Thursday, March 23, 2006

Yesterday's post about "Red Dawn" got me thinking about the '80s and, specifically, the seemingly rich (at least in hindsight) array of teen movies produced during the decade: "The Outsiders," "War Games," "Goonies," "Better Off Dead," "Lost Boys," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," "Heathers"... all pillars of my "we had better movies when I was a teen" argument (which I often deploy to my 14-year-old niece every time I'm dragged to a Lindsay Lohan or Amanda Bynes release).

Was the message from Hollywood better, too, or is that the rose-colored glasses again?

In the '80s, I think we paid more attention to the on-screen characters being portrayed by the brat pack than to the gossip surrounding them. (Or maybe my parents just didn't keep my "Teen Beat" subscription up-to-date.) Those characters, especially in John Hughes' flicks, were the underdogs, the individuals who functioned outside the cheerleader/jock dynamic. Molly Ringwald in "16 Candles" and "Pretty in Pink," Corey Haim in "Lucas," Mary Stuart Masterson as the drumming love interest of Eric Stoltz in my favorite, "Some Kind of Wonderful."

The focus now seems to be on the off-screen antics of stars like Lohan and the ever-tabloid-present Olsen twins. All in a day's work for watchers of celeb culture, but enough to make an aunt of a 14-year-old cringe.

In any case, I'm thinking of creating a Netflix account pre-loaded with some classic '80s fare for my unsuspecting niece. The movies I named above are givens, but more suggestions would be most welcome..