Movie: St. Elmo's Fire

A smart woman told me to write every day.  I don't think
I have enough to say but I am thinking about it every day.

In 1985 "St. Elmo's Fire" was released.  Jennifer was 12.  Gabe was 8.  Why has this movie become a touchstone moment in our lives?  Oh, wait, maybe it hasn't. Maybe it's just that Jenn learned to play the theme from it on the piano and played it perfectly and played it from memory.  But, no. There is more.  Yes, "The Breakfast Club" probably was more age appropriate, but it was released the same year!  Go figure.  John Hughes was responsible for Breakfast Club, Joel Schumacker for St Elmo's. 

I watched this movie several times in the 80's and early 90's.  I haven't seen it in 20 years.  Does it hold up?  Yes with qualifications.  The dialogue is, at times, spot on and could be 25 year old kids talking today.  At other times, not so much.  But there are great lines, like "men, can't live with them, can't shoot them."  And the question "why do they put ice in the urinal" and the answer "it tastes better."  And the lines "fluff and fold."  and "The only way to loose weight in the thighs is amputation."

But I have a few niggling comments.  The character Wendy, in love with Billy, has terrible clothes. Really, really terrible.  But she has two cool girlfriends!  Do they not want to give her advice about losing the Mormon prairie girl look and just buy a pair of jeans?  Come on.  She is cute but her clothes don't work at all, ever, never.  Jules and Leslie let her down.  But whatever, in the end she gets to have sex with the only guy she loves, Billy.  And watch that..... she is wearing jeans in that scene!  I rest my case there.

Rob Lowe and Demi Moore went on to huge fame and fortune.  The others did well in movies and TV but they all were shining in this movie.  And note that in Breakfast Club Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy and Judd Nelson were great and I would watch that again right now.  "Screws fall out all the time. The world is an imperfect place."   "...I can see you pushing maximum density."  "I think violating fire codes and endangering the lives of children would be unwise at this juncture in your career."  And the great scene with "fuck you" being shouted several times. Ah, you have to see it to get it.  Diamond stud earring, lipstick, lunch, great scenes.  Brat-pack be damned, these were good movies.

With St. Elmo's I laughed out loud several times and I got teary once or twice. Granted, some wine was involved, but still.  Check it out and then check out Breakfast Club.