John Hughes, the originator of the mega-hit Brat Pack flicks of the '80s, passed away rather suddenly and unfortunately last year. He had magnificent successes and grievous failures throughout his career, but whatever the quality of his work, he was still one of Chicago's most accomplished talents.
Below are provided separate lists of his best and worst projects:
BEST
1. Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987, w/d: John Hughes) - At once Hughes' most heartfelt and funniest film, Planes, Trains and Automobiles also includes the very best work from stars Steve Martin and John Candy. The film is unexpectedly moving, and not in a manipulative manner as some of his other films are. Slapstick, sight gags and witty dialogue of the highest order come together with spot-on direction and game actors to create one of the best comedies of the '80s. It's quintessential holiday viewing, too. ***1/2 (out of ****) A-
2. The Breakfast Club (1985, w/d: John Hughes) - The favorite of many a Hughes fan, and certainly that of self-proclaimed '80s Kids, The Breakfast Club, as silly as it is, remains one of the most thoroughly enjoyable of Hughes' films. Brat Packers Judd Nelson, Anthony Michael Hall, Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy are, in order, the bad boy, the nerd, the jock, the princess and the weirdo, all stuck in a Saturday suspension together. They get to know each other, challenge each other in expected but fun and painful ways, and come together in an ending that, while cliched, is one of the best and most deservedly feel-good endings ever filmed. ***1/2 (out of ****) A-
3. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986, w/d: John Hughes) - Not the great rebellious teen fantasy some would have you believe, the smashingly popular Ferris Bueller's Day Off is still a very enjoyable picture. Its heart and intelligence don't run very deep, but that doesn't mean that the film doesn't warrant repeated viewings. Matthew Broderick is totally game as the titular bad boy, scamming and scheming with a smirk on his face throughout his myriad deceptions. It's not a great film, but it sure is fun. *** (out of ****) B
4. Home Alone (1990, w: John Hughes, d: Chris Columbus) - Though Home Alone wasn't directed by Hughes, it most certainly would not have been nearly as good without the wit of his script. It isn't by any means a great or unmissable movie, but it's definitely worth a viewing, especially around Christmastime. The film's story is something of a far-fetched idea - young Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin, who's very good) is left behind by his rather large family when they fly to Paris for Christmas vacation. Cue Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern, the show-stealers, as two bumbling robbers out for loot at the McCallister abode. What ensues is a nice way to pass the time. Plus, it has its heart in the right place, and the ending will probably choke you up a bit. *** (out of ****) B
5. National Lampoon's Vacation (1983, w: John Hughes, d: Harold Ramis) - The first and best of the Vacation movies, based on Hughes' own short story "Vacation '58", this one is also the simplest and least desperate of the four. Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo, positively wonderful together, are Clark and Ellen Griswold. Along with their two kids, they're probably in the running for worst luck ever whilst trying to have a nice, calm time. They're not helped by the foolish antics of Randy Quaid (wonderful) as Chase's cousin Eddie. It's fun, ridiculous and a nice way to remind you how nice your family actually is. *** (out of ****) B
WORST
1. Reach the Rock (1998, w: John Hughes, d: William Ryan) - Utterly aimless, reeking of artifice and written, directed and acted without one shred of know-how, the John Hughes-scripted Reach the Rock is just about as bad as movies of this sort can get. We have a main character (Alessandro Nivola, bland) who's down-and-out since his friend drowned while trying to [insert title]. We have his love interest, who's a bore. We have the town Sheriff (William Sadler, usually a great presence, wasted here), who's a fool. All of this is soul-searching nonsense with the seriousness of a Bergman film and the brains of a typical Adam Sandler picture. The mixture is less than desirable. * (out of ****) D
2. Flubber (1997, w: John Hughes, Bill Walsh, d: Les Mayfield) - Robin Williams stars as Robin Williams, but for some reason is listed as a "Professor Philip Brainard" in the credits, in yet another failed live action Disney film. Whoever thought Flubber was a filmable idea ought to be slapped. There's enough for a short film here, that is to be granted. The scenes with the little Flubber creatures are amusing (slightly, mind you). Nothing else works. At all. The whole bad-guys-out-to-get-the-good-guys plot, and the whole Robin-Williams-keeps-forgetting-to-show-up-for-his-wedding-to-Marcia-Gay-Harden subplot, really fail to engage, and Williams' manic energy level is enough to make you squirm. * (out of ****) D
3. National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985, w: John Hughes, Robert Klane, d: Amy Heckerling) - The second and worst of the Vacation films, European Vacation suffers from its own desperate desire to be at once strikingly different from the first film while maintaining its freewheeling comic energy. It just comes off as desperate and, honestly, rather annoying. There are some nice sight gags and fantastic one-liners, but little else engages and we close our hands on air. *1/2 (out of ****) C-
4. Uncle Buck (1989, w/d: John Hughes) - There are a great many Hughes fans who absolutely adore Uncle Buck, and it's not hard to see why. You've got John Candy, he has a huge heart and he isn't afraid to stick it to whomever thinks they can put one over on him or his family. Well, the fact of the matter is that this is one sloppy piece of work, and a definite step down for Candy after his career-defining performance in Hughes' own Planes, Trains and Automobiles. What starts off promisingly enough rather unfortunately devolves into cliches, nonsense and truly bad acting. There are a handful of nicely played scenes, but the final cavalcade of saccharine sentimentality seals the deal on this one: it's just not good. ** (out of ****) C
5. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992, w: John Hughes, d: Chris Columbus) - If Home Alone was the satisfying meal, then Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is that delicious-looking dessert that you really want to like but just can't seem to stomach. Why? It's too darned syrupy. You sit there thinking, what happened to the fun? Who are these random characters? Why is this woman covered with filthy verminous birds basically the same exact character as the old man in the first film? Have they lost their imaginations? Well, unfortunately it seems they did. Hughes script this time around is lazily slapped together, and Columbus tries his darndest to keep things rolling, but this ends up feeling as slow and unpleasant as a walk home on an unplowed street in the dead of winter. Still - it has the charm of Culkin, Pesci and Stern going for it. Thank goodness for them. ** (out of ****) C
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