St. Elmo's Fire
I was enamored by the Brat Pack during my early adolescence. Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez, Andrew McCarthy, they were so COOL when I was fourteen. Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink, those movies were the epitome of what I wanted to be. Then, of course, I discovered the singlist tendencies in John Hughes and discarded them.
But Joel Schuamcher seems to have a (somewhat) more realistic perspective. When I first saw St. Elmo’s Fire, I grouped it into the “image of cool” I had ascribed to those other films. When I saw it most recently, I realized while there’s a core of an idea there (college kids struggling to find their place in the world after graduation), the movie’s a mess. The characters are superficially drawn (and generally not likable) and there are too many stories going on. But there are some good pro-single snippets too noteworthy not to warrant a list on this blog. So I’m going to highlight the pro-single character arcs:
Wendy – The daughter of a wealthy clothing magnet, she’s devoted to career as a social worker. But her parents keep insisting that she marry a wealthy man. While her attachment to Billy, an alcoholic saxophone player, is anything but healthy, she does want to make it on her own. And at the end, she’s not coupled, and she’s stood up to her father (although she does sleep with Billy).
Alec & Leslie – The quintessential power couple at the beginning, they’ve got problems. One in particular: Alec’s numerous affairs. Leslie responds by sleeping with Kevin, and by the end, Leslie’s decided to try dating both of them simultaneously. Very modern.
Billy – The only married one of the bunch, he’s also the most dysfunctional. He’s impregnated his college sweetie, they married as a result, and yet, he can’t stop partying. We first meet him after he’s been busted for drunk driving. But, at the end, his wife’s married someone else, he’s accepted he’s just not “ready for marriage,” and he heads off to New York to play the sax. He’s not likable by any stretch, and many would judge him for walking out. That said, I hope he plays a role in his son’s live. If he does, I can put his arc in the “pro-single” column.
But Joel Schuamcher seems to have a (somewhat) more realistic perspective. When I first saw St. Elmo’s Fire, I grouped it into the “image of cool” I had ascribed to those other films. When I saw it most recently, I realized while there’s a core of an idea there (college kids struggling to find their place in the world after graduation), the movie’s a mess. The characters are superficially drawn (and generally not likable) and there are too many stories going on. But there are some good pro-single snippets too noteworthy not to warrant a list on this blog. So I’m going to highlight the pro-single character arcs:
Wendy – The daughter of a wealthy clothing magnet, she’s devoted to career as a social worker. But her parents keep insisting that she marry a wealthy man. While her attachment to Billy, an alcoholic saxophone player, is anything but healthy, she does want to make it on her own. And at the end, she’s not coupled, and she’s stood up to her father (although she does sleep with Billy).
Alec & Leslie – The quintessential power couple at the beginning, they’ve got problems. One in particular: Alec’s numerous affairs. Leslie responds by sleeping with Kevin, and by the end, Leslie’s decided to try dating both of them simultaneously. Very modern.
Billy – The only married one of the bunch, he’s also the most dysfunctional. He’s impregnated his college sweetie, they married as a result, and yet, he can’t stop partying. We first meet him after he’s been busted for drunk driving. But, at the end, his wife’s married someone else, he’s accepted he’s just not “ready for marriage,” and he heads off to New York to play the sax. He’s not likable by any stretch, and many would judge him for walking out. That said, I hope he plays a role in his son’s live. If he does, I can put his arc in the “pro-single” column.
