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A jock, a brain, a princess, a troublemaker and an outcast are thrown together in a single room with a madman blocking their exit. The preps sit shyly by as the jock makes feeble attempts at humor, the troublemaker annoys the madman and the outcast snickers behind her darkness.

One strives to reach his fathers goals, one ducks to dodge his father's blows. One struggles to be noticed, one is noticed where ever she goes. The outcast wishes to be invisible while the madman wished they were all gone. Stuck in this place together by their own choices, none of them knowing the other.

Sparks fly between unlikely pairs as personal stories are told. A glimpse is given into the real life of each tattered soul, causing past gossip to run cold. They have passed each other many times before and never spoken, will they speak the next time their paths cross. A single shared experience, a bond formed by detention.

Yet a single goal emerges within a short time, as is often the case. To leave here and get out of this place no matter the cost. A library break is in order, the principle must be over-thrown. An escape through the air duct is certainly the best way out as the troublemaker soon shows.

Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy have struck a nerve in many generations with their 1985 hit movie The Breakfast Club. Despite their characters differences, they come together in ways that no one expected. Including covering for each other when Mr. Vernon steps into the room.

A strong point is made during the movie that has endured the test of time. Throw complete strangers in a room together and they will connect. The natural instinct for companionship is strong enough to break through social barriers and bring people together.

The Breakfast Club came out while I was still in high school myself. Sitting in the movie theater with friends, the movie struck a note in all of us. We were those people on the screen and we knew the stories they did not share. I remember that day every time I see The Breakfast Club and as an impressionable teen, I have never forgotten the lesson of that day.

We are all different, yet we can come together under a common goal. We do not have to be alone or hide our true selves. Anyone watching this movie will connect with it on some level. This is why The Breakfast Club ranked number 1 on Entertainment Weekly's list of the 50 Best High School Movies.

Learn more about this author, Kathryn Kirby.
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