August 6, 2009

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Alison Byrne Fields writes:

I was babysitting for my mom’s friend Kathleen’s daughter the night I wrote that first fan letter to John Hughes. I can literally remember the yellow grid paper, the blue ball point pen and sitting alone in the dim light in the living room, the baby having gone to bed.

I poured my heart out to John, told him about how much the movie mattered to me, how it made me feel like he got what it was like to be a teenager and to feel misunderstood.

(I felt misunderstood.)

I sent the letter and a month or so later I received a package in the mail with a form letter welcoming me as an “official” member of The Breakfast Club, my reward a strip of stickers with the cast in the now famous pose.

I was irate.

I wrote back to John, explaining in no uncertain terms that, excuse me, I just poured my fucking heart out to you and YOU SENT ME A FORM LETTER.

That was just not going to fly.

He wrote back.

“This is not a form letter. The other one was. Sorry. Lots of requests. You know what I mean. I did sign it.”

Alison and John go on to become pen pals: the teenager and the director of movies for teenagers.

This is like Life of Pi: I really want it to be true.