MovieChat Forums > The Breakfast Club (1985) Discussion > To the ones who think Allison "sold out"

To the ones who think Allison "sold out"

posted 8 years ago by MissEFierro
9 replies | jump to latest

What makes you think she stays that way? She let Claire do her makeup. That's all. She even told Claire that she liked that "black *beep* on her eyes. And what made that scene after between Andrew and Allison so great, was that he doesn't say, "Wow, you're beautiful."

I watched this movie really looking at Andrew's character. He was interested in her from the beginning. I forgot exactly where it was, but something happened with Allison, and he smiles to himself about it, about her. I forgot if it was before or after the scene where they go to get the drinks, but even during that one, he talks to her first. He doesn't care that she's "weird." He's just a guy talking to a girl. And when she dumps her purse and decides she doesn't want to talk, he goes over to her and asks her what's wrong. He doesn't just blow her off. He's really concerned about her now. He wants her to know she's not alone.

And after the makeover:

Andrew: What happened to you?
Allison: Why? Claire did it... What's wrong?
Andrew: Nothing's wrong... it's just so different, you know? I can see your face.
Allison: Is that good or bad?
Andrew: It's good.

That's all it was, she wasn't hiding anymore. He could see her face. This girl that he was trying to break through her walls she had put up, she had come through.

I never thought that on Monday she went to school hoping to be like Claire. She went to school wearing the same clothes as always, wearing that "black *beep* on her eyes, but she walked into school knowing that she wasn't invisible. People would see her if she let them. She didn't have to hide.

I saw the interview from the blu-ray, I think it was from the anniversary edition, that Ally Sheedy didn't like that part. And I agree with her. That she could have just taken off her sweater and have a tank top underneath, or just leave the sweater, the makeup up and hair was enough. That the pink ruffled top was too much. I had always assumed that it was something of Claire's, but the costume designer said in the same clip that Allison was wearing that underneath. Which I totally get. I have two older brothers and 80% of my wardrobe consists of men's t-shirts. I never really became girly until my twenties. When I was young I wore dresses on special occasions, now I wear them when I feel like it, but most of my life consists of jeans and t-shirt days. But I do wear pretty things underneath, tanks and camis with cute designs. But it's for me. I don't wear clothes for others. I want to feel pretty but don't care about what others think of me. So I wear my band, movie, Supernatural and superhero t-shirts, but I wear cute things underneath, too.

Plus Alison doesn't mention anything about liking her new look, she just said "Claire did it." It could be argued also, that she did want to know what it was like to be pretty. I don't think she even looked in a mirror after the makeover, she just trusted (might be too strong a word here) Claire to do her thing. And Andy was liking her well before he saw her makeover. I really think the two of them started dating. High school movies and tv shows always show couples who are from the same cliques dating, but it's not so unusual that a jock dates a girl who's not popular. A "bum" like Bender could date someone like Claire (though I could do a whole other post about how and why they didn't end up together. I think Claire did exactly what she said she'd do on Monday.) But dating in high has nothing to do with cliques.

In conclusion, Alison didn't sell out. She didn't betray anyone. It's just a great movie.

Thank you.

[–] alexaw9 8 years ago

You make very good points -- although, someone else made a fair point that they didn't end up dating, because Allison took his wrestling patch as a sort of memento.

However, I want to say it was pretty much implied that Bender and Claire started dating. I mean, when she comes to find him in the closet, he says "you know how your parents use you to get back at each other ... wouldn't I be outstanding in that capacity?" I think that is supposed to reference what's going to happen. But then, maybe it's just me. If Claire did what she said she would do (which she said pretty early on) after everything she learned then she really was a b1tch and didn't deserve any of them as friends, even Andrew.

[–] Citizen56 8 years ago

I think that Bender's fist pump at the end of the movie also hints that things were just beginning with him and Claire. I mean who fist pumps after a day of detention?

As for Allsion and Andrew, I think the fact that he lets her take his patch means they probably see each other later on. If Andrew didn't intend on seeing Allsion later he then would have been confronted with answering the difficult question of why his patch was missing. Also, his dad gives him an approving look after he sees them kissing. Anyways, just my opinion.

[–] MissEFierro 8 years ago

I just can't see Claire and Bender going around together. In my OP I mentioned how high school couples don't care about cliques so much, but just Claire's character (I don't mean the character OF Claire, I mean her personality) just didn't seem to me like she would go through with it. I've seen this movie hundreds of times and I never noticed how Andrew easily got along with Brian and Alison. He stuck up for Claire, he stuck up for Brian, and he tried to talk to Alison before everyone started smoking pot and getting along.

It took Claire to the very end of the day to be friendly with Alison, she basically used Brian because she didn't want to write the essay, and she flirted with Bender because girls like the bad boys.

I think Bender does think he has a shot with her, but she will totally ignore him at school. I keep thinking of the scene at the end of The Outsiders when Ponyboy smiles at Cherry at school and she takes a second to think, then ignores him. The thing is she could be with Bender and after a week no one would care but she wouldn't be able to bring herself to do it.

But Andrew on the other hand, I knew guys like him in high school who moved freely throughout the groups. No one would judge him for dating Alison or talking to Brian. I don't think he'd ever hang out with Bender but I do think they'd acknowledge each other when they saw each other in the halls.

I'm actually working on a fan fiction called "Monday," it might turn out to be boring, but I like it so far.

[–] MissEFierro 8 years ago

It just doesn't seem to me that Claire evolved at all. The thing Bender said about getting back at her parents, she did give him her earring in front of her dad. And this is just my opinion but I think she thought that was enough to aggravate them. I really don't think she started dating Bender at all. Even though in the beginning she kind of stood up for Bender to the principal, ("Excuse me, sir, but why would anyone want to steal a screw?" and telling him to cut it out when the principal was giving him extra detentions) I think she did it to more to impress him. Not because she cared about him, but she cared what he thought about her.

Like I said, this is all just my opinion and what I got out of her character, Hughes could have intended for them to start dating but really, how long would it have lasted?

I think she did what she said she was going to do.

[–] alexaw9 8 years ago

I think we can speculate forever, but we will never know for sure what John Hughes intended. Unless he ever made a statement on it?

I would like to think Andrew and Allison stay together. Although, I think it's pretty obvious his dad only likes Allison because he likes the way she looks like a stereotypical pretty girl. I hope she goes back to how she looked before, but they stay together.

I think as far as Hughes is concerned, things did change with Bender and Claire on Monday. I mean, I obviously don't know for sure. But I just can't see this in his mind "okay ... we'll have Bender fist pump ... but nothing's actually going to change, he just thinks it will" that doesn't seem right.

[–] MissEFierro 8 years ago

I think we can speculate forever, but we will never know for sure what John Hughes intended.

.
I agree

I think as far as Hughes is concerned, things did change with Bender and Claire on Monday. I mean, I obviously don't know for sure. But I just can't see this in his mind "okay ... we'll have Bender fist pump ... but nothing's actually going to change, he just thinks it will" that doesn't seem right.

You're probably right about this, especially since Jake and Sam got together in Sixteen Candles.

I just watched it recently and I never really noticed Andrew that much. And like I said, it never bothered me about Allison in the end, so I wanted to rewatch and see what everyone was so angry about, but I just ended up really liking Andrew, I thought he was a stand up guy.

Thanks for the rational discussion, it's a rarity on here.

[–] alexaw9 8 years ago

Yeah, Andrew's a nice guy, but his not being able to think for himself and listening to his dad (haha I just got a little too involved in the delivery of his lines in my head, I almost wrote his 'old man' instead of his dad :-P) worries me, because that makes me wonder if he will change, more than I wonder if Claire did. But again. I'm sure John Hughes meant that everyone got together! :-D

Actually, I'm thinking we're not supposed to know who got together. I mean, they probably did, in Hughes head. But I get the feeling the whole movie is supposed to be about just that Saturday, and about that group bonding and changing and growing. That's it.

And no problem! I'm glad to meet another rational and intelligent person on here, too. To be fair, we are more likely to meet them here than on, say, Donald Trump's board! (I speak from experience!)

[–] dutchchocolatecake 8 years ago

I didn't even know that was a narrative here. Why am I not surprised?

I'm probably the only one here who doesn't hate Claire either. People need to grow up.

[–] antonasmodeus 8 years ago

Allison admitted she was a pathological liar so her so-called "rebel persona" was all an act. Just like her makeover at the end, she was totally fake.