People laugh at me when I say I am an 80’s baby. I lived in the 80’s for six months, and of course don’t have a single memory from that decade. Despite my lack of personal experience living in the 80’s, I have always related to movies from that period. I was not a teenager in 1985 when John Hughes changed teen movies forever, but they still had an impact on me years later. To this day, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is still one of my favourites and I cry every time I watch The Breakfast Club. I still have a cinema crush on Jake Ryan, and wanted Duckie to be my best friend. So, finding Susannah Gora’s book, You Couldn’t Ignore Me If You Tried: The Brat Pack, John Hughes, and Their Impact on a Generation, a few years ago was like finding a treasure.
You Couldn’t Ignore Me If You Tried (a title taken from something Bender says to Claire) is a collection of anecdotes, behind-the-scenes notes, and analysis of John Hughes movies from the 80’s, as well as a few other important movies from that generation (like Say Anything) that changed the way films about teenagers were written, filmed and viewed.
Gora shares a wealth of information and with each chapter, I felt like I understood every movie it discusses even more. I also had the desire to stop reading and watch the movies right away too (which I did, after I read about them). I love knowing more about movies and TV shows, which is why I love reading celebrity memoirs so much. This one is quite similar to that, as Gora shares insights from the actors from interviews, but also shares unbiased views so that it is well-rounded.
If you are a fan of John Hughes, 80’s culture, or just movies in general, I would definitely recommend you pick this one up.
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