Alright movie buffs let's talk about Molly Ringwald and John Hughes. These two names are like totally intertwined with the best of 80s teen movies right? Think "Sixteen Candles" "The Breakfast Club" "Pretty in Pink" - pure gold. But Molly's been opening up lately and it sounds like being John Hughes ' muse back in the day was maybe more complicated than we all realized.
Molly Ringwald Reflects on "Peculiar" Muse Relationship with John Hughes: Still Processing It All These Years Later
Molly recently sat down for a chat on Monica Lewinsky's "Reclaiming" podcast and got super honest about her experiences working with Hughes as a teenager. She was cast in those iconic 80s comedies when she was just a kid and Hughes was this older director in his 30s. Monica even asked her straight up if being Hughes' muse was "creepy."
Molly's response? "Yeah it’s peculiar." She laughed a bit awkwardly and said it always felt "incredibly complimentary" at the time. But looking back now she sees "something a little peculiar" about the whole thing.
She explained that when "Sixteen Candles" happened it was Hughes' directorial debut but Molly was already a movie veteran at 15 even if she was still just a teenager without tons of life experience. So being called his "muse" didn't seem that weird then but now it's definitely something she's still trying to figure out. She even said she feels like she'll be "processing all of that" for the rest of her life.
"Complex" Feelings and Rewatching Classics: Molly Re-Examines Hughes' Films Through a Modern Lens
Molly has been pretty open in the past about the complicated legacy of John Hughes' movies especially when you watch them now with a modern eye. She even wrote a New Yorker essay back in 2018 where she talked about the power imbalance in their relationship and the problematic stuff in his films.
She mentioned how Hughes believed in her acting "gifts" more than anyone and that he pushed her to write and direct herself one day. That's the positive side. But she also acknowledged he could hold grudges and react badly to "perceived rejection" kind of like Bender her character's antagonist in "The Breakfast Club".
Molly also pointed out the sexism racism and homophobia that's definitely present in Hughes' 80s movies. She realized this even more after rewatching "The Breakfast Club" with her daughter. Scenes that might have seemed funny or just "80s" back then now look really uncomfortable and even disturbing.
Problematic "Perks" and Teenage Fame: Molly's Experience as an 80s Child Star Wasn't All Sunshine and Rainbows
Molly has talked about that infamous "Sixteen Candles" scene where Jake Ryan basically trades his drunk girlfriend Caroline to the Geek in exchange for Samantha's underwear. She admits it took her a while to fully grasp how messed up that scene actually is. Caroline is clearly not in a state to consent and it's played for laughs. Looking back Molly questions how we are supposed to feel about art that we love but also oppose especially when you helped create it.
Being a child star in the 80s wasn't always easy either. Molly said she "never known a world where I haven't been a little famous" but when she hit "Time magazine cover" level fame it became "overwhelming and scary." She felt like she had to become "very closed and very self-protective" which people sometimes mistook for being "aloof or stuck up."
Even now she gets anxious on red carpets. She was also candid about experiencing inappropriate behavior as a young actress including a 50-year-old crew member and a married director. She feels lucky she had protective parents who shielded her as much as possible but still these experiences left a mark.
Reckoning with the Legacy: Can We Still Love John Hughes' Films Despite the Problematic Elements?
Molly is not trying to "disparage" John Hughes who passed away in 2009. She acknowledges their relationship was "complex" and she is still working through how it all affected her. She appreciates that Hughes believed in her talent and gave her amazing opportunities but she also recognizes the problematic aspects of his films and their dynamics.
In her New Yorker essay Molly asked "How are we meant to feel about art that we both love and oppose?" It's a tough question. She says "Erasing history is a dangerous road when it comes to art — change is essential but so too is remembering the past in all of its transgression and barbarism so that we may properly gauge how far we have come and also how far we still need to go."
Molly Ringwald's Key Reflections on John Hughes and 80s Teen Movie Culture:
- "Peculiar" Muse Dynamic: Looking back Ringwald sees her relationship with Hughes as "peculiar" and "complex" despite feeling "complimentary" at the time.
- "Sixteen Candles" Scene Re-evaluation: She now understands the problematic nature of the scene where Caroline is traded to the Geek while drunk.
- "Breakfast Club" Harassment: Ringwald highlights Bender's sexual harassment of Claire in "The Breakfast Club" and its troubling romanticization.
- Sexism Racism and Homophobia: She acknowledges the presence of these issues in Hughes' films when viewed through a modern lens.
- Teenage Fame Impact: Early fame was "overwhelming and scary" leading her to become "self-protective."
- Ongoing Processing: Ringwald emphasizes she is still "processing" her experiences with Hughes and likely will be for life.
- Nuance and Remembering the Past: She advocates for remembering the past "in all of its transgression and barbarism" while pushing for change in art and society.
The Conversation Continues: Molly Ringwald Keeps the Dialogue Open About 80s Classics and Their Complicated Legacy
Molly Ringwald is not trying to cancel John Hughes or erase his movies. Instead she is encouraging a more honest and nuanced conversation about these films their impact and their place in pop culture history. She is asking us to look critically at even the things we love and to keep questioning and processing the art we consume. And that's a conversation worth having.