80sfilms

The year before this film came out, two of what would come to be known as “The Brat Pack” starred in 1984’s romantic-comedy-drama Oxford Blues.

The film starred Rob Lowe, who had a string of successful 80s releases, including Illegally Yours (1988), Square Dance (1987), About Last Night… (1986), Youngblood (1986), St. Elmo’s Fire (1985), The Hotel New Hampshire (1984), Class (1983), and The Outsiders (1983).

Oxford Blues featured Lowe doing what he used to do best–looking good, acting smug and sarcastic, and, eventually, getting the girl of his dreams.

In this film, he played an American hustler who follows a rich Brit hottie to England, where he enrolls in Oxford and joins the rowing team to get her attention (and no, it’s not that easy to get into Oxford–he had a computer hacker friend work some magic to get him in).

In the vein of 80s hits such as St. Elmo’s Fire, The Breakfast Club and even About Last Night, Oxford Blues was neither crude nor crass, instead getting its point across without vulgar language, while still dealing with issues such as sex, drugs and general promiscuity. Yes, the plot was simplistic, but at least the film was entertaining without relying on crude slapstick shenanigans and F-bombs every two seconds.

Both directed and written by Robert Boris, Oxford Blues also starred Ally Sheedy as a fellow American at Oxford and part of the rowing team, Amanda Pays as the Brit hottie, Julian Sands, Julian Firth, Alan Howard, Cary Elwes and Chad Lowe.

Oxford Blues might be one of Lowe’s lesser-known films of the 80s, and I’m pretty sure no one I know has ever seen it, but it’s definitely worth a watch, as it’s light, funny and, in the end, satisfying.

About Last Night (1986) was yet another 80s film that, when it released, sailed high over my head. It wasn’t until the early 90s that I saw the film and was able to fully appreciate it.

Starring two of the Brat Pack-ers (Rob Lowe and Demi Moore), About Last Night is about the tricky world of new relationships, and it paints a pretty honest picture of the highs and lows of love.

There’s also at least one thing in this film everyone can relate to—from one night stands, to jealous friends, to annoying buddies, to moving in together much too soon.

About Last Night hits on every aspect of the shift from “me” to “us”, and it will make you laugh, cry, cringe and nod your head as you reflect on your own past loves.
 

In 1985, a film called St. Elmo’s Fire came out. The film was about a group of college friends who had just graduated and were faced with making adult decisions for the first time in their lives.

The film stars most of the Brat Pack, including Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson and Ally Sheedy.

At the time the film came out, I was in high school and didn’t pay much attention to it. But a few years later, I finally saw St. Elmo’s Fire, and it was only then that I was able to appreciate the film.

While some of the sub-plots were definitely crazy, I could relate to the struggles, such as whether or not to base career choices on money; the desire to pursue that unattainable person, consequences be damned; and weighing stability and safety in a partner versus thrills and fireworks.

Even today, after more viewings of the film than I care to admit, upon watching St. Elmo’s Fire, I find new moments that make me laugh, nod my head or even tear up.

And like other great 80s films, the soundtrack rocks.

One can’t really address the 80s without paying respect to the “Brat Pack”–a group of up-and-coming 80s actors that consisted of Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy.

In groups, clusters or pairs, the Brat Pack appeared in many films such as Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty In Pink, St. Elmo’s Fire and About Last Night.

And like most good 80s films, they had the John Hughes connection–a lot of the films the Brat Pack were in were either written, directed, produced, or all of the above, by Hughes.

The nickname the Brat Pack was coined in a 1985 cover story in New York magazine by David Blum (June 10, 1985, pp. 40-47) and is a play on the Rat Pack.

Most of the Brat Pack have enjoyed successful careers (or career revivals, as the case may be), and starred on screens large and small, as well as on Broadway.

The Brat Pack may be a thing of the past, but thanks to DVDs, they will live on.