cause the film used costume so effectively to help
differentiate the five types represented by its protago-
nists, it became a useful document of the range of
popular fashion in the mid-1980’s.
Impact The Breakfast Clubwas frankly marketed to
only one age group, teenagers. As a result, it was un-
able to achieve blockbuster status, but it was incredi-
bly popular among the teens who formed its target
audience, helping define the teen culture of the
1980’s. Many high school kids could quote entire
scenes from the film verbatim. The film’s success,
following on the heels ofSixteen Candles, confirmed
Hughes as a major, bankable talent in the lucrative
teen market. He directed two more teen films,Weird
Science(1985) andFerris Bueller’s Day Off(1986), be-
fore transitioning to comedies with older protago-
nists, including Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
(1987) andShe’s Having a Baby(1988). Despite his
relatively limited output as a di-
rector (after 1991, Hughes con-
tented himself with writing and
producing films for other direc-
tors), John Hughes is considered
by many to have defined the genre
of the teen movie and to have con-
nected it irrevocably with 1980’s
American culture.
Further Reading
Clark, Jaime, ed.Don’t You Forget
About Me: Contemporar y Writers
on the Films of John Hughes.Fore-
word by Ally Sheedy. New York:
Simon Spotlight Entertain-
ment, 2007.
Deziel, Shanda. “The Man Who
Understood Teenagers.”Mac-
lean’s119, no. 45 (November,
2006): 7.
Prince, Stephen.A New Pot of Gold:
Hollywood Under the Electronic
Rainbow, 1980-1989.Vol. 10 in
Histor y of the American Cinema.
Berkeley: University of Califor-
nia Press, 2002.
Schneider, Steven Jay.1001 Movies
You Must See Before You Die.Lon-
don: Quintet, 2003.
Jennifer L. Titanski
See also Brat Pack in acting; Fashions and clothing;
Fast Times at Ridgemont High; Film in the United States;
Flashdance; Hughes, John; MTV; New Wave music;
PG-13 rating; Preppies; Slang and slogans; Teen films.Brett, George
Identification American professional baseball
player
Born May 15, 1953; Glen Dale, West Virginia
George Brett was one of the most feared hitters in the Ameri-
can League and a fan favorite who helped lead the Kansas
City Royals to a world championship in 1985.
During the 1980 Major League Baseball season, fans
were increasingly drawn to the hitting exploits of
Kansas City Royals third baseman George Brett. For
the first time since 1941, it seemed possible that aThe Eighties in America Brett, George 145
Kansas City Royal George Brett prepares to run after hitting a triple against the Philadel-
phia Phillies in game 4 of the 1980 World Series.(AP/Wide World Photos)