History Film / TheBreakfastClub

* CrapsackWorld: There's a reason it's considered Hughes's answer to ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''.

* HumansAreBastards: A major theme of the film.

* CerebusCallback: Brian talking about how he failed shop because he couldn't make a ceramic elephant, which leads into a bit of joking on the part of the others. A few minutes later when the entire discussion has gone a bit more dramatic, Brian reveals [[spoiler:he brought a flare gun to school because he couldn't get the elephant to work, implying he wanted to kill himself]]. It gets subverted when they all end up laughing about it anyway.

* AbusiveParents: [[HumansAreBastards Depressingly common]]. Bender's father is the "traditionally" abusive dad who beats his wife and son, [[EducationMama Brian's parents set such high standards]] that it drives him [[spoiler: to potentially [[DrivenToSuicide attempt suicide]] (or [[AxesAtSchool whatever else he had planned]]) with the FlareGun]], [[ParentalNeglect Allison's]] completely ignore her, [[ParentalNeglect Claire's]] are about to get divorced and use her to get back at each other, and [[StageMom Andy's father tells him that winning is everything]] and that if he doesn't win, he's nothing.

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

* JerkJock: Deconstructed through Andy. He feels like he has to be an asshole and a bully to the weaker students because his father expects that behavior out of him. When he plays a humiliating and painful prank on another kid, he feels terrible about it afterward, but his dad is only upset that he got caught. Before revealing why he's in detention he is possibly the kindest of the characters, sticking up for Claire and Brian when Bender picks on them, showing real concern for Alison when she is upset and even regrets accusing John of lying about his abuse and he sees how angry it made him.

* LikeAnOldMarriedCouple: Bender and Claire's [[SlapSlapKiss constant fighting]] make them looking like a divorcing couple, which is interesting as Claire's main source of angst is [[LikeParentLikeSpouse her parents' difficult divorce]].

** Whilst she is initially rude to Allison, she is fairly kind to Brian right off the bat (almost comforting him about being a virgin), and later gives Allison a makeover, being nice to her "because you're letting me".

** There's the argument that Vernon wanted to be able to claim Bender had assaulted him, and Bender knew it. Hell, Vernon had literally just pointed out that no one would take Bender's word over his; his plan was obvious. The fear on Bender's face seems to negate this a little.

* SarcasticClapping: "That was great, Claire. My image of you is totally ''blown''."

* SuckySchool: Eight hour detentions on Saturday is just one of the many things wrong here.

*** At the very least, it seems as though Allison and Brian might remain friends, as Brian promises he [[spoiler: wouldn't do that to any of them]], and Allison [[spoiler: doesn't have any friends, nor does she think the kind of friends she'd have would mind]].

** And Brian, after Claire tries to excuse her snobbery by crying for a PityParty.

** In-Universe, early in the film Bender asks Andy & Claire if they are dating and even asked them if they had sex yet in which promptly angered them both. Though to be fair earlier in the film it did seem like Andy was showing interest in Claire at first. But when Claire seems to be wallowing in self pity Andy fairly quickly loses interest in her and soon tries to go for Alison instead.

** Andy's dad is strongly implied to be a former JerkJock who didn't really get anywhere in life.

** The parents. At the very least, the ones we see are very, very selfish people who couldn't care less what they do to their own kids in pursuit of their wants.

* LastNameBasis: See how everyone keeps saying "Bender" rather than "John"?

* MilesGloriosus: Bender. He puts out an image of toughness but Andy is able to take him down with ease. Even when Bender pulls a knife and casually talks about killing Andy, he's slowly backing away from the fight. Confirmed when Principal Vernon challenges Bender to a fight, asking repeatedly for Bender to throw the first punch, while he just sits there looking like a scared puppy.
** The scene with Bender and Vernon is debatable: Vernon wanted to be able to claim Bender had assaulted him, and Bender knew it. Hell, Vernon had literally just pointed out that no one would take Bender's word over his; his plan was obvious.
*** Well, visible fear on Bender's face probably makes his reaction a combination of both.
*** Also, given Bender's upbringing, him getting into anykind of altercation with Andy would just result in him having to deal with his father the minute he finds out and thats something he doesn't want to deal with.
* MinimalistCast: There are only thirteen characters in the entire movie.

* NoodleIncident: We are never shown anyone turning the hands of the clock forward, just that Carl notices that someone (most likely Bender) has done it.

* OnlySaneMan: When compared to the rest of the characters Carl is probably the only character with the least emotional baggage.
* OrphanedSetup: Bender's "naked lady" joke. (It doesn't have a punchline, Judd Nelson [[ThrowItIn ad-libbed it]]).
* PantyShot: When Bender hides under Claire's desk. Shoved right in your face, too.

* ShaveAndAHairCut: Masterfully improvised by Andy and Bender.

* StickyFingers: Allison.

** Bender's presence in the library getting hidden from Vernon by the other kids via redirecting questions and obnoxious coughing.

* YeahShot: Bender, at the end.

* HeldGaze: Bender and Claire before their [[TheBigDamnKiss kiss.]]

''The Breakfast Club'' was a 1985 film written and directed by the late Creator/JohnHughes, a legend in the teen genre. The five principal actors in the film (Creator/MollyRingwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Emilio Estevez, Creator/JuddNelson and Ally Sheedy) became part of the "Creator/BratPack", a group of actors whose careers in the 1980s revolved around playing teens in popular movies with each other. This group also included Rob Lowe, Andrew [=McCarthy=] and Creator/DemiMoore.

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

** Bender, the [[TeensAreMonsters juvenile delinquent]], is like that not because he's a bad person, but as a result of his tough, working-class upbringing and his [[AbusiveParents abusive father]], both of which have taught him that violence is an acceptable solution to problems. His {{badass}} image is also [[MilesGloriosus easily disarmed by Andy]], even though he's armed with a knife.

* CrapsackWorld: Taken to almost parodic levels. [[AWorldHalfFull It does seem to get better, though.]]

* BetterThanItSounds: It's a movie about five high school students who are stuck in an all-day detention and have to write an essay...Oh, and almost the entire movie takes place in the same room.

[[quoteright:302:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/600full-the-breakfast-club-poster_5072.jpg]]

* ColorCodedCharacters: The kids' clothes are all a different color; red for Bender, blue for Andy, pink for Claire, green for Brian, and black for Allison. Bender's color is clearer when he removes his jacket, Andy's only gets ''bluer'' when he takes off his, and Allison's changes to white after Claire gives her her makeover.

* OrphanedPunchline: [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] with Bender's "naked lady" joke. (It doesn't have a punchline, [[ThrowItIn Judd Nelson ad-libbed it]]).

* BookDumb: Bender is unusually articulate and comes off as quite intelligent, despite his school trouble.

* DeadpanSnarker: Bender, who also is a superb SilentSnarker. The ''look'' he gives Brian when he sticks a pen up his nose is pretty priceless. Andy and Brian develop some snarkiness as well but not nearly to the degree of Bender.

* BlackComedy

** Claire, the AlphaBitch, is a Type A StepfordSmiler who feels that her life is empty, and that her parents only use her as a tool in their endless arguments. And she's hardly the "queen bee" — in fact, it's peer pressure that essentially molded her into the snobbish bitch that she is, and she feels miserably forced into it.

** This is Allison's most defining feature, although she never admits to it. Her parents ignore her, so much her behavior seems as if it's both meant to ward people off and draw as much attention as possible to herself. It becomes very apparently midway through the movie, when she starts butting into conversations and all but demanding that people listen to what she has to say.

* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: ''The Breakfast Club'' is arguably one of the most cynical teen movies ever made. It's almost cartoonish in its doom and gloom.

* CrapsackWorld: [[BlackComedy To almost parodic levels]].

* HumansAreBastards: One of the themes of the film.