The Breakfast Club - The Criterion Collection 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

As our own Mr. Duarte delivered some insightful thoughts for The Breakfast Club a couple of times already, I’ll largely let his words stand pat. For my two cents' worth, I virtually grew up with this film. I didn’t own it until the Criterion Blu-ray because I’d seen it so many times over the years. If my sister didn’t rent the tape, it was on television all the time (edited before they overdubbed, and just beeped the curse words). Whether I was channel surfing or at a friend's house, or catching an anniversary theatrical screening, I somehow end up watching this film at least once a year. Minimum. 

I think the first three years I was alive were the longest stretches where I didn’t see this film, and that’s because it hadn’t been released yet. The point I’m trying to make is, I never tire of it. I think I never tire of it because there’s always something relatable. At any given time, one of those kids encapsulated an archetype I related to, if even only somewhat. But as of this most recent viewing, I realized in my advancing years, I relate more to Paul Gleason’s Mr. Vernon; my snarky, cynical side certainly identifies with John Kapelos’ Carl. Bottom line, I think The Breakfast Club is a modern classic. There are good reasons it’s lasted for so many years and remains the quintessential John Hughes film. 

Here’s what Mr. Duarte had to say for The Breakfast Club Criterion Collection Blu-ray 

What separates the John Hughes' teen films from the countless others released before his directorial debut with Sixteen Candles is the genuine respect he showed for the adolescent characters being portrayed and the young audience watching his films. The people occupying the fictional town of Shermer, Illinois act like real teens, with legitimate concerns about those awkward years between childhood and the world of adults. His plots are infused with a general understanding and experience many viewers can relate to. Hughes' films don't treat teenagers condescendingly or portray their emotional lives as superficial or shallow plot devices. In his films, teens are allowed to speak their minds with a unique, authentic voice all their own. No film demonstrates this better than The Breakfast Club, a movie frequently celebrated for defining teen culture.

The structure of the narrative is near brilliant. The film commences with a comedic atmosphere that subtly and cleverly establishes each character's stereotype and social group, including that of Principal Vernon (Paul Gleason). Andy (Emilio Estevez) is the school jock with a great future as long as he does what he's told. Claire (Molly Ringwald) is the popular girl, the princess, everyone thinks is perfect. As the brain and the youngest of the bunch, Brian (Anthony Michael Hall) is seen as the most innocent and harmless. Allison (Ally Sheedy) is the basket case with little to say and who doesn't seem to care what others think. Bender (Judd Nelson) is the troublemaker, a future criminal, who might just be trying to appear tough.

Once Hughes has our attention, the story slowly turns into a serious and somewhat unexpected drama about the modern teenager. Their relationships with their parents are shown in the first few minutes. It's no accident that Bender is seen walking to campus by himself, and Allison's parents just drive away without even looking at her. When the characters sit down, they do so according to preconceived notions of each other. It doesn't matter if anyone in the audience has ever directly experienced a Saturday detention like the one put on screen. The point is to confront the social hierarchies of high school and discover their similarities, and Hughes does this by locking a group of kids up in the library. It's a space where they will eventually have to talk and face up to their stereotypes — not just of each other but also of themselves. "In the simplest terms and the most convenient definitions."

Their shenanigans and tomfoolery during those eight hours is more a consequence of their growing openness and letting down of their guards. With each moment that they reveal more about themselves and their inner thoughts, they also become more rebellious and less fearful of acting according to their prescribed social circles. If we're being just as honest as these kids, then we should admit that cliques are ultimately an effect of fear — afraid of being alone and unaccepted because it's easier and more comfortable to be a part of a group. To resist that pecking order requires at least a small bit of rebelliousness. Of course in one very intimate scene towards the latter part of the story, they admit that come Monday morning high school life will resume as before, suggesting that as much as we are aware of the hierarchies, we continue to abide by them into adulthood. The principal and Carl (John Kapelos) are proof of that fact.

Hughes clearly did something right with The Breakfast Club, since kids today are still watching and enjoying the film. They continue to find a connection with the characters and dilemmas of high school life. In many respects, the 80s teen classic appears to be an accurate portrait of adolescence, a film that doesn't feel condescending or artificial. It digs deeper into what concerns kids most — a desire to talk, be heard, and make friendship, and because of this, The Breakfast Club remains incredibly influential and respected.

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray 
The Breakfast Club makes extra room on the Criterion Collection shelf for its 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray debut. Celebrating the film’s 40th Anniversary, we have a two-disc 4K UHD + Blu-ray set returning with spin number 905, housed in the standard clear case complete with an essay booklet. Each disc loads to Criterion’s typical menu structure. The bulk of the extras are found on the Blu-ray.

While I didn’t own this film prior to the 2018 Criterion Blu-ray, I kept up with its releases, either renting on DVD or Blu-ray when/where available. For a film this visually simple, it’s had some pretty divergent releases over the years. Most of them were pretty good, certainly watchable, but the film never really popped on disc. At least, not in my opinion. Details would either look fuzzy or overly sharpened, or skin tones would appear entirely too flushed and pink. The Criterion Blu-ray felt like a step in the right direction. This disc refines all of that good work and gives it quite a bit more heft. Fine details and clothing textures are much stronger this outing. Film grain appears a bit more naturally rendered without appearing intrusive or distracting. No edge enhancement or compression anomalies to distract either. 

The Dolby Vision grade is on the more subtle side of the spectrum, but it certainly offers some welcome enhancements. The most immediate improvement I felt was color. The 2018 Blu-ray was very good in that regard, but this gives the primaries a little more lifelike verve. Skin tones are just a bit healthier. Black levels and shadows are given a little nudge, but nothing too revolutionary there. The film still looks like four kids stuck in a school on the weekend. It’s not a visually exciting film, but I think this is the best we’re likely to see on disc.

The audio remains the same as the 2018 release: an excellent LPCM mono track and a nicely robust, enjoyable DTS-HD MA 5.1 track.

The accompanying booklet also mentions the soundtrack was remastered from the same 35mm elements used for the video, and Criterion presents it here as an uncompressed PCM 2.0 monoaural track. A DTS-HD Master Audio option is also available and appears to be identical to that heard on the Universal Studios Blu-ray. As for the mono version, audio purists will be incredibly happy with the results, displaying excellent clarity without the slightest hint of distortion. Dynamics and acoustics maintain superb detailing within each note and instrument, providing every song selection with palpable fidelity and outstanding sense of presence. Low bass is equally robust and hearty so that each song carries an appreciable weight and depth. Of course, this being a character-driven comedy, dialogue is given top priority, delivering exceptional intonation in every emotive line and distinct clarity in the slightest change of pitch and inflection. Although the DTS-HD track is equally enjoyable, it's nice to have a first-rate audio track such as this as an option.

All of the previous bonus features make their return for this set. The bulk of the extras are all on the included 1080p disc, but Criterion did thankfully include the commentary on the 4K disc too (hate it when commentaries are only on the old Blu-ray discs).

• Audio Commentary: Stars Judd Nelson and Anthony Michael Hall team up for this commentary track.
• Sincerely Yours (SD, 51 min)
• Cast & Crew (HD, 1080i/60):
• Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy (19 min)
• Judd Nelson (12 min)
• Ally Sheedy (15 min)
• Irene Brafstein (9 min)
• Paul Gleason (11 min)
• John Hughes (HD):
• American Film Institute, 1985 (47 min)
• Sound Opinions, 1999 (16 min)
• Electronic Press Kit (1080i/60, 24 min)
• This American Life (HD, 16 min)
• Describe the Ruckus (HD, 12 min)
• Today (1080i/60, 10 min): 
• Deleted & Extended Scenes (SD, 52 min)

The Breakfast Club is one of the finest films of its generation. Beyond speaking directly to the Gen X crowd (I’m an inbetweener Xennial myself), the film perfectly captured that angst of high school pressures where you’re no longer a kid but you’re also not an adult. You have responsibilities, but you also can’t be fully responsible for your actions. Sure, how the film boils down these character eccentricities into just a few archetypes might be a shortcoming, but nonetheless, the story and characters are immediately relatable. Now making its grand 4K debut for its 40th Anniversary, the good folks over at Criterion deliver a fabulous 4K UHD Dolby Vision upgrade. How necessary it would be to upgrade for those who already own the 2018 Blu-ray, well, that’ll depend on how big a fan you are and if you think it’s necessary. If you haven’t yet picked up a Criterion Collection edition of The Breakfast Club, this two-disc release gives you the best of both formats, all in one package. Highly Recommended