If you’re a fan of the classic teen movie The Breakfast Club, you’ll love this list of 50 quotes from the iconic film. These quotes are full of wisdom and will remind you of the importance of being yourself, staying strong in difficult times, and making the most of your high school experience. Whether you’re a current high school student or a graduate, these quotes will speak to you!
About The Breakfast Club
“The Breakfast Club” is a 1985 American coming-of-age film written, produced, and directed by John Hughes. The plot follows five high school students from different cliques who are serving detention on a Saturday morning. Over the course of the day, they come to realize that they have more in common than they thought and form an unlikely friendship. The characters include:
- Brian Johnson (Anthony Michael Hall), an introverted nerd
- Allison Reynolds (Ally Sheedy), a strange and withdrawn “basket case”
- Claire Standish (Molly Ringwald), a popular and spoilt princess
- John Bender (Judd Nelson), a delinquent “criminal”
- Andrew Clark (Emilio Estevez), an athlete with a troubled home life
The film explores themes of teenage angst, conformity, and the effects of social cliques on individuals and relationships. It was a critical and commercial success and has since become a cult classic.
“The Breakfast Club” is set in a high school in Illinois and follows five students who are serving detention on a Saturday morning. The students are from different cliques, including the brain, the athlete, the basket case, the princess, and the criminal. At the beginning of the film, they are all strangers and have little in common, but as the day goes on, they begin to open up to one another and share their personal stories.
The characters are all struggling with their own personal issues. Brian Johnson is an introverted nerd who feels pressure from his parents to succeed academically. Allison Reynolds is a strange and withdrawn “basket case” who is bullied by her classmates. Claire Standish is a popular and spoilt princess who is frustrated with her privileged life. John Bender is a delinquent “criminal” who is dealing with a troubled home life. Andrew Clark is an athlete with a troubled home life who is struggling with his father’s expectations.
Throughout the film, the characters begin to open up to one another and form an unlikely friendship. They come to realize that they have more in common than they thought, and that their stereotypes are not always accurate. They also come to understand that everyone has problems and that they are not alone in their struggles.
The film brings many memorable and quotable moments, including these fifty quotes from The Breakfast Club. Whether you’re a current high school student or a graduate, these quotes will speak to you!
Breakfast Club Quotes
- “Being bad feels pretty good, huh?” – John
- “Without lamps, there’d be no light.” – John
- “Could you describe the ruckus, sir?” – Brian
- “My God, are we gonna be like our parents?” – Andrew
- Andrew: “Why do you need a fake ID?” Brian: “To vote.”
- “Two hits. Me hitting you. You hitting the floor.” – Andrew
- “I see me, and I don’t like what I see, I really don’t.” – Brian
- “The next time I have to come in here I’m crackin’ skulls.” – Richard
- “Don’t mess with the bull, young man. You’ll get the horns.” – Richard
- “Screws fall out all the time. The world’s an imperfect place.” – John
- “Did you know without trigonometry, there’d be no engineering?” – Brian
- “I could disappear forever and it wouldn’t make any difference.” – Andrew
- Claire: “Claire. It’s a family name.” John: “Oh, it’s a fat girl’s name.”
- “You ask me one more question and I’m beating the sh*t out of you.” – Andrew
- “You do everything everyone tells you to, and that is the problem.” – Allison
- “I hate it. I hate having to go along with everything my friends say.” – Claire
- Allison: “When you grow up, your heart dies.” John: “Who cares?” Allison: “I do.”
- “I wanna be just like you. I figure all I need is a lobotomy and some tights.” – John
- Andrew: “If I lose my temper, you’re totaled, man.” John: “Totally?” Andrew: “Totally.”
- “We’re all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it; that’s all.” – Andrew
- “You’re not fooling anyone, Bender. The next screw that falls out will be you.” – Richard
- “You wanna know what I did to get in here? Nothing—I didn’t have anything better to do.” – Allison
- “Do you know how popular I am? I am so popular. Everybody loves me so much at this school.” – Claire
- “I have just as many feelings as you do and it hurts so much when someone steps all over them.” – Claire
- Andrew: “Speak for yourself.” John: “You really think I’d speak for you? I don’t even know your language!”
- “Well, I don’t know any lepers either, but I’m not gonna run out and join one of their f*cking clubs.” – John
- Richard: “Any questions?” John: “Yeah, I got a question. Does Barry Manilow know that you raid his wardrobe?”
- Claire: “What’s wrong with you? Why don’t you like yourself?” Brian: “’Cause I’m stupid—’cause I’m failing shop!”
- “Well, everyone’s home lives are unsatisfying—if it wasn’t, people would live with their parents forever.” – Andrew
- Brian: “You know, there’s not supposed to be any monkey business.” John: “Young man, have you finished your paper?.”
- Brian: “I’m a freaking idiot because I can’t make a lamp?” John: “No. You’re a genius because you can’t make a lamp.”
- “Well, Brian, this is a very nutritious lunch. All the food groups are represented. Did your mom marry Mr. Rogers?” – John
- “What do you say we close that door. We can’t have any kind of party with Vernon checking us out every few seconds.” – John
- Andrew: “Why do you have to insult everybody?” John: “I’m being honest, *sshole. I would expect you to know the difference.”
- “You ought to spend a little more trying to do something with yourself and a little less trying to impress people.” – Richard
- Richard: “What if your home, your family—What if your dope was on fire?” John: “Impossible, sir. It’s in Johnson’s underwear.”
- Claire: “You know why guys like you knock everything?” John: “Oh, this should be stunning.” Claire: “It’s because you’re afraid.”
- “It is now 7:06. You have exactly 8 hours and 54 minutes to think about why you are here—to ponder the error of your ways.” – Richard
- “You think he’s funny? You think this is cute? You go visit John Bender in five years. You’ll see how g*dd*mn*d funny he is.” – Richard
- John: “Remember how you said your parents use you to get back at each other?” Claire: “Yes.” John: “Wouldn’t I be outstanding in that capacity?”
- “So you just stick to the things you know. Shopping, nail polish, your father’s BMW, and your poor, rich, drunk mother in the Caribbean!” – John
- “I don’t have to run away and live in the street. I can run away and go to the ocean, I can go to the country, I can go to the mountains.” – Allison
- “Well, if you say you haven’t, you’re a prude. If you say you have, you’re a sl*t. It’s a trap. You want to but you can’t and when you do, you wish you didn’t, right? – Allison
- “I’m not a winner because I want to be one. I’m a winner because I’ve got strength and speed—kinda like a racehorse. It’s about how involved I am in what’s happening to me.” – Andrew
- John: “Sushi?” Claire: “Rice, raw fish, and seaweed.” John: “You won’t accept a guy’s tongue in your mouth, and you’re going to eat that?” Claire: “Can I eat?” John: “I don’t know. Give it a try.”
- Claire: “You know, you look a lot better without all that black sh*t under your eyes.” Allison: “Hey, I like all that black sh*t. Why are you being so nice to me?” Claire: “Because you’re letting me.”
- John: “Hey, Sporto! Do you get along with your parents?” Andrew: “If I say yes, then I’m an idiot, right?” John: “You’re an idiot anyway! But if you say that you get along with your parents, then you’re a liar too.”
- “God! You’re so pathetic. Don’t you ever, ever compare yourself to me, okay. You got everything, and I got sh*t. F*ckin’ Repunzel, right? School would probably, f*ckin’ shut down if you didn’t show up. Queenie isn’t here. I like those earrings, Claire.” – John
- John: “Well I’m free the Saturday after that. Beyond that, I’m going to have to check my calendar.” Richard: “Good, cause it’s going to be filled. We’ll keep going. You want another one? Just say the word, say it. Instead of going to prison, you’ll come here. Are you through?”
- Brian: “Dear Mr. Vernon, we accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. But we think you’re crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us—in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain—.” Andrew: “And an athlete—.” Allison: “And a basket case—.” Claire: “A princess—.” John: “And a criminal—.” Brian: “Does that answer your question? Sincerely yours, The Breakfast Club.”
Wrapping Up
The Breakfast Club is a classic movie that will remain relevant for years to come. The characters are complex and the dialogue is still meaningful today. The themes of self-discovery, respect for authority, and acceptance among peers are all explored in an engaging way. Through their conversations and interactions with each other, each character learns something new about themselves and their peers. Ultimately, the movie ends with a message of hope—that no matter who you are or where you come from, you can find understanding and acceptance among friends. I hope that this article has helped to bring the themes and messages of The Breakfast Club alive for you. Thank you for reading!
