MovieChat Forums > John Hughes Discussion > Insanely overrated

Insanely overrated

posted 5 years ago by BurningSun (717)
15 replies | jump to latest

This guy is supposed to be a huge landmark of 80’s cinema but most of his films just aren’t funny. They’re too cartoony and over the top to be taken seriously, especially as “relatable” portrayals of teenage life. People wonder why Hughes’s 90’s movies all sucked but literally everything bad about 90’s Hughes can be found in 80’s Hughes.

His only movies that really work for me are Weird Science (because the bizzare universe it’s set in allows his wacky style to be fitting), Home Alone (because it’s a bit more grounded that usual) and Christmas Vacation (still a bit overrated).

[–] punkrockgirl (1270) 5 months ago

Well, I don't know about you guys,but I know plenty of teens still like to watch John Hughes movies. Maybe not a whole lot, but they're out there. The angsty dialogue can still resonate with a lot of viewers. Not in every single way but he was a good writer. I've actually grown to appreciate him more that he just did what he wanted

[–] johnmiller (3937) 5 months ago

Well, he made either teen movies or lighthearted comedies. That's fine. With the teen movies, I never wanted to see any teen movie when I was a teen, so you can imagine how much I wanted to see them as an adult. "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" is very good and very funny, though. And, doing that ONE scene and getting an R rating as a result showed that Hughes was willing to "go for it" when needed.

[–] Tam87 (1257) 5 months ago

We all have our own tastes, which is fine and no problem if you're not impressed with his films.

For me, Hughes somehow captured on film everything that was fun about being a kid and a teen: Ferris Buellers Day Off, Weird Science and The Breakfast Club, these are the type of films that made growing up and watching movies such a blast. That guy had his finger on the pulse of youth culture.

He just understood how to make great stories with heart and substance as well as being fun, which is a really difficult combo to get the right balance of.