If Only You Could See

So often when we looks at ourselves we see nothing we like.

We think that we aren’t smart enough, pretty enough, handsome enough, successful enough, etc. Just not living up to the expectations we and society build up.

But you are wrong. If only you could see…

Never forget!

And I truly mean it

For more quotes, go to The Taxman Cometh

For more on The Breakfast Club, go to Optimum Image

 

 

Don’t You Forget About Me

30 years ago, one of the best movies was released:

Yep this baby.

Now I know you all are thinking, but it says March 24, 1984. That’s the time in the movie, the film was actually released February 15, 1985.

This film was written by John Hughes in just two days and completely shot in sequence. What also is really interesting about this film is that Hughes actually allowed a lot of ab-libbing in the film. Such as Brian’s reason for a fake ID- “so I can vote”; the whole scene when they are in a circle sharing their feelings; and even the fist in the air by Judd Nelson at the end of the film. Now that last scene is extremely iconic, just like the song “Don’t You Forget About Me”. This song was especially written for the film and was turned down by a quite a few artists, like Billy Idol, to finally be performed by Simple Mind. Of course it became a huge hit for the band and is covered by millions, including Billy Idol. I guess he changed his mind.

So some of you many not be aware of the story, so here is a brief recap.

Five very different students have been sentenced with detention. We have Allison Reynolds (Ally Sheedy), “the basket case” who just came for fun; Andrew Clark (Emilio Estevez), “the athlete”, who received detention for bullying a kid; John Bender (Judd Nelson), “the criminal”, sent there because of his acting up;  Claire Standish (Molly Ringwald), “the princess”, caught skipping school to go shopping; and Brian Johnson (Anthony Michael Hall), “the brain”, who brought a flare gun to school.

In the beginning everyone abides by their cliques, Claire and Andrew sit together as they are on the highest level of the totem pole, while the rest sit by themselves. At first they keep their distance and Bender riles everyone, but through the course of the day they all bond together sharing their most personal secrets and working out their dysfunctions.

Allison feels ignored and therefore is a compulsive liar and a klepto, seeking out attention. Andrew hates his overbearing father who is always pressuring him. That is one of the reasons why he was bullying another kid, his father said he wasn’t being manly enough. Bender is abused by his father and ignored the rest of the time. Claire feels confined by the role she is in, as everyone sees her a certain way when in reality she has hardly ever dated and is a virgin. Brian feels so pressured by his family to be perfect and get into a good college, that he contemplated suicide over getting a bad grade in woodshop. Through these discussions, everyone feels much better and is much happier. But at the same time they feel sad and scared that once they are back in school Monday they will no longer be friends and things will continue as they have before.

Before the day ends, they hook up the sound system and have a big dance. Claire and Bender pair up and so do Allison and Andrew. Poor Brian gets stuck writing their detention assignment.

In the end Claire gives Bender one of her diamond earrings so they’ll never forget that moment. Allison steals Andrew’s Captain letter and the two kiss, while Brian gets nothing (poor nerdy guy). And the film ends with Bender’s triumphant arm thrust and Simple Mind’s Don’t You Forget About Me playing in the background.

Now I love this movie. Like freaking love it.

And watch it over and over.

I mean how could you not love it and the messages it covers? First of all you see that labels are nothing, just things we create ourselves to make us feel accepted, when in fact there is a little of everything in all of us.

We all have insecurities:

And that we all are strange. Nobody’s perfect or has it all together.

Yep, I just love this film.

In fact, I am such a fangirl over it that in one of my college courses, a group of us became such great friends and were all so different, yet the same, that we named our collective “The Breakfast Club”. Yep, my fangirl was showing.

So of course being a huge fan, when I saw a quiz to see which character I was, I had to take it. And I got:

To see who you are, click here.

Now this surprised me as I would have thought I’d get the Basket Case, Brain, or Athlete before I ever got the Criminal. But, and you guys will laugh at this, a few weeks ago (and right after I took this quiz) I was watching this film with four other friends. We started teasing my friend Gabe that he was Brian the Brain. He started joking that our friend Stephanie was Allison the Basket Case. Then we all started pairing up people and characters. Laurence did sports so he became Andrew the Athlete. And even though Jack was a boy, we decided he was Claire the Princess, or Prince in his case. And that made me Bender the Criminal. In fact, that night I was wearing a plaid shirt, jeans, and black boots; not the exact ones Bender wears, but pretty darn close. Now whenever I see Jack, I always joke around that he’s my girlfriend, or woman as I feel Bender would say.

So this is one fantastic film that I strongly suggest you view. If you’ve never seen it, get a copy and do so as soon as possible. If you have, another thousand viewings is what I recommend. 🙂

For more on The Breakfast Club, go to I Can See Your Beauty: The Breakfast Club (1985)

For more on Judd Nelson, go to I’m Going Down the Tubes: Making the Grade (1984)

For more about the ’80s, go to In Love With the ’80s (Pink Tux to the Prom)

For more quizzes, go to Shall We Dance?: What Happens in Vegas (2008)

The Lining is Silver

 

And if you have been following me lately, you’d know that one thing this magic protects against is a broken heart.

Yep, if you haven’t guessed it…this is another step in the “Getting Over a Heartbreak” series.

25) The Lining is Silver by Relient K

This song comes off the album The Bird and the Bee Sides, the same CD that Up and Up came from. The title of the song comes from the idiom “that every cloud has a silver lining”. Which means that you can always find good in bad.

Now the song takes it in a new direction. It does cover that in bad you can find good, but also that the silver lining is in you. You are the good in the bad situation, it resides in who you are. You are golden, you are awesome.

I found my new black shoes
While cleaning out the bones left in my closet
They were there with the bad excuse
Bon Voyage

Bye thoughts

And I found a back up plan
I’m grateful that I didn’t have to use it
But it’s made of real good friends
Bon Voyage

Isn’t it nice to know
That the lining is silver
Isn’t it nice to know
That we’re golden

Well I found a list of flaw
That I saw in myself and other people
And I threw it away because
Bon Voyage

Isn’t it nice to know
That the lining is silver
Isn’t it nice to know
That we’re golden
Yeah we’re golden
Oh

When it all falls apart and you can’t see
The forest for the cemeteries
Isn’t it nice to know
Isn’t it nice to know

Isn’t it nice to know
That the lining is silver
Isn’t it nice to know
That we’re golden
Oh

Isn’t it nice to know
That the lining is silver
Isn’t it nice to know
That we’re golden
Yeah we’re golden oh

I found a love in me
I always somehow knew that it existed
It just needed to be set free
Bon Voyage

Isn’t it nice to know

Isn’t it nice to know

Isn’t it nice to know

Find that lining:

And never forget that you are awesome:

To start “the Getting Over a Heartbreak” series, go to If It Means A Lot to You

To go to the previous post, go to Don’t Stop Believin’

For more on Relient K, go to Up and Up

For more of my fav songs, go to Highway Star

For more on Northanger Abbey, go to It’s All Jane Austen’s Fault 

For more on friendship, go to Redone Done Right