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Brat Pack

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The Brat Pack is a nickname given to a group of young actors who frequently appeared together in teen-oriented coming-of-age films in the 1980s. First mentioned in a 1985 New York magazine article, it is now usually defined as the cast members of two specific films released in 1985—The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo's Fire—although other actors are sometimes included. The "core" members are considered to be Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, and Ally Sheedy.

Membership

The term "Brat Pack", a play on the Rat Pack from the 1950s and 1960s, was first popularized in a 1985 New York magazine cover story, which described a group of highly successful film stars in their early twenties.[1] David Blum wrote the article after witnessing several young actors (Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, and Judd Nelson) being mobbed by groupies at Los Angeles' Hard Rock Cafe.[2] The group has been characterized by the partying of members such as Robert Downey Jr., Estevez, Lowe, and Nelson.[3] However, an appearance in one or both of the ensemble casts of John Hughes' The Breakfast Club and Joel Schumacher's St. Elmo's Fire is often considered the prerequisite for being a core Brat Pack member.[4][5][6] With this criterion, the most commonly cited members include Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, and Ally Sheedy.[7][8][9][10][11] Absent from most lists is Mare Winningham, the only principal member of either cast who never starred in any other films with any other cast members.[12] Estevez was cited as the "unofficial president" of the Brat Pack.[1] He and Demi Moore were once engaged. McCarthy says he was never a member of the group: "The media made up this sort of tribe. I don't think I've seen any of these people since we finished St. Elmo's Fire."[13]

The initial New York article covered a group of actors larger, or more inclusive, than the currently understood meaning of the term "Brat Pack". For example, most of the cast members of The Outsiders were mentioned, including Tom Cruise, C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, Patrick Swayze, and Ralph Macchio, none of whom starred in any other 1980s movies with any "core" Brat Packers, besides Patrick Swayze.[1] Charlie Sheen appears in several lists – more for his family relationship to Brat Pack leader Emilio Estevez and his partying than for his collaborative film work with other members.[12] James Spader and Robert Downey, Jr. have also been considered members, and performed alongside other Brat Packers: both of them with Andrew McCarthy in Less Than Zero;[14] Spader with McCarthy in Pretty in Pink and Mannequin; and Downey with Anthony Michael Hall (Weird Science and Johnny Be Good; and the cast of Saturday Night Live) and Molly Ringwald (The Pick-up Artist). Other actors who have been linked with the group include Kevin Bacon, Matthew Broderick, Jon Cryer, John Cusack, Jami Gertz, Mary Stuart Masterson, Sean Penn, Kiefer Sutherland, and Lea Thompson.[2][7][9] In her autobiography, Melissa Gilbert connects herself with the Brat Pack, as her social life centered on Estevez and Lowe (to both of whom she was engaged). Through frequent collaborative work, the actor Harry Dean Stanton, then in his late 50s, became a mentor for the group of young actors.[3]

Article

David Blum's New York story, titled "Hollywood's Brat Pack", ran on June 10, 1985. It was originally supposed to be just about Emilio Estevez, but one night, Estevez invited Blum to hang out with him, Rob Lowe, Judd Nelson, and others at the Hard Rock Cafe. It was a typical night out for the group, who had gotten close while filming St. Elmo's Fire. That night, Blum decided to change the article's focus to an entire group of young actors at the time. The St. Elmo's Fire crew members did not like Blum and sensed that he was jealous of the actors' success.[15]

When the piece ran, the actors all felt betrayed, especially Estevez. The article mentioned people in several films but focused on Estevez, Lowe, and Nelson, and portrayed those three negatively. The "Brat Pack" label, which the actors disliked, stuck for years afterward. Before the article ran, they had been regarded as talented individuals; after the article, all of them were grouped together and regarded as unprofessional. Interviewed for Susannah Gora's 2010 book You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried: The Brat Pack, John Hughes, And Their Impact on a Generation, Blum admitted that he should not have written the article.[16]

With the increased negative attention to them, the actors soon stopped socializing with one another. On the group's camaraderie, Ally Sheedy later said, "[The article] just destroyed it. I had felt truly a part of something, and that guy just blew it to pieces."[17]

Legacy

During the late 1980s, several of the Brat Pack actors had their careers mildly derailed by problems relating to drugs, alcohol, and in Lowe's case, a sex tape.[13] According to Gora, "Many believe they could have gone on to more serious roles if not for that article. They were talented. But they had professional difficulties, personal difficulties after that."[18] By the 21st century, the term "Brat Pack" had lost its negative connotation.[19]

The films themselves have been described as representative of "the socially apathetic, cynical, money-possessed and ideologically barren eighties generation."[14][20] They made frequent use of adolescent archetypes, were often set in the suburbs surrounding Chicago, and focused on white, middle-class teenage angst.[7][8] According to author Susannah Gora, these films "changed the way many young people looked at everything from class distinction to friendship, from love to sex and fashion to music." They are considered "among the most influential pop cultural contributions of their time."[21]

In 2012, Entertainment Weekly listed The Breakfast Club as the best high school movie ever made.[22] On VH1's list of the 100 greatest teen stars, Molly Ringwald was ranked #1, Rob Lowe was ranked #2, Anthony Michael Hall was ranked #4, Ally Sheedy was ranked #34, and Andrew McCarthy was ranked #40.[23][24]

Filmography

Beyond the two primary films, there is no generally accepted list of "Brat Pack" movies. While Blum's article credits Taps, a 1981 sleeper starring Timothy Hutton with Cruise and Penn, as the first Brat Pack movie,[1] the list of movies below represents the more traditional filmography, with each movie including at least two core members in starring roles:

Movie Actor
Emilio Estevez Anthony Michael Hall Rob Lowe Andrew McCarthy Demi Moore Judd Nelson Molly Ringwald Ally Sheedy Close contributors
The Outsiders
(1983) 		Keith "Two-Bit" Mathews Sodapop Patrick Curtis Matt Dillon, Patrick Swayze, Tom Cruise, C. Thomas Howell, Ralph Macchio
Class
(1983) 		Franklin "Skip" Burroughs IV Jonathan Ogner John Cusack
Sixteen Candles
(1984) 		"Farmer Ted" (credited as "the Geek") Samantha Baker John Cusack, Jami Gertz
Oxford Blues
(1984) 		Nick De Angelo Rona
The Breakfast Club
(1985) 		Andrew Clark Brian Johnson John Bender Claire Standish Allison Reynolds
St. Elmo's Fire
(1985) 		Kirby Keger Billy Hicks Kevin Dolenz Julianna "Jules" Van Patten Alec Newbury Leslie Hunter Mare Winningham
Pretty in Pink
(1986) 		Blaine McDonough Andie Walsh Jon Cryer, James Spader
Blue City
(1986) 		Billy Turner Annie Rayford
About Last Night...
(1986) 		Danny Martin Debbie Sullivan
Wisdom
(1986) 		John Wisdom Karen Simmons Charlie Sheen (uncredited cameo)
Fresh Horses
(1988) 		Matt Larkin Jewel
Betsy's Wedding
(1990) 		Betsy Connie
Hail Caesar
(1994) 		Julius Caesar McMurty Prisoner One

Other 1980s films, many with similar coming-of-age themes, that starred only one core Brat Pack actor with one or more close contributors include:


Some films have been dubbed "Brat Pack movies" despite having no stars from the core membership, including 1984's Red Dawn[41] (with close contributors C. Thomas Howell, Jennifer Grey,[42] Charlie Sheen, Harry Dean Stanton, Patrick Swayze, and Lea Thompson), and 1986's Ferris Bueller's Day Off[12] (also with Grey and Sheen in supporting roles, and starring close contributor Matthew Broderick).

Brat Pack actors
  • Emilio Estevez
    Emilio Estevez (shown in 2006) appeared in The Outsiders, The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo's Fire, and Wisdom.
  • Judd Nelson (shown in 2008) appeared in The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo's Fire, Blue City, and Hail Caesar.
    Judd Nelson (shown in 2008) appeared in The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo's Fire, Blue City, and Hail Caesar.
  • Rob Lowe
    Rob Lowe (shown in 2012) appeared in The Outsiders, Class, Oxford Blues, St. Elmo's Fire and About Last Night....
  • Andrew McCarthy
    Andrew McCarthy (shown in 2010) appeared in Class, St. Elmo's Fire, Pretty in Pink, and Fresh Horses.
  • Demi Moore
    Demi Moore (shown in 2010) appeared in St. Elmo's Fire, About Last Night..., and Wisdom.
  • Molly Ringwald
    Molly Ringwald (shown in 2013) appeared in Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Fresh Horses, and Betsy's Wedding.
  • Ally Sheedy
    Ally Sheedy (shown in 2011) appeared in Oxford Blues, The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo's Fire, Blue City, and Betsy's Wedding.
  • Anthony Michael Hall
    Anthony Michael Hall (shown in 2004) appeared in Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Hail Caesar.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Blum, David (1985-06-10). "Hollywood's Brat Pack". New York: 40–47.
  2. ^ a b Mansour, David. From Abba to Zoom: A Pop Culture Encyclopedia of the Late 20th Century (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2005), p. 56.
  3. ^ a b Pulver, Andrew; Steven Paul Davies (2000-12-15). "The year of the brat". The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-03-19.
  4. ^ Fine, Marshall (1993-10-24). "Remember the Brat Pack? Well, Now That They're Grown Up...". Los Angeles Times. p. 20.
  5. ^ Pulver, Andrew; Steven Paul Davies (2000). Brat Pack: Confidential. B T Batsford. ISBN 0-7134-8685-6. Archived from the original on February 19, 2008. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ Eaton, Andrew (2007-01-20). "For a short time they were on fire, then they vanished into obscurity. Whatever happened to the Brat Pack of the 1980s?". The Scotsman. Retrieved 2008-03-28. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ a b c Lurie, Karen (2002). "Brat Pack". St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture. Gale Group.
  8. ^ a b Horwitz, Laura (2005). "The Brat Pack: 80's Icons". 6 Degrees Film. Archived from the original on December 8, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-28. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ a b Currie, Jamie (2003). "The Brat Pack Site". The Brat Pack Site. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
  10. ^ "The Brat Pack". The E! True Hollywood Story. {{cite episode}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ Earnshaw, Helen (2008-07-18). "What Happened to the Brat Pack?". Teen First. Retrieved 2008-08-15. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  12. ^ a b c Pulver, Andrew; Davies, Steven Paul. "Brat Pack Confidential: The Players". Brat Pack Confidential. Archived from the original on 2008-04-09. Retrieved 2008-03-19.[dead link]
  13. ^ a b Miller, Samantha and Jewel, Dan. "Brat Race". People. April 19, 1999.
  14. ^ a b Manning, Jason (2000). "13. The Brat Pack". Material Things. The Eighties Club. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
  15. ^ Gora, Susannah (2010). You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried: The Brat Pack, John Hughes, And Their Impact on a Generation. Three Rivers Press. pp. 106–119.
  16. ^ Gora, Susannah (2010). You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried. Three Rivers Press. pp. 117-128, 289-291, 336.
  17. ^ Gora, Susannah (2010). You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried. Three Rivers Press. p. 128.
  18. ^ Wilson, Craig. "John Hughes and the Brat Pack, revisited". usatoday.com. February 16, 2010. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
  19. ^ Gora, Susannah (2010). You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried. Three Rivers Press. p. 332.
  20. ^ Bullock, Saxon (September 2004). "Don't You Forget About Me". Originally published in DVD Review. Archived from the original on September 5, 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-15. ...ended up representing both the best and worst of the ambitious, materialistic 'Me' generation. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  21. ^ Gora, Susannah. You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried: The Brat Pack, John Hughes, and Their Impact on a Generation (Random House, Inc., 2010), p. 3.
  22. ^ "50 Best High School Movies". ew.com. September 22, 2012. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  23. ^ "100 Greatest Teen Stars #'s 20-1". vh1.com. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  24. ^ "100 Greatest Teen Stars #'s 40-21". vh1.com. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  25. ^ "WarGames Cast". allmovie.com. Retrieved 2011-01-25.
  26. ^ "Bad Boys Cast". allmovie.com. Retrieved 2011-01-25.
  27. ^ http://www.allmovie.com/movie/repo-man-v40959
  28. ^ "No Small Affair Cast". allmovie.com. Retrieved 2011-01-25.
  29. ^ "Heaven Help Us Cast". allmovie.com. Retrieved 2011-01-25.
  30. ^ Perrotta, Tom (2008-09-26). "Brat pack blues". The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-11-12.
  31. ^ "Brat Pack Collection (The Breakfast Club/ Sixteen Candles/ Weird Science) (1984)". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2008-12-20.
  32. ^ "One Crazy Summer Cast". allmovie.com. Retrieved 2011-01-25.
  33. ^ "Youngblood Cast". allmovie.com. Retrieved 2011-01-25.
  34. ^ "The Pick-Up Artist Cast". allmovie.com. Retrieved 2011-01-25.
  35. ^ "Less Than Zero Cast". allmovie.com. Retrieved 2011-01-25.
  36. ^ "Mannequin Cast". allmovie.com. Retrieved 2011-01-25.
  37. ^ "Johnny Be Good Cast". allmovie.com. Retrieved 2011-01-25.
  38. ^ "Young Guns Cast". allmovie.com. Retrieved 2011-01-25.
  39. ^ "Kansas Cast". allmovie.com. Retrieved 2011-01-25.
  40. ^ "We're No Angels Cast". allmovie.com. Retrieved 2011-01-25.
  41. ^ Bullock, Saxon (September 2004). "Don't You Forget About Me". Originally published in DVD Review. Archived from the original on September 5, 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-12. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  42. ^ Ward, Rachel (November 5, 2011). "Jennifer Grey: where has she been?". The Daily Telegraph.
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