Originally published at Lifelounge
This week two years ago John Hughes
left us to go to that big high school in the sky, however as we hear the opening strains of Simple Minds' 'Don't You (Forget About Me)' we here at Lifelounge collectively raise our fists to the sky à la Bender.
Like us, you probably hold the director/writer/producer/Molly Ringwald fan close to your hearts, so in remembrance of the great guy we've compiled a list of life lessons that Hughes gave us throughout his career.
WARNING: After reading this you may get caught in a John Hughes vortex (JHV) that will you leave you unable to leave the house until you've watched every last one of his films.
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Home Alone 2:
Lost in New York
Life lesson: Kids aren't dumb.
They can outsmart parents, robbers and hotel staff. (Also, just because people look vaguely threatening and are covered in pigeons doesn't mean they are evil – maybe they're just misunderstood! Sure you can hang out with them in deserted parks at night! Of course you can accompany them to similarly secluded attics and not tell anyone where you're going! [This may not always translate to real life.])
Pretty in Pink
Life lesson: Be yourself.
Just because you're not part of the cool crowd doesn't mean that the guy of your dreams won't fall in love with you (and you don't need to go all
Grease and change yourself just to make him more comfortable). Just make your own prom dress that, while hideous, seems to give him the courage to stand up to his preppy friends and express his love for you. Secondary lesson: avoid James Spader at all costs.
Weird Science
Life lesson: The 'perfect woman' might not be perfect.
Creating the ideal virtual lady won't bring you happiness – you gotta get out there and meet real, normal, fabulous people, dude! Real life girls are much better than fake internet ones, flaws and all. Truth.
Some Kind of Wonderful
Life lesson: Sometimes what you're looking for is right in front of you.
Oh, you got a date with the school dream? But maybe your mate with a pixie haircut and overalls is perfect for you. (Also a lesson for the ladies: you don't have to wear heels to get a guy to notice you. Refer to life lesson for
Pretty in Pink.)
Uncle Buck
Life lesson: Don't judge a book by its cover.
Even if the cover is a gambling, hard drinking, law breaking, irresponsible, overweightt dude in a fedora, he might just stop your daughter from going out with a dropkick named Bug. So there you go.
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