Remembering five classic John Hughes films

This column has absolutely nothing to do with the newspaper industry. Instead, this is a column about five films that achieved critical and box office success. All five films came about because of a talented man named John Hughes. That accomplished 59-year-old man died suddenly Thursday of a heart attack. While Hughes stepped out of the limelight in the early 1990s, his films have continued to impact and affect people.

Here are five of Hughes' films that I adore. If you've never experienced Hughes' work, or if it's just been a while, check out these five films. Whether they are timeless commentaries on youth in the United States, or comedic takes on holidays such as Christmas, all five of them are celebrations of excellent writing, directing and acting. Below this list of movies is a video clip of a documentary being produced about John Hughes and a clip featuring scenes from his films.

1. The Breakfast Club (1985). Hughes wrote, produced and directed this important movie about what life is like for teens attending high school. Ten years later when I started writing for my high school newspaper, this film was still popular and we talked about it in the newsroom on a regular basis. What clique were you in during high school?

2. Christmas Vacation (1989). Hughes wrote and produced this holiday classic that is easily watched more than a dozen times every Christmas in my home. As with all of Hughes' films, Christmas Vacation managed to somehow work emotional, serious moments into scenes filled with comedic genius. How many of us have had holidays this crazy?

3. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986). Hughes wrote, produced and directed this film that launched the careers of Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck and Ben Stein. This is another great commentary on the life of teenagers both at home and at school. It's a film about teenager dreams and fantasies. Did you live out this film in your own life?

4. Home Alone (1990). Hughes wrote and produced this film about a boy who gets left at home while the rest of his family flies to Europe for Christmas. This film introduced the world to a young director named Chris Columbus and an even younger actor named Macaulay Culkin. Overall, it has one of the best casts of any movie made in the 1990s. Have you seen it?

5. Weird Science (1985). Hughes wrote and directed this often forgotten film. Not only does the cast include Anthony Michael Hall and a young Bill Paxton, but it introduced the world to a rising actor named Robert Downey Jr. This was Hughes' one foray into the sci-fi world, but it retained the comedic genius of his other work. Have you ever heard of this film?

Finally, if you've made it this far in the column, read the best John Hughes obituary on the Web (from the Chicago Tribune). Here is the last published interview ever conducted with Hughes from January of this year.