When you think of must-see movies from the 80s, several movies might come to mind. But one that is undeniably part of the top movies is The Breakfast Club. The Breakfast Club movie quotes are also some of the most memorable from the 80s, as it follows the story of five unique characters from different high school cliques spending their Saturday at detention, overseen by their authoritarian vice principal.
The indie teen coming-of-age comedy-drama is considered one of the most memorable and recognized works, with the main characters seen as the “brat pack” within the media. If you want a glimpse at what this movie is about, then check out these top Breakfast Club movie quotes.
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6. “It Is Now 7:06. You Have Exactly 8 Hours and 54 Minutes to Think About Why You Are Here – to Ponder the Error of Your Ways” Richard Vernon
Richard Vernon is the main vice principal of the school who supervises the students and acts as the main antagonist for the film. He’s a no-nonsense person and is pretty harsh. Paired with his full authority and skepticism about the character of the kids, he pushes the kids to do a self-evaluation essay, which directs the kids to go down the path of figuring out who they are, both for themselves and for each other.
This quote instantly gives us an idea of who he is as a person, as well as sets the entire premise of the movie, making it one of the best, most important Breakfast Club movie quotes. While the quote is meant to mock and dismiss the students, as Vernon believes the stereotypes of each person to be the ultimate truth, it really makes the characters think about who they are.
So though he’s the antagonist, he really helped shape the kids into figuring out details about each other to stop judging, but also helped them explore who they are.
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5. “Could You Describe the Ruckus, Sir?” Brian Johnson
One of the best Breakfast Club movie quotes goes to Brian Johnson, a young man who can be silly at times, but also respect authority. He’s the kind of guy who does what he’s told and pushes himself to be the perfect student, unlike many of his peers in detention.
While he might be the nerd of the group, one of the best lines comes from him and is a surprisingly good comeback and lighthearted. When Vernon returns to the library because he hears a ruckus, Brian comes back with a smart comeback, asking him to describe it, which surprises everyone, even Vernon.
While his character really highlights those who just want to do what society tells them, this quote gives us a look into who Brian could be and who potentially wants to push out of the box that society has him in.
4. “We’re All Pretty Bizarre. Some of Us Are Just Better at Hiding It; That’s All” Andrew Clark
Andrew Clark is the stereotypical athlete, or jock, of the bunch of kids. The wrestler, like everyone in the film, hides his emotions deep within him, but that doesn’t make him a meathead that many might expect. In fact, he’s quite intelligent and self-aware at times.
This is seen after an argument between Allison and Claire, where Claire asks Andrew how bizarre he is. This leads to Andrew sharing his story, giving one of the best Breakfast Club movie quotes, “We’re all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it.” This puts everyone into perspective.
Each comes from a different clique, which means that everyone seems bizarre to the other person, it’s just some are more stereotypically popular and liked, like Andrew and Claire, while still hiding what makes them unique. This shows a deeper side of Andrew that not many might expect from just an athlete.
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3. “I Hate It. I Hate Having to Go Along with Everything My Friends Say” Claire Standish
Similar to Andrew, Claire is a very stereotypical popular girl. She is the most beloved girl at the high school and is wealthy. The only reason she’s in detention is because she skipped class to go shopping, and is seen as pretty entitled. But there’s so much more than meets the eye with her.
Being popular might sound like a great thing, but it really puts pressure on someone. And Claire is no exception to the pressure. When the Brat Pack starts to share their hidden sentiments behind their stereotypes, Claire confesses that she really hates having to go along with everything, having the peer pressure to do as she’s told and what people think.
Even when the crew starts talking about being friends after detention, Claire admits that it won’t happen because she has to live up to this persona with her friends, which just shows that, even if someone is truly well-liked and is the “queen bee”, it’s a love of an image, not the real person. Like everyone else in Breakfast Club, Claire deals with her own problems just the same.
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2. “You Wanna Know What I Did to Get In Here? Nothing… I Didn’t Have Anything Better to Do” Allison Reynolds
One of the most memorable Breakfast Club movie quotes comes from Allison, a shy and lonely girl at the school. Her parents often ignore her, which drives her to consider running away, along with lying and stealing to survive. She’s a troubled kid, along with the rest of the club, and craves attention.
In fact, she made it known very early on that she really didn’t have a reason to be in detention, she just had nothing better to do. This gives viewers a clear idea of who Allison is early on, that she’s practically invisible to her family and no one really cares whether she’s around or not. But it’s also funny because no one really knows if she’s being serious or not. Was she really just bored? Or is she hiding something from the group?
Either way, it’s clear that because of how her parents treat her, she really does what she wants without any argument, similar to John Bender.
1. “I Could Disappear Forever and It Wouldn’t Make Any Difference” John Bender
John Bender is one of the main five teens serving detention and serves as the anti-hero in the film and delivers one of the best Breakfast Club movie quotes. He shows no respect for anyone, especially the teachers, and he goads his classmates in hopes of some conflict.
During the movie, he says a heartbreaking line when he has a conflict with Andrew, who gets aggressive with Bender due to his attitude. Bender is obviously dealing with a lot of personal issues and mentions that he could disappear without making a difference. The way he repeats this line makes it sad and disturbing for viewers, showing a vulnerable side to someone who ultimately feels invisible and worthless.
Thankfully, by the end of the film, he starts accepting the idea of kindness and begins to appreciate the friendships that he’s grown through detention, especially with Claire, which is a wholesome turn of events.
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