Summary
In the newBratsdocumentary by Brat Pack member Andrew McCarthy, the group’s connection to the transition cinema made in the 1980s is explored in detail.The Brat Pack movies of the mid-1980sare as fun to watch as they are definitive of a transition happening in American film culture. Memorable coming-of-ageflicks likeThe Breakfast Club,16 Candles,St. Elmo’s Fire,andPretty in Pinkgave young people a reflection of their own life on the big screenthat was previously unavailable in Hollywood cinema.
David Blum’sNew York Magazinearticle coining the term"Brat Pack"positioned the actors as immature and somewhat undeserving of their success. However, despite their age,the Brat Pack actorswere skilled artists of their craft. Definitive Brat Pack actorsAndrew McCarthy, Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Molly Ringwald, and Ally Sheedy brought refreshing qualities to Hollywood film cultureby creating a relatable perception of youth in the movies.
Every Actor Who Appears In The Brats Brat Pack Documentary (& How They Feel About It)
Most of the 1980s actors who comprised the Brat Pack agreed to be interviewed by fellow brat Andrew McCarthy for his Hulu documentary Brats.
Hollywood Was Emerging From The Gritty New Hollywood Era Of The 70s
American Cinema Went Through Major Transitions In The Mid-Twentieth Century
TheBratsdocumentary soundtrack, complete with all the best synth-heavy beats of the 1980s, is a perfect reminder of where the Brat Pack movies existed in time. In the ’80s, Hollywood was emerging from the gritty New Hollywood Era. Also known as the Hollywood Renaissance,the mid-1960s to the early 1980s was a time for Hollywood cinema where film directors exercised more agency over their productions. During this time, new directors came to Hollywood and could be auteurs of their work, whereas before, major studios had limited production.
Essential New Hollywood Era directors include Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, Martin Scorses, and Steven Spielberg.
Before the Hollywood Renaissance, cinema was dominated by musicals and historical films. Released in the late 1960s,films like Arthur Penn’sBonnie and Clyde, Mike Nichol’sThe Graduate, and Dennis Hopper’sEasy Rider, defined and jumpstarted the New Hollywood Era, signaling the tides shifting away from Hollywood’s old ways.Essential New Hollywood directorscreated more commandeering, individualized narratives. The shift made way for gritty, edgier filmmaking to push the previous limitations on personal expression by both characters and directors. The transition paved the way for the personal narratives of young people to take shape in the 1980s.
Hollywood Realized That Movies About Young People Could Be Huge Moneymakers
The Brat Pack Formed At A Pivotal Time For Young People In And Out Of Hollywood
InBrats,McCarthy honed in on the transitions happening in the 1980s that led to the rise of the Brat Pack. Susannah Gora, author ofYou Couldn’t Ignore Me If You Tried,talked about the role malls played in the 80s' youth movement in herBratsinterview.Teenagers went to malls to see movies with their friends, driving up the incentive for filmmakers to win over young audiences. Bret Easton Ellis, author ofLess Than Zero,echoed the same sentiment. He added that teenagers were willing and able to invest their time purchasing tickets hours in advance, ensuring their seats.
Tim Hutton’s role inOrdinary Peoplein 1980 paved the way for young people to be represented more honestly in cinema. In 1981, at just 20 years old, Hutton won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, signaling that audiences accepted Hutton’s honest portrayal of young adulthood. Even today, Hutton is the youngest actor ever to take home the award, confirming the significance of the transition for Hollywood.
Andrew McCarthy also interviewedMalcolm Gladwell inBratsto explain the social shifts orbiting the Brat Pack. Gladwell explains that the group’s moniker signified a generational transition happening in Hollywood.The Brat Pack label signified the transformation to a new era of Hollywood, as was emphasized by the pun on the Rat Pack. As Gladwell explained, the"Brat Pack"label would not have had such staying power were it not a metaphor for that larger cultural shift. It was the moment when Hollywood began to focus on the lives of young people, and the Brat Pack was at the helm of that.
Before The Brat Pack, Hollywood Hadn’t Focused On Young Actors As The Main Drivers Of Movies
Before The Brat Pack, Hollywood Relied On Adults Or Young Kids To Drive The Narrative
Before the Brat Pack, Hollywood hadn’t tapped into the potential of featuring young adultsas the main drivers of movies. Movies traditionally centered around adults or much younger people. Gora described the cultural shift that the Brat Pack helmed in terms of her experience, remembering that movies were reserved for"grown-up things,“either serious or comedic. She explained how thequotable, quintessential Brat Pack movieThe Breakfast Clubchanged that for her, as it was the first movie she had seen concerned with the events relevant to her life. In that way, she says, the Brat Pack movies were"the golden age of youth cinema.”
The Brat Pack movies gave the bonds between friends the same status in films as those central connections previously reserved for romantic love.
Gore explains that part of the draw of focusing on young people in movies is thatthey created a visual model of the friend groups that young people desperately wanted to have. The Brat Pack movies gave the bonds between friends the same status in films as those central connections previously reserved for romantic love. Michael Oates Palmer, a screenwriter interviewed inBrats,echoed the idea that the Brat Pack movies succeeded not only because they focused on youth culture but because they"took young people’s lives seriously."
Legendary 1980s movie director John Hughes perhaps best described the time in Hollywood. TheBratsdocumentary features a clip of Hughes calling young people at the time “a very receptive audience.” It echoes how author Bret Easton Ellie described youth culture and movies, thatyoung people are sponges that take in everything around them. Near the end of the film, Rob Lowe adds in his interview that not only is youth culture where films landed in the 1980s, but it’s where they have stayed since the culture made that transition.
Brats
Cast
Brats offers an in-depth look at the lives of military children, capturing the complexities of growing up on the move. Through heartfelt interviews and vivid storytelling, the documentary highlights the resilience and adaptability required to navigate frequent relocations.
