#57. Watch at least 5 out of 10 movies recommended by Esther. (1/5)

To get this goal started, I watched that 80's classic, John Hughes' The Breakfast Club.

Matt Brier asked me recently how it was possible I'd never seen this movie. My reason is essentially the same as why I'd never played Texas hold 'em 'till Friday night: I just never got around to it. It was never the kind of movie I felt was worth renting on a Friday night, but if there's a flick you need to see, Netflix is often good for what ails 'ya. 

I felt all sorts of internal tensions as I watched this movie. I'm a substitute teacher at the moment, and while I've never had kids speak to me the way Bender does to Mr. Vernon, I am used to being in the latter's shoes and having respect denied me. Because of this, I didn't find myself loathing him the way I probably would have had I watched this movie as a teenager. 

At the same time, I found myself  sympathizing with the five kids, as well. Through subbing I've slowly come to appreciate the complexities that underlie childhood misbehavior. The family situations described in this movie are extremes, but they've very real: some of the kids I've taught have no doubt come from homes as dysfunctional as Bender's or Allison's. When a kid talks back to me or refuses to work, what he or she is doing is wrong, but there' a lot more to it than them rejecting my authority or having a personal problem with my teaching style. 

I've gone far afield. This isn't the sort of movie I expect to want to watch over and over, but I can see why it's regarded as an 80's classic. The insight into both teenage and adult struggles is uncommon, the cinematography is solid, the acting and music are terrific, and you can't beat that final, triumphant shot of Bender crossing the football field, fist raised to the sky. Moreover, it's a great message: friendships can be formed across seemingly impenetrable barriers when apparently dissimilar people find they have more in common than they thought possible. 

The experience of the five kids is not unlike the beautiful, puzzling unity of the Church, a body of diverse people drawn together by Christ who discover that what they share in their Savior gives them more in common than they could ever have in conflict.