History Characters / TheBreakfastClub

[[folder:General]]

->'''Played by:''' Creator/JuddNelson

->'''Played by:''' Creator/MollyRingwald

[[folder:Andrew "Andy" Clark]]

->'''Played by:''' Creator/EmilioEstevez

->'''Played by:''' Creator/AnthonyMichaelHall

->'''Played by:''' Creator/AllySheedy

[[folder:Richard "Dick" Vernon]]

->'''Played by:''' Creator/PaulGleason

->'''Played by:''' Creator/JohnKapelos

->'''Played by:''' Creator/TimGamble

->'''Played by:''' Creator/MercedesHall

->'''Played by:''' Creator/RonDean

* JerkassHasAPoint: Richard telling Bender that he'd do well to spend more time focusing on himself and less time trying to impress his friends certainly rings true. To a lesser extent, his cruel commentary on how Bender, if he carries on like this, is fated to become a loser in life certainly strikes a nerve with Bender.

* CrazyConsumption: Allison lets her soda spill out, and licks it off the table. Then she throws away the bologna from her sandwich, and replaces it with Pixy Stix (powdered candy) and Cap'n Crunch cereal.

* BoobsOfSteel: '''Very''' downplayed, but her special talent turns out to be holding a tube of lipstick with her chest and applying it to her face.

* AbusiveParent: Psychologically.

* JadedWashout: It's implied that Vernon had higher expectations for his life, but years of being underpaid and disrespected by the youth in his charge seems to have finally gotten to him. At this point, he just doesn't care.
* {{Jerkass}}: Vernon just seems to be in a perpetually foul mood. He treats the kids like dirt throughout the film.
* KickTheDog: When he intimidates Bender (a physically abused minor) with a beatdown when the two of them are alone behind closed doors, and then rubs it in his face he can just say Bender attacked ''him'' and nobody will question it. Vernon is a grown-ass man and yet here he behaves like little more than the childish schoolyard bully that he would have Bender think ''he'' is.

* AlmightyJanitor: He catches Vernon snooping through Bender's personal files and blackmails him. And earlier, he notices that the hands on the library clock have been moved twenty minutes ahead.
** Also, in the beginning of the movie, different shots of the school hallways and classrooms are shown. There is a picture of a former Shermer High School student "Man of the Year". The guy in the picture is Carl Reed.

* JerkassHasAPoint: Richard telling Bender that he'd do well to spend more time focusing on himself and less time trying to impress his friends certainly rings true. To a lesser extent, his cruel commentary on how Bender, if he carries on like this, is fated to become a loser in life certainly strikes a nerve.

* OnlySaneMan: When compared to the rest of the characters Carl is probably the character with the least emotional baggage.

* BigBad: The closest thing this film has to one, anyway.

* HobbesWasRight: His philosophy towards his treatment of the kids.

* AbusiveParents: Every single one of them have parents who treat them horribly, which comes out about [[DysfunctionJunction the ways in which their parents abuse them]] towards the end of the film.

** Andrew -- His father is an overgrown JerkJock who lives vicariously off of Andy's athletic achievements.
** Brian -- His parents guilt trip, intimidate, and generally emotionally abuse him to do well in school. Like Andy's dad, it's insinuated that they're living through him as well.

* DeconstructedCharacterArchetype: This film takes a very good look at what many of the "stock" characters of teen movies (the JerkJock, the AlphaBitch, the nerd, the delinquent, the crazy loner) would be like if they existed in real life, and what their real motivations would be like.

* FreudianExcuse: All the kids have this. A major theme in the movie is how adults can shape their kids for better or worse, intentionally or not. Bender grew up learning how to be tough because his dad beats him, Andrew is driven to compete and bullies another kid because his dad is always pushing him and going off on the wild things he did as a teen, Allison acts like she's nuts for attention because her parents ignore her, Brian is a socially-inept nerd because his parents are always forcing him to study, and Claire is a shallow popular girl because she feels empty inside due to her parents using her as a weapon.

* TwoGirlsToATeam: Allison and Claire.

* AlphaBitch: Deconstructed. She both covets and resents the attention she gets and feels extremely burdened by it.
* AntiHero: Type V.

* AbusiveParents: Every single one of them have parents who treat them horribly.
** Bender -- His father is a physically abusive alcoholic, who also beats his wife, who isn't a good parent either.
** Claire -- Her parents are psychologically abusive, with a side of neglect, and use her as a weapon to get back at each other.
** Andrew -- His father is an overgrown JerkJock who lives vicariously off of his athletic achievements.
** Brian -- His parents guilt trip, intimidate, and generally emotionally abuse him to make straight A's. Like Andy's dad, it's insinuated that they're living through him as well.
** Allison -- [[DysfunctionJunction You're probably noticing a theme here.]] Though Allison's parents are more [[ParentalNeglect neglectful]] than outright abusive, it still ties into the topic of conversation.

* BrokenBird: All of them are cynical (except Brian), unhappy with themselves and their lives, and full of angst. And all of them have abusive parents and a horrible home life.

** He also gives a short but poignant one to Vernon, eloquently pointing out how he's unreasonably taking his anger and dissatisfaction with life out on the students when he has only himself to blame for losing touch with the person he used to be.

* AMFMCharacterization: He's clearly a classic rock fan, as he hums "Sunshine of Your Love" by Music/{{Cream}} and has posters for Music/TheDoors and the Music/Scorpions in his locker.

* AMFMCharacterization: He's clearly a classic rock fan, as he hums "Sunshine of Your Love" by Music/{{Cream}} and has a Music/TheDoors poster in his locker.

* TheChick: The group's "princess".

* {{Nerd}}: He's a quirky, nebbish and socially awkward nerd that's easily the most sensitive and vulnerable of the main cast.

->''"Sweets...you couldn't ignore me if you tried."''

->''"Your middle name is Ralph, as in puke, your birth date's March 12th, you're 5'9 and a half, you weigh 130 pounds and your social security number is 049380913."''

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/allison_reynolds_b_makeover.png[[/labelnote]] to see her [[spoiler:makeover]] ]]

** She's a fan of Music/{{Prince}} judging by the ''Music/PurpleRain'' lunchbox. There was a deleted scene where she breaks into the teachers' lockers using a switchblade and finds a copy of ''Music/NineteenNinetyNineAlbum'', remarking "You know what this means? They're human".

-->'''Bender''': She doesn't talk, sir.

-->'''Claire''': ''(giddily)'' She's nuts, but she's cool.

* {{Dark Is Not Evil}}: At least before she bonds with the other students and before [[spoiler: her makeover at the end]].

* RavenHairIvorySkin: Her hair is chestnut and she has creamy skin. It's enough to make [[spoiler: Andy]] fall for her, even before she gets a restyling.

-->'''Vernon:''' Carl, I've been teaching for twenty-two years. And, each year, these kids get more and more arrogant.
-->'''Carl:''' Aw, bullshit, man. Come on, Vern, the kids haven't changed; ''you'' have. You took a teaching position because you thought it'd be fun, right? Thought you'd have summer vacations off. And then you found out it was actually work, and that really bummed you out.
-->'''Vernon:''' These kids turned on me. They think I'm a big fucking joke.
-->'''Carl:''' C'mon…listen, Vern, if you were sixteen, what would you think of you, huh?
-->'''Vernon:''' Hey, Carl. You think I give one rat's ass what these kids think of me?
-->'''Carl''': Yes, I do.

--> '''Carl:''' You guys think I'm just some untouchable peasant? Serf? Peon? Well, maybe so. But following a broom around after shitheads like you for the last 8 years, I've learned a couple of things. I look through your letters. I look through your lockers. I listen to your conversations, you don't know that but I do. I am the eyes and ears of this institution, my friends.

[[/folder]]

** Claire -- Psychologically abusive, with a side of neglect. Her parents use her as a weapon to get back at each other.

* BerserkButton: He chats absolute shit for most of the film and is cocky and brash, but he completely loses it when Andy outright accuses him of making up the story of his dad physically abusing him.

** After Andy hits his BerserkButton, Bender flips out, ape-flings himself up a statue and some railings, and cowers alone in an emotional heap.

%%* BerserkButton: Talking about his friends will piss him off. Also never EVER say to him he made up the story of his dad physically abusing him, otherwise he will really go totally berserk. Claire even lampshades this to Andrew after the latter upset him.
* BoisterousWeakling: Slowly revealed to be this. Bender talks tough but once Andy turns out to be a good deal tougher than him he tries to look tough while backing away from the fight. [[spoiler: Later when Vernon challenges him to an outright fist-fight, even offering him a free shot right to the face, Bender is too spooked to do anything.]]

* MiseryPoker: Growing up with two physically abusive parents means that Bender doesn't have a lot of sympathy for the other kids complaining about their home lives. This seems to be the main reason he enjoys tormenting Claire and Brian. [[spoiler: He seems to grow out of this toward the end of the film, looking sympathetic when Brian admits he's considered suicide due to how his parents treat him and even joking with Andy that their abusive fathers aren't all that different.]]

** Later, after Principal Vernon explicitly promises to one day [[spoiler: find Bender and beat the shit out of him]], Bender is left frozen with fear.

* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: [[spoiler: She hooks up with [[ByronicHero Bender]] in the end.]]

* BoobsOfSteel: '''Very''' downplayed, but her special talent turns out to be [[spoiler: holding a tube of lipstick with her chest and applying it to her face]].

* CondescendingCompassion: Her drama partially stems from the fact that [[spoiler:her friends pressure her to be unkind to the unpopular kids]].

** Telling Brian that [[spoiler: suicide]] is never the answer.
** Giving Allison a [[spoiler: makeover]].

* ShipperOnDeck: Decides to give Allison [[spoiler: a makeover]] after noticing that she and Andrew are sharing [[LongingLook Longing Looks]] to each other.

* UptownGirl: Rich spoiled princess Claire falls for [[spoiler: troubled delinquent Bender at the end]].

* LongingLook: One hint about [[spoiler: his crush on Allison]] is that he stares meaningfully at her when she doesn't notice.

* BungledSuicide: [[spoiler:He tried to commit suicide because of the intense pressure his parents put on him.]]

* EmbarrassingMiddleName: "Ralph".

* ColorMotif: Black. [[spoiler: Also, in the end, white.]]

* GirlinessUpgrade: [[spoiler: Following her makeover.]]

* ItAmusedMe: [[spoiler: She comes to detention just because she can.]]

* MisunderstoodLonerWithAHeartOfGold: Yes, she can come off as aloof and catty, but it's shown that [[IJustWantToHaveFriends she's just really lonely]] and [[NoSocialSkills socially inept]]. Allison is usually harmless and actually somewhat noble when interacting with the others. She waits for Bender when the kids are running through the halls, stands up for Claire when Bender dismisses her talent, kindly thanks Brian after he silently compliments her [[spoiler: makeover]], and finally, there's her [[OfficialCouple relationship]] with [[spoiler: Andy]].

* RavenHairIvorySkin: Her hair is chestnut and she has creamy skin. It's enough to make [[spoiler: Andy]] fall for her, even before she gets a [[spoiler: restyling]].

* SheCleansUpNicely: [[spoiler: After Claire gives her a makeover. Andy and Brian's expressions say it all]].

* LackOfEmpathy: It's strongly implied she knows about [[spoiler:Brian's suicidal tendencies]], but doesn't give a rat's ass.

* CovertPervert: [[spoiler: Eyes up Allison as he pulls out of the parking lot at the end with Andy.]]

%%* BerserkButton: Talking about his friends will piss him off.

* HollywoodNerd: He's a quirky, nebbish and socially awkward nerd that's easily the most sensitive and vulnerable of the main cast.