"At the time I came along, Hollywood's idea of teen movies meant
there had to be a lot of nudity, usually involving boys in pursuit of
sex, and pretty gross overall. Either that or a horror movie. And the
last thing Hollywood wanted in their teen movies was teenagers!"
there had to be a lot of nudity, usually involving boys in pursuit of
sex, and pretty gross overall. Either that or a horror movie. And the
last thing Hollywood wanted in their teen movies was teenagers!"
-- John Hughes
Writer-producer-director John Hughes has passed away at the age of 59, after suffering a heart attack while jogging in New York while visiting friends. Hughes was a prolific filmmaking talent who dominated the '80s "teen movie" genre with acclaimed films like Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty In Pink and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Comedy was undeniably his forte, with other hits including National Lampoon's Vacation, National Lampoon's European Vacation, Planes Trains & Automobiles, Uncle Buck, Weird Science, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Curly Sue, The Great Outdoors and Home Alone.
Hughes stopped directing in 1991 and retired from the public eye in 1994, but continued writing scripts for successful movies like Home Alone 2: Lost In New York, Dennis The Menace, Baby's Day Out, 101 Dalmations and Flubber. He was also credited with the stories behind Maid In Manhattan and Drillbit Taylor.
As you can tell from just scanning his filmography, Hughes was a massive talent and cultural touchstone for many cineastes, not to mention one of the defining filmmakers of the '80s. I doubt there are many people out there who haven't enjoyed at least one of his movies, or who hold a handful in high regard. I'm a particular fan of The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Planes, Trains & Automobiles and Home Alone.
He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Nancy, their two sons and four grandchildren.
By way of a tribute, here's a five-minute montage of his work:
