Principle Vernon is the main authority figure in the film, he is the person that gave them all detention and can punish them as much as her wants. The students do not like him because this. Individually they make snide jokes and comments towards him but are backed up by the rest of the characters. During the film the work together to annoy and disregard him, go behind his back and lie. Not once do any of them break and tell Principle Vernon what is really happening. The five students all are in common when they want to defy what principle Vernon has told them to do, not all writing an essay, and leaving their seats repeatedly through out the film.
Principle Vernon is the main authority figure in the film, he is the person that gave them all detention and can punish them as much as her wants. The students do not like him because this. Individually they make snide jokes and comments towards him but are backed up by the rest of the characters. During the film the work together to annoy and disregard him, go behind his back and lie. Not once do any of them break and tell Principle Vernon what is really happening. The five students all are in common when they want to defy what principle Vernon has told them to do, not all writing an essay, and leaving their seats repeatedly through out the film.
As well as Principle Vernon, the parents play a big role in how their children act due to the authority they have over them. Brain parents push him to do well in school to the extent that he wants to commit suicide, Claire’s dad spoils her with money to detract from the bigger problems, Andrews dad pressures his to do well in sport while telling him all the bad things he has done he makes Andrew believe that he has to do bad things for his dad to respect him, Allison’s parents totally ignore her and Bender has problems with his rude and abusive dad who drinks to much. All of these factors in their home lives have led them to do bad things, to show their parents that they don’t care and they want to rebel.
During the movie Bender brings out marijuana, at first the rest of the characters say a definite no to this, they think he is stupid. In the end the only person that doesn’t do it is Allison, the rest of them break the law by smoking it. While Andrew is off in a room by himself smoking it, Claire, Bender and Brain are sitting together and talking, laughing and telling stories, they are enjoying each other company and are gaining friendship that they did not think that would.
A main part of the movie is when they are all trying to escape the school and get out of detention, they work together to keep hidden as they run through the school to find an exit. This rebellion brings them together, lets them talk and communicate and pushes them to make new bonds and friends.
By the end of the movie due to all the things done in spite of authority, the breakfast club have worked together to make it through the day and have draw closer to each other then ever imaginable. They have shown that through the same hatred and rebellion to authority it can lead to something greater, a great friendship or lover.
During the movie Bender brings out marijuana, at first the rest of the characters say a definite no to this, they think he is stupid. In the end the only person that doesn’t do it is Allison, the rest of them break the law by smoking it. While Andrew is off in a room by himself smoking it, Claire, Bender and Brain are sitting together and talking, laughing and telling stories, they are enjoying each other company and are gaining friendship that they did not think that would.
A main part of the movie is when they are all trying to escape the school and get out of detention, they work together to keep hidden as they run through the school to find an exit. This rebellion brings them together, lets them talk and communicate and pushes them to make new bonds and friends.
By the end of the movie due to all the things done in spite of authority, the breakfast club have worked together to make it through the day and have draw closer to each other then ever imaginable. They have shown that through the same hatred and rebellion to authority it can lead to something greater, a great friendship or lover.