Dear Mr. Vernon (from The Breakfast Club)

Dear Mr. Venon.

We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. But we think you’re crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us: in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain…

and an athlete

…and a basketcase

…a princess

…and a criminal.

Does that answer your question?

Sincerely yours,

The Breakfast Club

Now, let’s take a look at how that moment is scripted in the earlier draft:

Dear Mr. Vernon… We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. But we think you’re crazy to ask us to write an essay telling you who we think we are. What do you care? You see us as you want to see us. John’s crazy and bad, Cathy’s beautiful and spoiled, Andy’s strong and mature, Allison’s looney tunes and Brian’s brilliant. That’s pretty much how we see ourselves. What we found out, sir, was that we’re all crazy and bad and beautiful, and spoiled and strong and mature and looney tunes and brilliant. Take it or leave it… Sincerely yours, the Breakfast Club.

The basics are there… but stripped of any power at all. The descriptions of our heroes are just that: descriptions, not archetypes.

In rewriting, John Hughes turned the speech from something normal into something extraordinary.

For a more complete breakdown visit this site.