# What is the seminal teen movie of the 80s? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 4, 2011, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-seminal-teen-movie-of-the-80s/570207 "2011-02-04T22:13:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-seminal-teen-movie-of-the-80s/570207/41 "2011-02-05T19:50:05Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > Whether or not it is THE teen movie of the decade, **Fast Times At Ridgemont High** definitely belongs in the poll. It sure beats Flashdance, which is no teen movie. I’d include **Back To The Future** , too. My girlfriends and I watched _Flashdance_ almost every weekend in high school (I graduated in '84). > [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > Out of your list I’d pick _Say Anything…_, although my experience was closer to _Better Off Dead_ minus the French foreign exchange student, \ My peeve is that I can pick up _Say Anything_ at any movie-selling store, but I really want _Better Off Dead_ which I think was a much more entertaining movie, and it’s much harder to find. “I want my two dollars…” > [@blondebear](#): > > I voted for Ferris, but I would’ve gone for **The Lost Boys** if it was on the list. Ooh, good call. I have to agree with everyone who thinks “Fast Times…” should have been on the list. It was very American, of course, but we still enjoyed it. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-seminal-teen-movie-of-the-80s/570207/42 "2011-02-05T20:00:12Z")
I agree that \*\*Fast Times \*\*should have made the poll, but my vote would still have gone for **The Breakfast Club**. ---
**Author:** ![Mnemonic\_Vice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mnemonic\_Vice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mnemonic_Vice)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-seminal-teen-movie-of-the-80s/570207/43 "2011-02-05T21:06:36Z")
I’ll go with the majority here, as I think the answer has to be The Breakfast Club. But Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a legitimate contender for the title. Honorable mention for the terminally underappreciated “Three O’Clock High” as well. ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-seminal-teen-movie-of-the-80s/570207/44 "2011-02-05T21:15:29Z")
Just to be different, I’ll throw “River’s Edge” into the mix for those who had a less upbeat teenage experience. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-seminal-teen-movie-of-the-80s/570207/45 "2011-02-05T21:27:35Z")
I voted for the Breakfast Club. I knew those people in high school–all of them. Fast Times would be my second choice. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-seminal-teen-movie-of-the-80s/570207/46 "2011-02-05T23:41:19Z")
> [@Pitchmeister](#): > > I personally couldn’t really relate to any of the characters from The Breakfast Club (except maybe the teacher, although she thinks that you lot “will have my guts for garters” for holding that opinion), but would be willing to be educated on the mindset of that 80s teen angst. I realize that the poll options are probably a bit John Hughes-heavy, but the films were provided by my friend. Feel free to add suggestions and comments on the choices and/or my failed appreciation of The Breakfast Club. I posted just recently on another 80’s movie, All the Right Moves and when I was growing up in the 80’s, I related somewhat to the kids, but upon re-watching the movie, with the exception of watching Lea Tompson getting nakey, I did more relate now to the people that were in the background. The workers at the bar, and the lay offs and such. It would not really surprise me to hear that some people may watch those self same movies from that time, and realize that they have become the enemy and would probably relate more to the authority figures. You really should watch , not another teen movie. Declan ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-seminal-teen-movie-of-the-80s/570207/47 "2011-02-05T23:54:43Z")
I was tempted to say Ferris, but Breakfast Club deals more with the actual school social scene, and is more of an ensemble. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-seminal-teen-movie-of-the-80s/570207/48 "2011-02-06T00:03:15Z")
For those of us that weren’t teens until the late 80’s, **Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure** should be on the list. Though **Ferris Bueller** , **Lost Boys** , and \*\*Heathers \*\*were still pretty popular, and overall, I first thought of \*\*Breakfast Club \*\*on reading the topic title (before reading any poll choices). It wouldn’t be my personal choice, but it just seems like the quintessential 80’s teen movie. Can’t see too much of an argument against **Fast Times** either. ---
**Author:** ![HeadNinja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b4bc9f/32.png) [@HeadNinja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeadNinja)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-seminal-teen-movie-of-the-80s/570207/49 "2011-02-07T17:28:34Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Things don’t get more seminal than a horny teenager seeing Phoebe Cates emerge from a swinmming pool. Ask Judge Reinhold if you don’t believe me. I see what you did there. I wish I didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-seminal-teen-movie-of-the-80s/570207/50 "2011-02-07T17:48:46Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > It was Pretty in Pink for me. Not that I related all that much, but I loves me some Duckie. I dated a guy who was a LOT like him. Good memories. My favorite line in the movie is Duckie, when Andy says she is going out with Blaine. “BLAINE??” he asks, aghast. “His name is BLAINE??” This, from someone named Duckie. 😛 Although I was practically an adult in 1985, when _The Breakfast Club_ came out (the year I graduated from college), I still considered it the best example of a teen movie. I was still doing some of the same self-examination — “do I want to be who _I_ decide I am, or who people see me as?” I must say though that I did identify more with _St. Elmo’s Fire_; it seemed squarely aimed at me. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-seminal-teen-movie-of-the-80s/570207/51 "2011-02-07T19:03:01Z")
> [@Saltire](#): > > I voted “Duh, it’s obviously…” for **Fast Times at Ridgemont High**. Yup, not having **Fast Times** as an option is like having a Best James Bond poll and omitting Sean Connery. ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-seminal-teen-movie-of-the-80s/570207/52 "2011-02-07T19:42:56Z")
_Fast Times at Ridgemont High_. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-seminal-teen-movie-of-the-80s/570207/53 "2011-02-07T20:23:27Z")
**Fast Times** resonates with me the most. It was filmed where I grew up when I was gtowing up, my favorite to watch is **Sixteen Candles** , simply because I think it’s the funniest and I actually voted for **The Breakfast Club** because I get the feeling it’s the most often viewed /recognized/quoted. There’s scarcely an 80s teen movie I won’t stop and watch if I come across it on TV. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-seminal-teen-movie-of-the-80s/570207/54 "2011-02-07T23:00:48Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > My favorite line in the movie is Duckie, when Andy says she is going out with Blaine. “BLAINE??” he asks, aghast. “His name is BLAINE??” “That’s not a name, that’s a, a, major appliance!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-seminal-teen-movie-of-the-80s/570207.md?page=2)