“I Care”: What The Breakfast Club Still Teaches Us About Growing Up
Every January I tend to revisit a lot of 80s music and movies because it cheers me up through the dark winter months. This year, I decided to take it to the next level by naming this tradition, “Just 80s January,” and being even more intentional about focusing on my favorite decade. So, last night I revisited the classic 80s film, The Breakfast Club, and was struck by one of my favorite exchanges during a conversation about not growing up to be like their parents:
Allison Reynolds (Ally Sheedy): “It’s unavoidable. It just happens. When you grow up, your heart dies.”
John Bender (Judd Nelson): “Who cares?”
Allison: “I care.”
The famous, poignant line spoken by the reclusive Allison expresses the fear that growing up means losing your individuality and the purity of youth, becoming jaded by life’s hardships, and losing one’s inner child to adult responsibilities.
A “dying heart” symbolizes a loss of passion, excitement, and the ability to feel things as deeply as we did when we were children. There is so much truth to that. As we age, the cares of life pile up, and the things that once thrilled us slowly fade unless we intentionally fight to keep that wonder alive.
When this film was made, the actors were young, and many of us were young when we first watched it. We related to the kids, not the parents or the principal. Yet the story was written by John Hughes, an adult who had already walked through those stages of life. Was he speaking from experience?
Youth has its own struggles, something the film portrays beautifully. Many of us couldn’t wait to grow up and take control of our lives. For some, independence brought relief and freedom. And yet, we still look back on those innocent days with fondness, because somewhere along the way, it becomes easier to lose our hopes and dreams. The skies no longer feel limitless when reality sets in.
So what’s the secret? How do we keep our hearts from dying? Is it too late?
For me, the answer is found in Philippians 4:8–9:
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
Because I still care.
Do you?
This line inspired an awesome retrowave song by GUNSHIP:
