Pretty in Pink,Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,The Breakfast Club, andSome Kind of Wonderfulare just a handful of the classicJohn Hughesmovies thatdelivered some of the best teen protagonists of the 20th century. But, for every lovable, angsty, and unforgettable lead, someone was determined to make their lives a living hell.It’s the timeless tale of good versus evil as it pertains to the youth of America trying to navigate their way through a tumultuous high school experiencewhere you are trying to discover yourself and who your friends are.
It is essential to every John Hughes film that there be an antagonistic jerk who represents what most would call the “popular crowd,“and just so happened to have absentee parents with palatial estates.Hughes thrived writing about outcasts and misfits, and it resonated with such an enormous audiencethat he is considered the greatest writer/director of movies about the most awkward years of our lives. Let’s face it, there are far more of us who felt like we didn’t measure up, fit in, or know how to approach relationships - both sexual and casual - than there were smooth-talking, entitled kids whose influence far outweighed their measure as a person.Here is our list of those film jerkwads - young and old-who are still scattered in our nightmares.
10Ian and Max - ‘Weird Science’ (1985)
Portrayed by Robert Downey Jr./Robert Rusler
Here’s a bold take:Weird Scienceis John Hughes’s most underrated film.Fans of the movie loved the antics of sex-crazed best friends, Gary (Anthony Michael-Hall) and Wyatt (Ilan Mitchell-Smith), and the fact that they had to go to school every day having to worry about having their shorts pulled down to their ankles in front of the girls, or getting embarrassed by scoundrels like Ian and Max at the mall sucks. As in all the best Hughes films, the smarter, more sincere characters get both the amazing girls and the recognition they deserve.
Robert Downey Jr.was still searching for a niche in Hollywood coming off less than remarkable bit parts in movies when he was cast opposite Hall and Smith.But you can see the percolating mischief and sarcasm he is now so well known forwhen he andRobert Ruslercombine as a bullying tag team of insecure teens inWeird Science. Downey carried the duo with Rusler as Max tagging along for the ride.
Weird Science
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9Roman Craig - ‘The Great Outdoors’ (1988)
Portrayed by Dan Aykroyd
Hughes wrote the script for this movie and drew the great comedic actorsJohn CandyandDan Aykroydto play the leads in his tale of a Great Lakes area vacation gone horribly awry. Candy is a treasure who was lost way too soon, and Aykroyd is a comic legend, but in the criminally-underratedThe Great Outdoors, the two were at odds over status and merits as fathers. Candy’s character, Chester “Chet” Ripley just wants to have a cordial, relaxing Wisconsin vacation.Aykroyd is Roman Craig, a wannabe moneyed big wig who isn’t interested in his wife’s and two daughters' lives.
It’s hard to label Dan Aykroyd as a “bad guy”, but the way Hughes wrote the script, it’s impossible not to. Always looking to take shortcuts for quick cash, Roman can’t leave his business hat at the cabin door, and it makes everyone’s lives miserable. This is as close as John Hughes came to a “buddy film” and maybe it’s appropriate that the two buddies are polar opposites. Chet is an overweight family man with a moral compass andRoman is a slick, self-serving narcissistic person willing to give up the safety of the entire group to cover his behind.
The Great Outdoors
The Great Outdoors follows the Ripley family as they embark on a peaceful lakeside vacation in Wisconsin, only to have their plans interrupted by the unexpected arrival of the overbearing Craig family. Tensions rise as the two families struggle to coexist, leading to a series of comedic conflicts and adventures.
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8Marv Murchins - ‘Home Alone’ (1990)
Portrayed by Daniel Stern
Home Aloneis surely one of the top three John Hughes films.Daniel Sternplays Marv Murchins, one half of a bad guy duo known as “The Wet Bandits”. Sure, they were inept and outsmarted by Kevin McCallister (Macauley Culkin) at every turn, but he was a scoundrel who was easily led into a life of crime by his older and (we hesitate to say wiser) partner in crime, Harry Lime (Joe Pesci). What kind of guy goes after a kid who is home alone?
Stern is fantastic as the bumbling burglar and has great chemistry with Pesci. The scene where the tarantula spider lands on his face, causing him to squeal in terror is one of the most memorable parts of what has become a classic holiday film. But his insistence on robbing the majestic McCallister home lands him on this list of rotten John Hughes characters.
Home Alone
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7Bug - ‘Uncle Buck’ (1989)
Portrayed by Jay Underwood
Hughes teamed up with the larger-than-lifeJohn Candya year afterThe Great OutdoorsforUncle Buckin 1989. Charged with babysitting his sister Chanice’s (Amy Madigan) two precocious and resentful kids (Jean-Louisa KellyandMacauley Culkinas Tia and Miles Russell), Candy runs into all manner of obstacles. Maybe the biggest problem, however, is the knob of a boyfriend named Bug (Jay Underwood) who does his best to drive a wedge between Tia and Buck.
Buck is a lifelong bachelor and his ideas on taking care of kids are unorthodox, to say the least. When Bug starts to become more of a problem for him, Buck doesn’t hesitate to bring out some heavy artillery and uses his imposing size to scare the teen boy straight. Bug chose the wrong uncle to pull one over on, and Candy shines in the titular role.
Uncle Buck
Uncle Buck stars John Candy as Buck Russell, an eccentric uncle who comes to babysit his brother’s teenage daughter and two younger kids. Macaulay Culkin stars as the young Miles Russell alongside Gabby Hoffmann, and Jean Louisa Kelly. John Hughes directed Uncle Buck, coming off the heels of The Great Outdoors, which also starred John Candy.
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6Harry Lime - ‘Home Alone’ (1990)
Portrayed by Joe Pesci
We’ve already met half of this idiotic crew, so let’s go ahead and make it official with Harry Lime (Joe Pesci) in this spot. Naturally, he ranks as a bigger jerk than his buddy, Marvin, simply because he is the one driving these two misfits.With his shiny gold tooth, Kevin McCallister saw this creep coming from a mile away. But we love that Pesci took on this role after having established dramatic rigor in heavyMartin Scorsesefilms likeRaging Bull,Goodfellas, and theLethal Weaponseries.
So what compelled Pesci to take on a role that he knew was completely against type? John Hughes, of course.Pesci fell in love with the script and drilled the performance in what is the biggest outlier of the serious actor’s career. Of course, he would continue his dramatic career after the first two Home Alone films with Oscar-worthy turns inCasino,The Irishman, and many more in an outstanding and diversified career.
5Ed Rooney - ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ (1986)
Portrayed by Jeffrey Jones
Ferris Buller’s Day Offis one of the most popular Gen X movies ever made, and a movie that, also, revolutionized the end credits and post credits. The chemistry betweenMatthew Broderickas Ferris,Alan Ruckas Cameron, andMia Saraas Sloan popped off the screen; but their school-skipping adventure would never have materialized the way it did if there wasn’t an opposing force that would go to extreme lengths to curtail the Machiavellian Bueller and his exploits. If you’re going to “beat the system”, there needs to be a rigid system in place to be beaten. EnterJeffrey Jonesas Principal Edward D. Rooney.
The pure energy and enthusiasm that Jones brings to the roleis partof what makes this Hughes movie so compelling.A lot of teens were at odds with the principals of our high schools and had “less than exemplary attendance records”. Ferris Bueller inspired many to take their chances by outsmarting the powers that be.Jones brought another level of physical humor to Rooney that audiences were not expecting. His unfortunate trip to the Bueller home and across Chicago proper was just the pushback we needed to make the escapades of our three truants shine. “Hey batta, hey batta, hey batta, sawingg batta!!”
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
4Chet - ‘Weird Science’ (1985)
Portrayed by Bill Paxton
The lateBill Paxtonwent on to do great things in little movies calledTitanic,Aliens, andTwister, but his role as the cigar-smoking, militant, and misanthropic older brother of Wyatt inWeird Sciencewas where most of us became familiar with the actor. This is a Hughes character and is one who takes the big brother role to an extremely obnoxious level. Lucky for Wyatt and his best friend Gary (Anthony Michael Hall), they have a spectacular goddess-like woman, Lisa (Kelly LeBrock) at their disposal to deal with Chet.
Hughes wrote Lisa to be the dreamgirl of any red-blooded human male, and as loathsome as he is, Chet qualifies as a man who is bedeviled by Lisa’s undeniable allure.It’s already been established that Weird Science is Hughes' most underrated film, and in this movie, he is one of his most underrated characters.What Paxton does with only a few minutes of screentime is an obvious precursor to the talent and charisma that would make him one of Hollywood’s most sought-after actors.
3Richard Vernon - ‘The Breakfast Club’ (1985)
Portrated by Paul Gleason
Paul Gleasonis faculty member Richard Vernon in thisgenerational film about teen angst and self-discovery. Vernon was eager to exert whatever amount of authority he believed he possessed during a weekend detention featuring teenagers from different walks of life. There was the jock (Emilio Estevez), the rebel (Judd Nelson), the insecure popular girl (Molly Ringwald), the geek (Anthony Michael Hall), and the freak (Ally Sheedy) all forced to spend a Saturday in the library with the menacing Paul Vernon.
Gleasondelivered one of the most memorable lines in any John Hughes filmwhen he was saddled with babysitting a group of troubled teens for a Saturday detention. Say it with us…“You mess with the bull, you get the horns”. A classic line from a man whose bark was much worse than his bite. Vernon thought he was in control of these bored kids,but they were having a field day right under his nose, shattering the social stereotypes that defined them.
The Breakfast Club
After receiving detention, a group of five high-school students bonds as they realize they have quite a bit in common despite being from different friend groups. Despite being over 35 years old, The Breakfast Club still stands as one of the quintessential movies of the ‘80s and one of director John Hughes standout films.
2Steff McKee - ‘Pretty in Pink’ (1986)
Portrayed by James Spader
Hughes loved to play on the haves and the have-nots that we all went to high school with.Pretty in Pinkis a patented blend of the writer/director’s formula of teen class warfare and a love story in one movie. Poor girl Andie Walsh (Molly Ringwald) is the object of everyone’s affection, including Duckie (Jon Cryer), Blaine (Andrew McCarthy), and most importantly, for this list, Steff, played by the inimitableJames Spader. Alas, there is only one Andie to go around, and when Steff feels unrequited after pining for her for four years, he’s going to make her life miserable.
The final two cruel popular dudes on this list are essentially interchangeable, and, interestingly, Hughes directed neither but conjured his most awful high school people.But Spader as Steff McKee just has that quality that almost makes you want to punch his face on the screen, doesn’t he?Spader is so good in the role with his collar pulled up and his throaty voice. Whoactuallywears sweater vests and white cotton suits to high school and walks around in their parents' mansion in an open, full-length robe? Steff is just another of Hughes' brilliant monikers that make their high society vibe cringe and unforgettable.
1Hardy Jenns - ‘Some Kind of Wonderful’ (1987)
Portrayed by Craig Scheffer
Hughes didn’t actually directSome Kind of Wonderful, but he put pen to paper and created the twerp preppie jerk Hardy Jenns, played brilliantly byCraig Scheffer. Hughes was the writer and producer of the tale of a couple of outcasts, Keith Nelson (Eric Stoltz) and tomboy drummer Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson), who dared to encroach upon the popular crowd’s turf and turn the tables on them. It has all the earmarks of a great Hughes film with an emotional tale of clique warfare between the rich and the poor.
Like Steff, Hardy has extraordinarily wealthy parents who are absent and have done a lousy job raising their son. Sure, Hardy has matinée idol looks and perfect bone structure, but that will never outweigh the lack of value he places on women. When Keith pries the lovely and intelligent Amanda Jones (Leah Thompson) from his grubby paws, there is a score that needs to be settled.In one of the most memorable final scenes from a Hughes film, the two people who were meant to get together and all is well with the world.
Some Kind of Wonderful
When Keith goes out with Amanda, the girl of his dreams, Amanda’s ex-boyfriend plans to get back at Keith. Meanwhile, Keith’s best friend, tomboy Watts, realizes she has feelings for Keith.
