John Hughes died yesterday.
I watched all of his movies for the first time either on HBO or later on reruns on cable TV. His movies hit something in me that seemed to make sense. I actually cried this morning when I
watched the coverage of his life and death. His movies resonated with who I wanted to be, who I thought I could be. I think the first John Hughes movie I saw was Mr. Mom. And I saw it with my parents. And I laughed because it seemed so outrageous, but the funny thing was, by 1990 that was my life. My Dad became the primary caregiver. This movie influenced my adult life too. Scott is my helper at home. We are an even 50-50 with everything, or and easy 40-60 (Scott rocks.) I think because of this movie and my life after it, it just made sense for the husband to jump in to be an equal member of the household.
The National Lampoon movies, the real ones – not the new ones that make $ off of the name, are big hits in my family too. Christmas Vacation is a tradition at my house, and a surprising favorite of my Aunt Linda. The insanity of it is so… crazy, but so normal it’s almost scary. And Vacation? It was high-larious. I actually thought Wally World was Wal-Mart’s version of Disney World. (I should admit that there wasn’t a Wal-Mart in the town where I lived until I moved to Des Moines.) Home Alone is still the Ultimate Christmas Family Movie. John Hughes was a major staple of the Family Comedy, Uncle Buck anyone?
I don’t know which I saw first, but I am almost certain it was Sixteen Candles. I related to Samantha. I thought that 16 would change everything. That there would be a big party and magically I would change into a complete different person, an adult or some in-be
tween; that the Crush of my dreams would somehow recognize me as his one and only. I was not unpopular in high school. I was known by all. We were the group just under the upper crust popular. But I remember the Senior classes that came before me. They looked every bit like Jake Ryan and Caroline (except in Z.Cavaricci instead of silk dresses.) The boys were all larger than my lowly sophomore existence, and the girls walked as if on clouds, they would talk to you, but you knew it was only because they granted you their attention. You weren’t friends. It wasn’t possible.
But this movie, and all the other teen genre movies by Hughes, made the fantasy seem like it
could one day be a reality. That was his gift. He made teen life, fantasy or otherwise, seem completely attainable and completely relatable. He made me care about each of the characters, whether or not I liked them. Every female from 35 years old to 16 years old (and men from 27 - 40) probably knows a John Hughes Movie, most will even have favorites. 
His gift to the world was the teen genre. Not the idiot movies, but the ones that counted and have withstood the tests of time. His smartly written movies led the way for many others like Can’t Hardly Wait, and even the American Pie movies. He basically created the template for smart teen-centric TV. Can everyone say, Dawson’s Creek, Gilmore Girls, and One Tree Hill, heck, even Gossip Girl to an extent. Without John Hughes, teen movies would be just another episode of the Brady Bunch (*gag!*) For once-upon-a-time teens, these movies left an impact on film and television that will be felt for years, from them to their children and grandchildren. And this will be Hughes' legacy.
I think that Pretty In Pink has to be my Favorite John Hughes movie. I remember everything about it. I actually owned the soundtrack. And it has some of the best movie quotes ever.
Andie: "You know your talking like that just because I'm going out with Blane."
Duckie: "His name is Blane? Oh! That's a major appliance...!"
I watched all of his movies for the first time either on HBO or later on reruns on cable TV. His movies hit something in me that seemed to make sense. I actually cried this morning when I
watched the coverage of his life and death. His movies resonated with who I wanted to be, who I thought I could be. I think the first John Hughes movie I saw was Mr. Mom. And I saw it with my parents. And I laughed because it seemed so outrageous, but the funny thing was, by 1990 that was my life. My Dad became the primary caregiver. This movie influenced my adult life too. Scott is my helper at home. We are an even 50-50 with everything, or and easy 40-60 (Scott rocks.) I think because of this movie and my life after it, it just made sense for the husband to jump in to be an equal member of the household.
The National Lampoon movies, the real ones – not the new ones that make $ off of the name, are big hits in my family too. Christmas Vacation is a tradition at my house, and a surprising favorite of my Aunt Linda. The insanity of it is so… crazy, but so normal it’s almost scary. And Vacation? It was high-larious. I actually thought Wally World was Wal-Mart’s version of Disney World. (I should admit that there wasn’t a Wal-Mart in the town where I lived until I moved to Des Moines.) Home Alone is still the Ultimate Christmas Family Movie. John Hughes was a major staple of the Family Comedy, Uncle Buck anyone?I don’t know which I saw first, but I am almost certain it was Sixteen Candles. I related to Samantha. I thought that 16 would change everything. That there would be a big party and magically I would change into a complete different person, an adult or some in-be
tween; that the Crush of my dreams would somehow recognize me as his one and only. I was not unpopular in high school. I was known by all. We were the group just under the upper crust popular. But I remember the Senior classes that came before me. They looked every bit like Jake Ryan and Caroline (except in Z.Cavaricci instead of silk dresses.) The boys were all larger than my lowly sophomore existence, and the girls walked as if on clouds, they would talk to you, but you knew it was only because they granted you their attention. You weren’t friends. It wasn’t possible.But this movie, and all the other teen genre movies by Hughes, made the fantasy seem like it
could one day be a reality. That was his gift. He made teen life, fantasy or otherwise, seem completely attainable and completely relatable. He made me care about each of the characters, whether or not I liked them. Every female from 35 years old to 16 years old (and men from 27 - 40) probably knows a John Hughes Movie, most will even have favorites. 
His gift to the world was the teen genre. Not the idiot movies, but the ones that counted and have withstood the tests of time. His smartly written movies led the way for many others like Can’t Hardly Wait, and even the American Pie movies. He basically created the template for smart teen-centric TV. Can everyone say, Dawson’s Creek, Gilmore Girls, and One Tree Hill, heck, even Gossip Girl to an extent. Without John Hughes, teen movies would be just another episode of the Brady Bunch (*gag!*) For once-upon-a-time teens, these movies left an impact on film and television that will be felt for years, from them to their children and grandchildren. And this will be Hughes' legacy.I think that Pretty In Pink has to be my Favorite John Hughes movie. I remember everything about it. I actually owned the soundtrack. And it has some of the best movie quotes ever.Andie: "You know your talking like that just because I'm going out with Blane."
Duckie: "His name is Blane? Oh! That's a major appliance...!"
Blane: "You said you couldn't be with someone who didn't believe in you. Well I believed in you. You just didn't believe in me. I love you... always."
This is why I Love this movie and pretty much all John Hughes.
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