MAPACA

Mid-Atlantic Popular &
American Culture Association

The films of John Hughes defined the 1980s and maintain relevance in popular culture. Even though he stopped writing and directing teen comedy-dramas twenty-five years ago, references to his films readily emerge in recent cult classics such as Pitch Perfect. One important prop prevalent in all of John Hughes’ films about teens is a car and its passengers. In addition to representing a teenager’s first real sense of freedom, cars in Hughes’ films hold a greater relevance. From Sixteen Candles to Pretty in Pink, Hughes uses cars as a setting for his characters to transform themselves, to battle their inner-demons, and to emerge as adults. More specifically, a character’s position in or around a car reflects his or her psychological state in the movie; i.e., a powerless Keith in Some Kind Of Wonderful is frequently beneath a car working on it or a meek Cameron in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is hiding under a the tarp of a Ferrari. Both of their proximities to the cars change when each character gains confidence. By analyzing how characters interact with cars in John Hughes’ movies, one gains a greater appreciation of why his movies have remained relevant in popular culture for three decades.