The Poster Memorabilia blog

The Breakfast Club All Grown Up

Forty years later, all five finally in one room — and one signature line worth standing in.

By an anonymous Hollywood insider

I'm so glad The Breakfast Club was released in my youth. I couldn't have asked for a better film to reflect my coming-of-age on screen. To see what my friends and I were going through as we transitioned from kids to young adults. We really had it good, didn't we?

When I saw the cast looking all grown up at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo in 2025, I was struck with a serious case of nostalgia. Memories of that time came flooding back all at once, almost as if it were just yesterday. I'd forgotten just how much I loved the film, and it was a joy seeing the gang all back together for the film's 40th anniversary.

Everyone from the club was there and looked good. Molly Ringwald and Emilio Estevez were strikingly similar to their younger selves, while Judd Nelson and Ally Sheedy looked much older but way cooler. Ironically, Anthony Michael Hall is the youngest of the five, but with his white hair and bigger build, appeared the oldest. It was like he was the old school principal reuniting with his former students.

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Out of the five, I was most excited to see Estevez since this was the first time he went to a reunion event with the rest of the cast. Ringwald even joked that they no longer had to lug around his cardboard cutout to make it seem that they were all together. For the first time since 1985, the actual Breakfast Club was complete.

“For the first time since 1985, the actual Breakfast Club was complete.”

I had a ball seeing them joke around with each other, share stories from set, and pay tribute to John Hughes, the genius behind the best 80s teen movies. Listening to them reminisce about that time really made me realize how good we had it back then. In those days, they actually made movies for us younguns, and they took us seriously.

By the 90s, teen flicks grew more outlandish and ridiculous, far from the relatable films John Hughes made. How I wish the youth today had movies as we had. It's gotten so bad that I only ever hear my daughter talk about superhero movies or K-pop. Teenagers aren't watching films made for them anymore.

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All of these thoughts made the reunion even more special to me. And I wanted to mark it by asking them to sign my poster. I had tried to get their autographs when they reunited once before, but I failed. This time, with all five of them there, I was determined to see it through.

I made it sound like it was a difficult mission for a second there, when in fact, it was fairly easy this time around. I suppose it helped that I got to the event early, which guaranteed me a good spot in the line for the autograph signing. Eventually, I got to meet with every single one of them and got their autographs.

They were all pretty nice and had firm handshakes. Hall and Ringwald even stood up a couple of times to take selfies with other fans. I kinda wanted to take one myself, but I was too nervous. It was enough for me to have gotten their autographs on my movie poster, anyway.

If the cast chooses to reunite for the movie's 45th and 50th anniversaries, you can bet that I'll be there, too. I was never into clubs when I was in high school, but I'm happy I got to be in this one.

Some things you watch. This one you keep.

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