John Hughes (filmmaker)
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| John Hughes | |
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| Born | John Wilden Hughes, Jr. February 18, 1950 Lansing, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | August 6, 2009 (aged 59) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Heart attack |
| Resting place | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Edmond Dantes |
| Occupation | Director, producer, writer |
| Years active | 1970–2009 |
| Influenced by | Stanley Kubrick, Frank Capra |
| Spouse | Nancy Ludwig (m. 1970–2009, his death) |
| Children | John Hughes, III (b. 1976) James Hughes (b. 1979) |
John Wilden Hughes, Jr.[1] (February 18, 1950 – August 6, 2009) was an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He directed and/or scripted some of the most successful films of the 1980s and 1990s, including National Lampoon's Vacation, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Weird Science, The Breakfast Club, Some Kind of Wonderful, Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink; Planes, Trains and Automobiles; Beethoven, Uncle Buck, Career Opportunities, 101 Dalmatians, Home Alone, and its sequels, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and Home Alone 3.
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[edit] Early life
Hughes was born in Lansing, Michigan, to a mother who volunteered in charity work and John Hughes, Sr., who worked in sales.[2] He spent the first twelve years of his life in Grosse Pointe, Michigan.[3] Hughes described himself as "kind of quiet" as a kid.[4]
"I grew up in a neighborhood that was mostly girls and old people. There weren't any boys my age, so I spent a lot of time by myself, imagining things. And every time we would get established somewhere, we would move. Life just started to get good in seventh grade, and then we moved to Chicago. I ended up in a really big high school, and I didn't know anybody. But then The Beatles came along (and) changed my whole life. And then Bob Dylan's Bringing It All Back Home came out and really changed me. Thursday I was one person, and Friday I was another. My heroes were Dylan, John Lennon and Picasso, because they each moved their particular medium forward, and when they got to the point where they were comfortable, they always moved on."
In 1963, Hughes's family moved to Northbrook, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, where Hughes’s father found work selling roofing materials.[3] It was there that Hughes attended Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook, Illinois, the school that would provide inspiration for the films that would make his reputation in later years.[5]
[edit] Career
After dropping out of Arizona State University, Hughes began selling jokes to well-established performers such as Rodney Dangerfield and Joan Rivers. Hughes used his jokes to get an entry-level job at Needham, Harper & Steers as an advertising copywriter in Chicago in 1970[6] and later in 1974 at Leo Burnett Worldwide. During this time, he created what became the famous Edge "Credit Card Shaving Test" ad campaign.
Hughes's work on the Virginia Slims account frequently took him to the Philip Morris headquarters in New York City. This gave him the opportunity to hang around the offices of the National Lampoon Magazine.[3] Hughes subsequently penned a story, inspired by his family trips as a child, that was to become his calling card and entry onto the staff of the magazine. That piece, "Vacation '58", later became the basis for the film Vacation. Among his other contributions to the Lampoon, the April Fool's Day stories "My Penis" and "My Vagina" gave an early indication of Hughes's ear for the particular rhythm of teen speak, as well as the various indignities of teen life in general.
His first credited screenplay, Class Reunion, was written while still on staff at the magazine. The resulting film became the second disastrous attempt by the flagship to duplicate the runaway success of Animal House. It was Hughes's next screenplay for the imprint, National Lampoon's Vacation (1983), however, that would prove to be a major hit, putting the Lampoon back on the map.
Hughes's directorial debut, Sixteen Candles, won almost unanimous praise when it was released in 1984, due in no small part to its more honest depiction of middle-class high school life, in stark contrast to the Porky's-inspired comedies made at the time. It was the first in a string of efforts set in or around high school, including The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Weird Science, Ferris Bueller's Day Off (see also Brat Pack) and Some Kind Of Wonderful.
To avoid being pigeonholed as a maker of teen comedies, Hughes branched out in 1987, directing Planes, Trains and Automobiles starring Steve Martin and John Candy. His later output would not be so critically well received, though films like Uncle Buck (one of the first films to display the changeover in a suburban teen's choice of music from rock to rap) proved popular. Hughes's greatest commercial success came with Home Alone, a film he wrote and produced about a child accidentally left behind when his family goes away for Christmas, forcing him to protect himself and his house from a pair of inept burglars. Home Alone was the top grossing film of 1990, and remains the most successful live-action comedy of all time. His last film as a director was 1991's Curly Sue.
He also wrote screenplays under the pseudonym Edmond Dantes, after the protagonist of Alexandre Dumas's novel The Count of Monte Cristo.
In 1994, Hughes retired from the public eye and moved back to the Chicago area. Hughes was considerably shaken by John Candy's sudden death of a heart attack that same year. "He talked a lot about how much he loved Candy—if Candy had lived longer, I think John would have made more films as a director," says Vince Vaughn, a friend of Hughes.[3] In the years following, Hughes rarely granted interviews to the media save a select few in 1999 to promote the soundtrack album to Reach the Rock, an independent film he wrote.[7] The album was compiled by Hughes's son, John Hughes III, and released on his son's Chicago-based record label, Hefty Records.[8] He also recorded an audio commentary for the 1999 DVD release of Ferris Bueller's Day Off.[9]
[edit] Trademark characteristics in Hughes' movies
A majority of Hughes' films were set in the North Shore suburbs of the Chicago metropolitan area. In certain films, the setting is specifically identified as the fictional Shermer, Illinois, a nod to the original name of Northbrook, Shermerville. Another element that remained consistent through all of his movies was a strong emphasis on pop songs and music cues. He also frequently employed several filmic devices such as characters breaking the fourth wall; additional scenes under and/or after the closing credits; non-linear montages; and using a freeze-frame as the closing shot before the end credits.
[edit] Death
Hughes died of a heart attack on August 6, 2009 while walking in Manhattan where he was visiting his family.[10][11] On that morning, Hughes was on West 55th Street in Manhattan when he was struck with chest pains. At 8:55 a.m., 9-1-1 operators summoned paramedics to assist. Hughes was unconscious when they arrived several minutes later. Hughes was raced to Roosevelt Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.[12] He was 59 years old. Hughes's funeral took place on August 11 in Chicago.[13] In addition to his wife and two sons, Hughes is survived by four grandchildren.[14]
The pilot episode of the NBC comedy Community, broadcast on September 17, 2009, was dedicated to Hughes.[15] The episode included several references to The Breakfast Club and ended with a cover of Simple Minds' "Don't You (Forget About Me)" by rock band The 88.[16] The One Tree Hill episode titled "Don't You Forget About Me", broadcast on February 1, 2010, ended with a scene similar to the ending scene of Sixteen Candles and included some other references to his movies such as Home Alone.
After Hughes' death, many celebrities issued statements talking about the impact Hughes had on not only themselves, but on the movie industry as a whole. Judd Apatow released a statement saying, “Basically, my stuff is just John Hughes films with four-letter words. I feel like a part of my childhood has died. Nobody made me laugh harder or more often than John Hughes."[17] Molly Ringwald said, "I was stunned and incredibly sad to hear about the death of John Hughes. He was and will always be such an important part of my life.... He will be missed – by me and by everyone that he has touched. My heart and all my thoughts are with his family now."[18] Matthew Broderick also released his own statement, saying, "I am truly shocked and saddened by the news about my old friend John Hughes. He was a wonderful, very talented guy and my heart goes out to his family."[18]
[edit] Oscar tribute
On March 7, 2010, the 82nd annual Academy Awards included a tribute to Hughes' life's work. A retrospective of clips from Hughes' films was followed by cast members from several of them, including Molly Ringwald, Matthew Broderick, Macaulay Culkin, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Anthony Michael Hall and Jon Cryer,[19] gathering on stage to commemorate the man and his contributions to the film industry.[20]
[edit] Filmography
- Delta House (1979) (TV)
- National Lampoon's Class Reunion (1982)
- At Ease (1983) (TV)
- Mr. Mom (1983)
- National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)
- Nate and Hayes (with David Odell) (1983)
- Sixteen Candles (1984) (also Director)
- The Breakfast Club (1985) (also Director)
- National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985) (Story Only)
- Weird Science (1985) (also Director)
- Pretty in Pink (1986)
- Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) (also Director)
- Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)
- Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) (also Director)
- She's Having a Baby (1988) (also Director)
- The Great Outdoors (1988)
- Uncle Buck (1989) (also Director)
- National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
- Home Alone (1990)
- Career Opportunities (1991)
- Only the Lonely (1991) (Producer Only)
- Dutch (1991)
- Curly Sue (1991) (also Director)
- Beethoven (with Amy Holden Jones) (1992) (as Edmund Dantes)
- Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
- Dennis the Menace (1993)
- Baby's Day Out (1994)
- Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
- 101 Dalmatians (1996)
- Flubber (1997)
- Home Alone 3 (1997)
- Reach the Rock (1998)
- Just Visiting (with Christian Clavier and Jean-Marie Poire) (2001)
- Maid in Manhattan (2002) (Story Only) (originally titled "The Chambermaid") (as Edmund Dantes)
- Drillbit Taylor (2008) (Story Only) (as Edmund Dantes)
[edit] Unproduced screenplays
- The History of Ohio From The Beginning Of Time To The End Of The Universe (with P. J. O'Rourke)
- Jaws 3: People 0 – a parody sequel to the popular series.[21]
- Bartholomew Vs. Neff – a vehicle that would have starred Sylvester Stallone and John Candy as feuding neighbors.[22]
- The Bee – a feature length Disney film.[23]
- Grisbeys Go Broke – a wealthy family loses their fortune, forcing them to move to the other side of the tracks during Christmas.[24]
- Tickets – Teens wait overnight for free tickets to a farewell concert.[25]
- Oil and Vinegar - A soon-to-be-married man and a hitchhiking girl end up talking about their lives during the length of the car ride.[26]
[edit] Frequent casting
Several actors appeared in multiple films directed by Hughes. John Candy appeared more than any other actor, with eight film credits. Other frequently-cast actors included John Ashton (three films), Macaulay Culkin (four films), Anthony Michael Hall (four films), Larry Hankin (three films), John Kapelos (three films), Edie McClurg (five films), Molly Ringwald (three films), and William Windom (four films).
[edit] Books
- 1950 births
- 2009 deaths
- 20th-century writers
- 21st-century writers
- American farmers
- American film directors
- American film producers
- American screenwriters
- American television writers
- Arizona State University alumni
- Cardiovascular disease deaths in New York
- Deaths from myocardial infarction
- People from Lansing, Michigan
- People from Northbrook, Illinois
- Writers from Illinois
- Writers from Michigan
