Question

Summary on the movie "the breakfast club"

Answer 1

 Five students; Andrew, Claire, Brian, John and Alison, have nothing in common and have to face Saturday detention at Shermer High School library for 8 hours. The five are all from different sub cultures or social groups. John Bender  "The Criminal", Andy Clark "The Athlete", Brian Johnson "The Brain", Claire Standish "The Princess", Allison Reynolds "The Basket Case". The principle Mr Veron wants all of them to write an essay, though they think that’s too boring to do, they argue with each other and do not get along. They harass and fight each other and talk about a variety of subjects throughout the film. 

When Mr Vernon leaves his office after spilling his coffee they go to Benders locker and get his Marijuana. Allison and Brian are very surprised by his possession of it. They get it back to the room and they all smoke it.  After this they gradually open up to each other and reveal their secrets, for example, John Benders Parents do not care for him and they physically abusive him (Burn him with a cigar), Allison is a compulsive liar, and Brian and Claire are ashamed of their virginity and Andy got in trouble because his father is a very dominate figure in his life with high expectations.

They also discover that they all have troubled relationships with their parents. However, despite these evolving friendships, they're afraid that once the detention is over, they will return to their respective social groups and never speak to each other again. In the end, some of their more hidden character traits emerge: Bender develops a softer attitude and becomes more friendly with everyone, putting the start the got off to behind them. Claire even kisses him and it looks like a relationship could be emerging. Andrew becomes interested in Allison after she allows Claire to give her a makeover.



At Claire's request and the consensus of the group, Brian agrees to write the essay Mr. Vernon assigned earlier. The essay that Brian writes challenges Mr Vernon and his judgments about all of them. Brian doesn’t write about the actual topic, instead he writes a very motivating letter, which is related to the main point of the story. He signs the essay "The Breakfast Club", and leaves it on the table for Mr. Vernon to read when they leave. In the opening of the film Brian is reading a different letter to which of he wrote at the end of the film. The two different letters illustrate the shift in the students' judgments of one another, and their realization that they truly have things in common

The end letter is as followed:

 "Dear Mr. Vernon:

We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong, but we think you're crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us... In the simplest terms and the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain... ...and an athlete... ...and a basket case... ...a princess... ...and a criminal.

Does that answer your question? Sincerely yours, the Breakfast Club"