I WON'T FORGET ABOUT YOU, JOHN HUGHES

John Hughes, the director of teen flicks like The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Weird Science and Ferris Bueller's Day Off, passed on a couple of days ago. In his movies, he depicted the coming-of-age period exactly like it was in the 80s. Unlike other directors of teenage movies, he poked fun at the the characters' irrationality, insensibility, insecurity and circumstances in a very funny yet touching way. Teenagers from all sorts of backgrounds flocked to the cinemas to watch his movies and it was good to know that there was someone who knew how to portray your life without being too judgmental or condescending. You can always see various characters and personalities in his movies and you can almost identify with at least one of them. There would be geeks, dorks and nerds, bitches, sluts and jocks, rebels, misfits and outcasts, and not forgetting overbearing parents and patronising teachers all thrown in in a less than two-hour movie. And I have always loved the songs he picked for his movies. True (Spandau Ballet) from Sixteen Candles and Don't You Forget About Me (Simple Minds) from The Breakfast Club are still some of my favourite songs until now. His movies have made life much more bearable for those who think that they are alone and different than the rest of the crowd. He showed that despite our differences, there can also be a common ground which we can share : love, compassion and understanding. And that is something that we should not forget.