“Sincerely Jaws”: The Breakfast Club / JAWS takeover
Next month marks the ‘38th’ anniversary of the John Hughes coming of age cult classic ‘The Breakfast Club’. But did you know that back in 1979, 6 years before the gang at Shermer High School would begin a stint of detention bonding them for life (while treating our eyeballs to a set of dance montages that we would never again unsee) John Hughes was once commissioned to pen a ‘Jaws’ movie for Universal Pictures?
The story goes that film and TV producer, Martin (Matty) Simmons, hired Hughes and screenwriter Tod Carroll to script a third Jaws movie called ‘Jaws 3, People 0’ as a National Lampoon style parody. According to Simmons, Bo Derek and Richard Dreyfuss were due to star in it. The film was greenlit and the script completed by Hughes. However, director of the first ‘Jaws’ movie, Steven Spielberg, persuaded Universal to pull the movie, even though it was already a couple of million dollars into production, declaring that if it went ahead, he would never work with the studio again.
Simmons credited the unmade movie as giving Hughes his first big break into the film industry, and the rest is Hollywood history.
To honour the kismet of these cinematic events, we’re putting Hughes back in touch with his favourite fishy friend, by taking a light-hearted look at the parallels between the characters in ‘The Breakfast Club’ and ‘Jaws’ — as per the iconic letter in ‘The Breakfast Club’ finale.
But fear not if you’ve spent more of your time watching the ‘Jaws’ movies than ‘The Breakfast Club’ (which of course, if you’re here, then you no doubt will have). If your memory of the turbulent teens is as rusty as one of Quint’s old bait boxes, we’ve got that letter to the Head, the tale, the whole damn thing…
‘The Breakfast Club’ were a motley crew of five students. Strangers at first, ushered into detention one springtime Saturday for various wrong doings. They were tasked by high school Vice Principal tyrant, Richard Vernon to describe in a thousand-word essay “who you think you are”. But by the end of the day, they each emerged bonded, having revealed their innermost struggles and secrets before realising that they shared common ground despite their differences. The essay turned into a simple but poignant letter which the group appointed Brian, the brain, to write on their behalf
Here’s a refresher …
Dear Mr Vernon,
We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it is we did wrong. But we think you’re crazy for making us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us. In the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out, is that each one of us is a brain, and an athlete, and a basket case, a princess, and a criminal. Does that answer your question?
Sincerely yours.
The Breakfast Club
Let’s take a deep dive among the treasures and traits of the characters from Shermer High, Chicago to Amity Island, New England.
The Brain: Brian Johnson / Matt Hooper
When Matt Hooper first sets foot on Amity Island, he brings with him a sense of calm. Here is our expert! A Scientist and Oceanographer. He knows his shark stats from his sea levels and swiftly sets about performing aquatic autopsies and can still drink you under the table. Enter Brian Johnson, Hooper’s counterpart, and our resident high school brain. A member of not one, not two but three after school clubs. Ask him anything about physics properties or chess pawns and he has the equation. This clever cutie is not afraid to cut loose; he carries a fake ID, smokes weed with the big guys and is loose lipped about his lady friends (when asked in the group hang about his worldly prowess, he exclaims “I’ve laid lots of times…. in the Niagara Falls area…”) You see … an attraction to water! Two peas in a pod.
Ironically however, according to the ‘Jaws at 45’ documentary, Richard Dreyfuss felt the movie would be a flop. “Everyone had thought they had struck gold, and I said, ‘What are you talking about? It’s just a little movie. So when the film was released, I found myself going back to the talk shows and saying, ‘I’m the guy who didn’t believe in it.’”
The Athlete: Andrew Clark / Chief Martin Brody
Now it’s the turn of team player, Andrew Clark. Played by the Brat Pack’s very own Emilio Estevez. He’s the first of the gang to inhale on a joint and then embark on a dance routine like he’s just sunk a gallon of caffeine. In a similar vein, our main man Chief Martin Brody can literally give Clark a run for his money. Brody is rarely seen without his beloved cup of java, well maybe something a little stronger if it’s been a bit of a ‘slappy’ day. Put together, Clark’s almost boxer like dance moves and Brody’s “get out of the water” sprint to the shore might just put the Hoff out of business. Can you say ‘Baewatch’?
Interestingly in real life, Roy Scheider, who played Chief Brody was actually a keen athlete as a teenager. Participating in organised baseball and boxing competitions in his hometown of New Jersey. That explains his gazelle like ability to leap from the observation tower to the sea in seconds. He was also the only cast member to appear in all 4 of the ‘Jaws’ movies in the franchise.
The Basket Case: Alison Reynolds / Quint
Any ‘Jaws’ fan worth their sea salt would put Quint in the line up for this match. Ally Sheedy’s kooky, squeaky, emo-clad, Alison Reynolds may seem something of a far cry from the burly, surly and greying salty sea dog that is Quint. But look again and the similarities are stark; misunderstood, elaborate tales and the love of a captive audience. During a scene with Brian the brain, Alison tells him that not only has she “swiped some liquor from her old man’s drinks cabinet”, but that she likes to drink “vodka, whenever and tons”! On a strikingly similar note it is well reported that Quint actor, Robert Shaw was ‘blackout’ drunk when filming the famous Indianapolis speech scene on set. After making a joke about drinking to get into character, director, Steve Spielberg gave Shaw permission to drink before filming. In an interview Shaw later gave he was asked how he prepared to film such short and intense shark scenes. He replied ““Scotch, vodka, gin, whatever!”
The Princess: Claire Standish / Ellen Brody
OK, some of you may be thinking this choice is a little harsh. Claire Standish, the princess played by Molly Ringwald in ‘The Breakfast Club’, earns her title by being spoilt and conceited. Ellen, however, is quite the opposite. Always there to place a loving hand on the Chief’s shoulder when that phone rings LOUDLY in the quiet kitchen/office/dead of night etc. She has had to watch her sons and husband repeatedly rush out into shark infested waters knowing full well it can’t always be a kid with a cardboard fin on his back and at any given time, it really will be personal.
But Ellen Brody is Amity Island royalty. She’s been there so long she’s part of the furniture. (maybe that’s why her hand is glued to Brody’s shoulder…) And like any good member of high society, she’s not afraid to cause a little scandal now and again. Anyone else remember what happens when Hooper and Ellen meet for “lunch” in Peter Benchley’s original book of the movie and end up revealing their fantasies to each other? Let’s leave that there…
The Criminal: John Bender / Jaws-Bruce
The eponymous bad boy of the Breakfast Club, John Bender, played by Judd Nelson, had nothing on Jaws. While stealing lunch, making girls cry and smoking in class is not cool by any means, the most criminal thing about John in all honesty was his taste in oversized coats.
Which brings us nicely on to our ultimate criminal. Behold Jaws. Or, as we all know him. Bruce. The badass mechanical shark/s who caused the real mayhem on set and beneath the waves as widely documented. There were 3 mechanical sharks made in total for the first ‘Jaws’ movie all nicknamed ‘Bruce’ (and affectionately by Spielberg, ‘Junkyard Bruce’) and despite the league of technical expertise that went into the design and creation of them, they each presented their own problems. There were reports of some slipping from platforms and becoming tangled in seaweed. And just when you thought it was safe to get back on the Orca (yes, we do know that’s not the line…) others took on seawater becoming bloated and corroded, disrupting filming and ramping up the final production bill. These were the sharks gone rogue. So, if setting off alarms and climbing through air vents is all you’ve got? Hey, John Bender, you’re gonna need a bigger coat!
Well, what have we learned in class today? This ‘Jaws’ takeover of ‘The Breakfast Club’ cannot end here without a shark infested edition of the iconic letter, which we think would be best addressed to an Amity resident who should have stayed in detention himself; Mayor Larry Vaughn:
Dear Mayor Vaughn,
We accept the fact we had to sacrifice a Great White in the ocean for whatever it is we did wrong. But we think you’re crazy for making us write to tell you who we think we are. You see us in the sea, in the smallest of boats, in the most inclement conditions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain (Hooper), and an athlete (Chief Brody), and a basket case (Quint), a princess (Ellen Brody) and a criminal (Jaws/Bruce). Does that answer your question?
Sincerely Jaws
The Beach Fest Club
*** ENDS ***
*(Premier 7th Feb 1985 / General release 15th Feb 1985 (US)
Sources:
Wikipedia -The Breakfast Club Release
John Hughes's unrealized projects - Wikipedia
The Jaws That Never Was: Jaws 3, People 0 - Diabolique Magazine – link to wider story for blog suggestion further down the line
Richard Dreyfuss admits he thought 'Jaws' would be a failure (yahoo.com)
Roy Scheider - Wikipedia
'Jaws': Robert Shaw Was Blackout Drunk When Filming Indianapolis Speech the First Time (cheatsheet.com)
Shark Week: Remembering Bruce, the Mechanical Shark in 'Jaws' - The Atlantic
Words by Emma Pearson
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