“They were five total strangers, with nothing in common, meeting for the first time. A brain, a beauty, a jock, a rebel and a recluse. Before the day was over, they broke the rules. Bared their souls. And touched each other in a way they never dreamed possible.”

What other movie can best understand and then destroy all high school stereotypes, none other than the iconic coming-of-age film, The Breakfast Club. Over the years, so many of Hollywood’s forays into the “stereotyping” realm are either nauseatingly patronizing, or the farthest thing from reality, but the original 1985 film somehow depicts the stereotypes in a way that is not only accurate, but unlike any other.

Everything takes place on a Saturday, when five students have to report at 7:00 a.m. for all-day detention at Shermer High School. While not complete strangers, all of them come from very different backgrounds and seem to have nothing in common: the wealthy and pampered Claire Standish, the dark and reclusive outcast Allison Reynolds, the state champion wrestler Andrew Clark, the book-smart Brian Johnson, and the rebellious “criminal” John Bender. All of them gather in the school library, where the antagonistic, assistant principal Richard Vernon instructs them not to move seats, sleep, or even speak for the next eight hours and 54 minutes. He assigns them each a 1,000-word essay describing “who you think you are” and then leaves returning only occasionally to check on them.

At first, they all try keeping to themselves, but as the hours pass, they gradually open up to each other and reveal their most personal secrets. Bender seems to be the most comfortable in doing this, seemingly not afraid to say anything. His hilarious commentary throughout the film makes everything more interesting.

Like all teenagers, they somehow bond over their strained relationships with their parents, and realize that even with their differences, they all have to face similar problems and complications in their lives. No one says it better than Clark who explains, “We’re all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it, that’s all.”

Naturally, after revealing their darkest secrets and gaining trust, some unique friendships begin to form. And as the detention comes to it’s final moments, everyone looks to Brian, the brainiac, to complete the essay for everyone, and he finally complies. The essay, seeming more like a letter, states that Vernon already knows who they are by his own judgement, “in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions: a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal.” Brian signs the letter off with “The Breakfast Club.”

As the credits roll and the song “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds plays in the background, Bender raises his fist in triumph as he walks across the football field for home. Because of this, it gives the viewer the satisfied feeling that the members of “The Breakfast Club” are now going to be close friends and that the barrier of stereotyping had finally been broken down.

Overall, The Breakfast Club does an outstanding job of deconstructing the stereotypes of high school by bringing together five very different teenagers and having them brawl it out. From a teenagers point of view, it is one of those satirical 80s movies that you always seem to relate to. With just the right amount of seriousness and humor, it will definitely have you watching again and again.