R.I.P. John Hughes

Sadly, another famous filmmaker has passed away. The press is reporting that writer/director John Hughes died today (8/6/09) of a heart attack. He was only 59.

Wow... In the '80s, I was a big Molly Ringwald fan (Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink and The Breakfast Club) and a big John Candy fan (Trains, Planes and Automobiles and Uncle Buck) which made me a big fan of Mr. Hughes. Home Alone (an example of a kid's power and resourcefulness), Mr. Mom (the first depiction of a stay-at-home dad) and Weird Science (science geek gets the girl) were all ground breaking films and are still among my favorites.

I also loved Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and still watch it even today. In fact, when I moved to L.A. 2 years ago, I was riding done San Vincente Boulevard and Jeffrey Jones (Mr. Rooney) was driving in the car next to me. He looked grumpy and he was hunched over the steering wheel just as he did in the movie. He glanced my way and our eyes connected for a moment as bits of dialogue and scenes from Ferris Bueller just flashed back at me in a surreal way. I could hear Jones as Rooney in my head screaming, "Bueller!" I resisted flashing him a Ferris-like smirk and just waved timidly instead. This must happen to Jones regularly because he just smiled at me and drove off. Trust me, the moment was priceless.

I am getting a bit emotional as I am writing this because this man's work has had a monumental impact on how I view both life and films in general. John Hughes genius was the right blend of comedy and angst, mostly the teenage variety but with some mid-life issues thrown in. His movies defined an era and made me want to make movies too. Even though he had not directed in over a decade, he will really be missed as will his special brand of film making. My prayers and sympathies go out to his family during this sad time. May he rest in peace.