Watching John Hughes movies is almost a guarantee of nostalgia, warmth, and sharp wit. Here’s our ranking of the eight films he directed in his too-short lifetime.
But First
You may also remember John Hughes, who died in 2009 at the age of 59, for Home Alone, or Pretty in Pink, or Disney’s ‘90s remakes of 101 Dalmatians and Flubber.
Hughes is a credited screenwriter on all those films (and wrote Beethoven under a pseudonym), but he did not direct them.
You could do a fine ranking of Hughes’ writing efforts, but they say film is a director’s medium. So for this list of John Hughes films ranked, we’re focusing only on the ones he directed.
8 — Curly Sue (1991)
Hughes wrote, co-wrote, and produced many films after Curly Sue, but it proved to be the last film he ever directed. That’s unfortunate, because it also happens to be the worst John Hughes film.
Some directors have a “worst” film that is still decent — Paul Thomas Anderson, for example. But Curly Sue is not such a film. It’s basically “What if Paper Moon was bad?” Jim Belushi plays a con man who watches over a seven-year-old orphan, the titular Curly Sue.
The movie is inert, and then it ends with a silly happily-ever-after ending. Steve Carell got to make his film debut, though.
7 — Sixteen Candles (1984)
From Hughes’ last film to his first. It’s not just that Sixteen Candles hasn’t aged well, though that is true. (The less we say about Long Duk Dong, the better.) You may be saying, “But Duckie is such a fun character! And Harry Dean Stanton is so sweet as Molly Ringwald’s dad!” Ah, you’re thinking of Pretty in Pink, one of the John Hughes movies he wrote but didn’t direct — which also stars Ringwald as a troubled teenager. That one is directed by Howard Deutch.
One criticism you will hear levied against John Hughes movies, and it is sometimes a fair one, is that he took a lot of license with what real teenagers were like. Characters in John Hughes movies rarely acted like people in real life. For some comedies, including some Hughes comedies, that works better.
When you aim for slice-of-life filmmaking, though, that can bump a bit more. Sixteen Candles, at its lowest points, feels like it was written and directed by an alien. It may have launched his career, but in hindsight is fairly lacking.
6 — She’s Having a Baby (1988)
Six of Hughes’ eight directorial efforts have solidified themselves into the cultural landscape. There’s a reason why we are doing this ranking, and why even when we have quibbles with, say, Sixteen Candles, we would never deny its cultural impact.
Curly Sue and She’s Having a Baby are the two that have fallen out of the Hughes canon, such as it is. With Curly Sue, that’s for the best. But She’s Having a Baby is an enjoyable watch.
Leaving teen movies behind, She’s Having a Baby is a breezy romantic comedy about adults. The movie is also unusual in that it begins with the couple together. In fact, the film follows Jake and Kristy Briggs from their wedding to the birth of their first child.
It then chronicles the ups and downs of married life, in amiable ways, and is helped by the fact the Briggses are played by Elizabeth McGovern and Kevin Bacon.
5 — Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
Ferris Bueller is selfish, arrogant and smarmy, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is all about a dude who breezes through life having yet-another awesome day where the world seemingly bends to his whim.
The movie is still quite a bit of fun. Matthew Broderick is such a delight that he almost (we stress almost) makes up for how obnoxious Ferris is. It’s a breeze to watch. Also, do you know who we like Cameron. And Sloane.
If Ferris were a more likable character, or the movie did not play as if though you’re supposed to like him, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off would be much higher on this list, perhaps at the top. Instead, where it succeeds, it succeeds in spite of Ferris, not because of him.
Like a lot of John Hughes movies, it asks us to root for some sometimes unlikable characters. And pulls it off.
4 — Weird Science (1985)
We are not here just to tut-tut comedies of old! Weird Science is a movie about two teenagers who created a virtual dream woman using a computer. Lisa, as played by Kelly LeBrock, ends up with superpowers. There are mutant bikers. Bill Paxton transmogrifies into a talking pile of feces. Weird Science is so dumb. It operates on a superficial level of silliness and lowbrow culture.
As Roger Ebert pontificated, though, you have to meet a movie at its level to judge it. In that sense, Weird Science delivers what it sets out to do. Paxton is a delightful jerk. Anthony Michael Hall was in his bag as an awkward teenager. Lisa is ridiculous, but the movie is ridiculous. Weird Science is goofy, and at times crass, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.
It’s one of the wildest John Hughes movies and one of the best.
3 — Uncle Buck (1989)
It’s high on the list of John Hughes movies, and even higher on the list of John Candy movies.
For many, Uncle Buck has become the defining role for the gone-too-soon Candy. The film lets him cook. Uncle Buck is a true Candy vehicle, which is not something he got to do all that often. What if a nutty, eccentric guy was asked to babysit his nieces and nephew for a while? That’s Uncle Buck.
He’s crass and brash. He’s like Buttermaker from Bad News Bears, but slightly more loveable. Oh, and he makes that giant pancake. Everybody loves that giant pancake now. Uncle Buck has been given “cult status” by elder Millennials, and while not everything needs to be reclaimed as a “cult movie,” Uncle Buck is a fun showcase for Candy, and a movie worth having affinity for.
2 — The Breakfast Club (1985)
Five archetypes walk into a library. The Breakfast Club is not realistic. It shows some flaws in Hughes’ story crafting. We will point out that Bender’s “tragic” story of getting a pack of cigarettes from his dad as a present probably sounded nice to plenty of teens who, you know, never got any presents growing up. It’s not like Bender wasn’t a smoker! Yes, The Breakfast Club is far from perfect, but through some alchemy, it all comes together.
Sure, the cast helps. Not just the teens in detention, all played by high-quality teen actors, but Paul Gleason as Vice Principal Vernon. He’s smarminess personified in a great way. In the end, when the letter is being read in voiceover, Simple Minds is playing, and Bender is pumping his fist on the football field, we get hyped. Each and every time.
That’s some legitimate quality filmmaking from Hughes, and he should be commended for crafting such an iconic moment. Also, at one point while high Emilio Estevez screams so loud he shatters glass, and that’s cool too.
1 — Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)
Hughes is forever associated with teens, and teen angst, but with Planes, Trains and Automobiles he focused on two adult characters and got his best film out of it. Of course, it helps that he had Steve Martin and John Candy, two beloved comedic figures, as his leads. Those two carry the film, but Hughes handled his part of the process as well.
In a rare Thanksgiving movie, Martin’s Neal and Candy’s Del see their flight diverted and have to figure out a way to get to Chicago in time for the holiday. Neal is not happy with the situation, as Del grates on his nerves (which seem frayed on a good day), but the two have an interesting dynamic. Not just the characters, but the actors.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles is funny and sweet in equal measure. Even though the title eschews an Oxford comma, which we will never forgive it for, it earns the spot atop the John Hughes movies rankings.
Liked This List of John Hughes Movies Ranked Worst to Best?
Thank you for reading. Please let us know in the comments how you would rank the John Hughes movies.
You may also like this list of Awesome ’80s Movies Only Cool Kids Remember, or this list of Shameless ’80s Comedies That Just Don’t Care if You’re Offended.
Main image: Kelly LeBrock in Weird Science. Universal.