Writer-directorJohn Hugheshad at least 35 credits to his name, forming a well-celebrated, memorable filmography, with 10 films standing out as his greatest. While Hughes is best known for his 1980s coming-of-age films, he made films across many different subgenres to varying degrees of success. Additionally,Hughes has more credits as a writer than a director by a large margin, so there are plenty of movies viewers don’t realize he helped make. This has also led toJohn Hughes having many underrated moviesthat deserve more love.
Following some success as a writer, Hughes didn’t make his directorial debut until his fifth film,Sixteen Candles.Thiskicked off an iconic stretch of coming-of-age films in the mid-to-late 1980s, but it wasn’t his only focus at the time. The 1980s were also the start of Hughes’ famousVacationfranchise, inspired by his time writing forNational Lampoonmagazine. Hughes, who sadly passed away at 59 in 2009, often took inspiration from his own personal experiences for his films, making them relatable and timeless.
While John Huges has made some of themost iconic teen movies of all timethat deal with the struggles of that time in a person’s life,She’s Having a Babyis an interesting look at young adulthood. Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern star as a recently married couple navigating this stage in their lives with the complications of married life and the financial anxieties of being a grown-up only to add to the hectic life with plans of starting a family.
The movie was met with somewhat mixed reviews and it sometimes gets lost in its insistence on including silly gimmicks and jokes. However,She’s Having a Babyis most charming and effective when it is simply telling smaller stories about this young couple’s life. Bacon is particularly effective as a young man who is struggling with what is expected of him as a married man. It makes for a different type of Hughes movie that speaks to an older audience.
Some Kind of Wonderful
Cast
Some Kind of Wonderful, directed by Howard Deutch, follows high school outsider Keith Nelson as he lands a date with Amanda Jones, the popular girl at school, while his tomboy best friend, Watts, discovers her feelings for him go beyond friendship amidst the social challenges of teenage life.
John Huges created some terrific love triangles in his movies over the years, butSome Kind of Wonderfuldelivers perhaps the most underrated of them all. The movie stars Eric Stoltz as a blue-collar and non-conforming young man who works at a garage and has a crush on the most popular girl in school, Amanda (Lea Thompson). While he is thrilled that Amanda agrees to go out with him, it causes issues when Keith realizes his childhood friend, Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson), has feelings for him.
The love triangle offers an engrossing romance aspect to the movie, with all three of the principal actors creating interesting and strong characters to build these relationships. However, the romance is just one aspect that makes this film work; it is also one of Hughes' best movies about teens looking ahead to the rest of their lives. Some of the best moments in the movie are the simple conversations between Keith and his father (John Aston) about his future.
Mr. Mom
Mr. Mom is a comedy film directed by Stan Dragoti, starring Michael Keaton as Jack Butler, a man who becomes a stay-at-home dad after losing his job. Simultaneously, his wife Caroline, played by Teri Garr, reenters the workforce. The movie explores the humorous challenges and role reversals they experience in managing their new lifestyle.
BeforeMichael Keaton was Batman, he was one of the best comedic actors in Hollywood, withMr. Mombeing one of the movies that helped solidify that reputation. Keaton stars as Jack, a family man who loses his job during the recession. As his wife is able to re-enter the workforce, Jack then takes over the duties at home, discovering that maintaining the house and looking after the kids is a far more complicated job than he anticipated.
He is hilarious and grounded as his man juggles his new job, making mistakes, and learning along the way.
The idea of a man staying home and taking care of the domestic duties is not as novel of a concept as it was in the early 1980s when such a premise was an immediate setup for a comedy. Despite that,Mr. Momremains a comedy that works many decades later thanks largely to the performance by Keaton. He is hilarious and grounded as his man juggles his new job, making mistakes, and learning along the way.
The Great Outdoors
In The Great Outdoors, a man’s relaxing lakeside vacation with his family takes a comedic turn when his obnoxious brother-in-law and his family unexpectedly join them. This light-hearted film explores family dynamics, outdoor adventures, and humorous mishaps amidst the picturesque backdrop of a summer resort.
WhileJohn Hughes’Vacationmoviessteal the spotlight as the great family vacation adventures,The Great Outdoorsshould also not be overlooked. John Candy stars as a man who takes his family out of the big city in order to spend some time at a rented cabin in the wilderness. However, their perfect getaway is ruined when his obnoxious broker brother-in-law (Dan Aykroyd) shows up with his family uninvited to take part in the fun of nature.
LikeVacationor theHome Alonemovies, the film relies on a lot of slapstick moments and goofy misadventures. However, these are pulled off well with big laughs.The main reason for watching the movie is to see Aykroyd and Candy working together as two of the best comedy stars of the era. Their chemistry, even as these antagonist characters, is endlessly fun and it would have been nice to see them in more projects together.
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is a holiday comedy film directed by Chris Columbus and written by John Hughes. Preparing for another family trip, the McCallister family heads to Florida - but in the enormous family holiday hustle, young Kevin is separated from his family and redirected to New York City alone. Set loose on the town, Kevin looks to have the time of his life - but his former enemies have escaped prison and made their way to the Big Apple.
Given the massive success of the originalHome Alone, it is not surprising that a sequel was quickly put together. Home Alone 2: Lost in New Yorkcontinues to show that Kevin’s family as the most forgetful family in the world as Kevin is accidentally put on the wrong flight and ends up spending the holiday season alone in New York City. To make matters worse, his old enemies, Harry and Marv, have escaped prison and also wind up in the Big Apple.
Home Alone 2cannot get much credit for originality as it follows the formula of the first movie quite closely. However,the bigger scale and seeing the variouslocations used forHome Alone 2made it better than the original in the eyes of many fans. It still delivers Christmas fun and slapstick humor as well as some great new cast members, especially Tim Curry.
Weird Science
John Hughes' 1985 comedy Weird Science tells the story of two high school students who create a virtual woman using their computer, only to have her come to life. Anthony Michael Hall and Ilan Mitchell-Smith star as teenagers Gary Wallace and Wyatt Donnelly, with Kelly LeBrock playing the artificially created Lisa and Bill Paxton and Robert Downey Jr. in supporting roles,
In the year ofThe Breakfast ClubandNational Lampoon’s European Vacation, Hughes ended 1985 with a change of genre.Weird Sciencewas his first and only science fiction fantasy comedy film outside 1997’sFlubber, which he only produced. InWeird Science, Anthony Michael Hall (Gary) and Ilan Mitchell-Smith (Wyatt) play two teenage boys who use a computer program to bring their AI dream woman, Lisa (Kelly LeBrock), to life. The film was based on the 1951 comic “Made of the Future” by Al Feldstein.
Hughes’ ability to bring the strange, hilarious comic to the screen makesWeird Scienceone of his greatest films. One of the best descriptors forWeird Scienceis in its title: weird. So much ofWeird Scienceprobably shouldn’t have worked. The horny teenage boys are likable,Bill Paxton’s main villain Chetis entertaining, Lisa has some real depth, and even the 1980s special effects didn’t age too poorly. Hughes didn’t just make it work, he excelled.Weird Sciencemay have been made for teenage boys, but its comedy makes it enjoyable beyond its demographic.
Uncle Buck
Uncle Buck stars John Candy as Buck Russell, an eccentric uncle who comes to babysit his brother’s teenage daughter and two younger kids. Macaulay Culkin stars as the young Miles Russell alongside Gabby Hoffmann, and Jean Louisa Kelly. John Hughes directed Uncle Buck, coming off the heels of The Great Outdoors, which also starred John Candy.
John Hughes ended the 1980s strong withUncle BuckandNational Lampoon’s Christmas Vacationback-to-back in 1989. Of the films he both wrote and directed,Uncle Buck is Hughes’ highest-grossing movie, beating out other hits likeThe Breakfast ClubandFerris Bueller’s Day Off. The comedy is about Buck (John Candy), a lazy bachelor who babysits his brother’s teenage daughter and two younger children, including their only son, Miles (Macaulay Culkin).
DespiteUncle Buckbeing Hughes’ most successful film as a writer-director, it can be considered underrated as it isn’t one of his teen comedies and is occasionally overshadowed by other collaborations Hughes had with Candy and Culkin. Still,Uncle Buckis one of Hughes’ funniest films.Candy was one of the greatest comedic talents of his time, andUncle Buckshows why. Like other Hughes films, it also has a great deal of heart, with a story about growing up–for both the kids and the titular character himself.
Sixteen Candles
In John Hughes’s directorial debut, Molly Ringwald stars as Samantha Baker, a high school student in suburban Chicago whose sixteenth birthday is marred when her whole family forgets to celebrate the occasion due to her older sister’s wedding. Navigating a school dance and a seemingly unrequited crush on an older boy, Sam’s sweet sixteen becomes a day to remember. Anthony Michael Hall, Michael Schoeffling, and Gedde Watanabe also star.
As aforementioned,Sixteen Candleswas John Hughes’ directorial debut, and the start of the collaborations betweenHughes and Molly Ringwaldand his many teen coming-of-age comedies. Ringwald plays Sam Baker, a girl whose parents forget her 16th birthday because her older sister is getting married the next day. It’s one of Hughes’ wildest films, with big party sequences, ridiculous scenarios, and an ensemble of talented comedic actors.
Sixteen Candles is rated PG because it was made before the MPA introduced the PG-13 rating. With nudity, vulgar language, and underage drinking, it is a teen/adult comedy and should be regarded as such.
WhileSixteen Candleshasn’t aged as well as some other 1980s films, it remains a classic for good reason. Even in its problematic moments, it highlights how hard it is to be a high schooler who just wants to fit in and find love–or in some cases, have sex to impress your geeky friends.Sixteen Candlesis a product of its time and exists as a great time capsule for viewers to either relive their 1980s high school years in all their cringey glory or learn what life and school might have been like for those high schoolers.
10 Harsh Realities Of Rewatching Sixteen Candles
Sixteen Candles hit its 40-year milestone in May 2024, but some aspects of the film don’t hold up as well as you may have thought on rewatch.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
The third installment in the National Lampoon’s Vacation series, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, stars Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold, father of the Griswold family whose intentions to have a good Christmas with his family face several setbacks. Between his arguing parents, the uncooperative decorations, and the unexpected arrival of some unwanted distant relatives, Clark’s dreams for a wonderful Christmas seem to be fading, forcing him to take some comedically drastic measures.
John Hughes has a few Christmas classics in his filmography, withNational Lampoon’s Christmas Vacationbeing one of the most beloved.Christmas Vacationis the third of five movies in the mainVacationseries and widely regarded as one of the best. As the name suggests, the movie sees Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) and his family trying to have the perfect Christmas. Like allVacationmovies, things go hilariously wrong along the way.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation was Juliette Lewis' first major film role. She earned an Academy Award nomination for Cape Fear (1991) a few years after Christmas Vacation.
With a revolving cast playing most ofthe Griswold family members, Chase and Beverly D’Angelo (Ellen Smith-Griswold) hold down the fort as the parents, with Randy Quaid also returning asCousin Eddie inChristmas Vacation. Despite this, the family aspect at the heart of the film is what makes it so heartwarming. There are multiple quotable and memorable comedic scenes, but the ability to watch with your family every Christmas makesNational Lampoon’s Christmas Vacationone of Hughes’ best.
Pretty in Pink
Pretty in Pink is a 1986 romantic comedy-drama directed by Howard Deutch and written by John Hughes. The film stars Molly Ringwald as Andie, a high school student navigating social divisions and romantic entanglements. With a prominent supporting cast including Jon Cryer and Andrew McCarthy, the story explores themes of class disparity and youthful aspirations in the context of 1980s suburban America.
Pretty in Pinkwas one of multiple Hughes’ movies that touched on social cliques and class differences. Ringwald played Andie Walsh, a high school student who was classified as an outsider because of her working-class status. When she started dating one of the “richies,” Blane (Andrew McCarthy), her socioeconomic standing became a problem for him. All the while, Andie’s best friend, Duckie (Jon Cryer), harbored a crush on her.
Ringwald’s performance inPretty in Pinkis arguably the best of her three films with Hughes, andCryer was perfectly cast as Duckie. Both characters are relatable and feel very grounded in a world where high school films can be unrealistic and exaggerated. ThoughthePretty in Pinkendingis somewhat controversial, it’s a great display of friendship as Duckie lets Andie go. Regardless of whether you were team Blane or team Duckie, the image of Blane and Andie (in her pink dress) kissing in the parking lot remains iconic.
