THE BREAKFAST CLUB
by
John Hughes
Shooting Draft 1985
BLANK SCREEN:
Against Black, TITLE CARD: "...and these children that you spit on, as they try to change their worlds are immune to your consultations. They're quite aware of what they're going through... - David Bowie" The Blank Screen and Title Card SHATTER to reveal...
During Brian's monologue, we see various views of things inside the school including Bender's locker.
We see CLAIRE and her FATHER sitting in their car in the parking lot. Claire is the prom queen and is clearly a snob.
(CLAIRE) I can't believe you can't get me out of this...I mean it's so absurd I have to be here on a Saturday! It's not like I'm a defective or anything...
Claire rolls her eyes and gets out of the car and walks up the school front steps
We are in BRIAN's car. His MOTHER is there and so is his little SISTER. He is sort of a nerd.
Brian gets out of the car and walks towards the school.
We see ANDREW and his FATHER. Andrew is clearly a jock; he's wearing a letterman's jacket with lots of patches on it.
Andrew gets out of the car and walks into the school.
We see JOHN BENDER walking towards us. He is wearing sunglasses. A car is coming towards him but he doesn't stop walking. The car slams on its breaks directly in front of him. Bender gets out of the frame. Out of the car steps ALLISON. She is dressed all in black. She steps forward to look in the car's front window and the car drives away.
There are six tables in two rows of three. Claire is sitting at the front table. Brian comes in and sits at the table behind her. Andrew comes in and points at the chair next to Claire at the front table. She shrugs and he sits there. In walks Bender, he touches everything on the checkout desk and takes a few things in the process. He walks over to where Brian is sitting and points to the table on the opposite side of the Library. Brian reluctantly gets up and moves. Bender sits at the table where Brian was and puts his feet up. Allison walks in. She walks all the way around the library and sits in the back corner table, just behind Brian. Andrew and Claire look at each other and snicker. Brian looks at her in confusion and then turns away. Enter RICHARD VERNON, a teacher. He holds a stack of papers in his left hand.He addresses the group with such disrespect it makes you wonder how he ever got the job.
Claire raises her hand.
Vernon doesn't care. He just continues to talk.
Bender spits into the air and catches the spit in his mouth again. Claire looks like she is going to gag.
He glances up at Bender and points at him.
Vernon pulls the chair out from under Bender's feet.
Vernon passes out paper and pencils and takes no notice of Bender.
Bender looks up.
CONTINUED: (2)
Vernon points.
Everyone tries to get comfortable and we hear a loud snapping sound. Brian turns and looks and it is Allison, biting her nails. Bender's eyes widen as he turns to look. Everyone is looking now. Allison notices them looking at her.
Allison spits part of her nail at Bender.
CONTINUED: (3)
He attaches the pen to his bottom lip and puts the top under his upper lip.
Bender looks at him in utter confusion. Brian notices this, laughs and takes the pen out of his mouth-- embarrassed. Bender and Brian begin to take their jackets off at the same time. They both notice this. Brian stops removing his jacket. Bender takes his all the way off. Brian rubs his hands together and pretends to be cold. He pulls his jacket back on. He turns and looks at Bender who is still staring at him.
Bender glares at him and Brian utters an uncomfortable laugh. Bender turns away and crumples up his essay paper. He throws it at Claire. It misses and goes over Claire's head. Andrew and Claire acknowledge it but continue to ignore Bender. Bender starts loudly "singing" the musical part of a song. Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah...nah, nah, nah...î
CONTINUED: (4)
Everyone is now looking at Bender.
Bender gasps mockingly.
He turns to Brian.
Claire turns and glares at him.
Bender ignores him.
CONTINUED: (5)
Bender mockingly registers pain in his face.
Claire rolls her eyes.
CONTINUED: (6)
Claire and Andrew turn to face Bender, both furious.
We see Vernon in his office.
They all look at each other. Andrew turns away from Bender.
Bender stands up and walks over to the railing. He sits on it.
Bender probably is upset at this and he pauses a moment before speaking. He doesn't let his emotions out, however.
Andrew and Claire look at each other and laugh at Bender.
CONTINUED: (2)
Brian feels left out.
Brian again feels he needs to contribute.
Bender nods and turns to Claire.
CONTINUED: (3)
Bender points at Brian.
CONTINUED: (4)
Brian becomes interested.
CONTINUED: (5)
They hear Vernon moving around out in the hall so Bender quickly comes and sits in the chair between Claire and Andrew. He folds his hands on the table. Vernon goes back into his office. Bender laughs and gets up. He starts walking towards the double doors that separate the library from the hallway.
Bender turns and points at Brian.
Bender turns back away and goes to the door. He looks around cautiously and removes a screw from the door.
We see Vernon getting a drink at the fountain. He stands up and checks the way he looks in a mirror. He does a muscular pose and utters some manly jibberish Cobadonga!
Brian looks up. Bender is messing with the door to the library.
The door slams shut. Bender runs back to his seat.
We see Vernon walking back to his office. He stops and listens to them through the closed door.
We see Brian as we hear Vernon in the hall.
He opens the door and storms in.
For a few seconds no one says anything, they just stare at Vernon.
Vernon turns to Claire.
Vernon looks around and looks at Bender.
Vernon looks at Allison in the back.
Allison lets out a squeak and slams her face onto the table, hiding in her jacket hood.
CONTINUED: (2)
Vernon goes over to the door. He tries to hold it open by putting a folding chair in front of it.
The door slams shut despite the chair.
They laugh. Vernon opens the door again. He comes back in.
Andrew gets up and walks over to Vernon.
Vernon and Andrew are now attempting to move the steel magazine rack in front of the door.
They get it into the doorway and it blocks the entire door.
CONTINUED: (3)
Vernon thinks about it. He turns to Andrew.
Brian points at them and Bender glares at him.
Andrew and Vernon come back into the main section of the library.
Andrew sits.
Vernon turns to leave.
Vernon spins in his tracks and faces Bender again.
CONTINUED: (4)
Claire mouths the word "Stop" to Bender.
CONTINUED: (5)
Bender glares at him.
CONTINUED: (6)
Vernon leaves and closes the door. A musical riff builds to a climax as Bender screams.
We see the clock, it reads a quarter to eight. We see Bender, lighting his shoe on fire and lighting a cigarette with his shoe. We see Claire thinking. We see Brian playing with his balls. We see Andrew playing with his sweatshirt. We see Allison pulling a string around her finger and making it turn purple. We see Bender put the flames on his shoe out.He then plays air guitar. We see Allison drawing. We see Andrew playing paper football. He cheers silently. Allison shakes dandruff from her hair onto her picture. We see everyone fall asleep.
Later. Vernon is standing there staring at the sleeping kids.
Everyone raises their hands.
Later. We see the clock, it now says 10:22. We see Andrew stretching. We see Bender tearing pages out of a book.He is tossing them around.
Bender tosses the rest of the pages at Brian. He picks up the card catalogue drawer and begins to take cards out.
Andrew turns to Claire.
Claire shrugs.
CONTINUED: (2)
Suddenly, from the back of the room. Allison speaks.
Everyone looks at her shocked. Allison blows her hair out of her eyes and grins.
CONTINUED: (3)
Bender jumps down and goes next to Andrew.
Bender turns and walks away from him. Andrew follows and pushes Bender.
Bender points his middle finger at the floor.
Bender flips his hand around so he is now giving Andrew the bird. Brian comes over and puts a hand on each of the guy's shoulders.
Andrew pushes away from Brian.
Bender turns to Brian.
Bender starts to walk away.
CONTINUED: (4)
Bender walks away.
CONTINUED: (5)
He mimes becoming fat, making noises. Claire gives him the finger.
Bender bends down closer to Claire.
CONTINUED: (6)
Claire is getting upset.
Bender slowly stands and faces Andrew.
Bender walks over to where Andrew is standing.
Bender goes to hit him but Andrew gets Bender down on the ground with a wrestling move.
Andrew gets up.
CONTINUED: (7)
Bender gets up.
Andrew turns and walks away. Bender takes out a switchblade and opens it. He stabs the switchblade into a chair.
We see the janitor, CARL come into the room.
CONTINUED: (8)
Everyone groans. Bender smiles.
The clock says 11:30. Vernon gets up and leaves.
Bender starts to whistle a marching tune and everybody joins in. Vernon enters. Bender begins to whistle Beethoven's
Bender stands.
Allison gets up.
Andrew and Allison are walking in the hall.
Allison doesn't answer.
Allison still doesn't answer.
Allison waits for two beats and then speaks.
Allison smiles.
Allison doesn't answer.
Allison snaps back.
They stop walking and Andrew leans against the wall.
CONTINUED: (2)
Claire and Bender and Brian are all sitting around waiting for the Cokes.
Claire rolls her eyes and turns away in disgust.
Brian shushes Bender and points at Claire who's back is still turned.
Claire spins around.
CONTINUED: (2)
Bender just stares at him.
Claire laughs.
CONTINUED: (3)
Bender looks surprised.
Claire smiles and nods.
Later. Everybody has lunches now. Claire begins to take hers out of a small shopping bag.
Bender grabs a Coke and tosses it over to Allison who catches it without even looking up. Bender then watches Claire set up a sushi platter.
We now watch Andrew take a couple sandwiches out of his bag, a bag of potato chips, an apple, a banana, a bag of cookies and a carton of milk.
Allison opens her Coke and it fizzes over. She loudly slurps it up off the table and her fingers. Andrew sees Bender looking at him.
Allison opens her sandwich and tosses the meat up. It lands on the sculpture above. She opens some pixie stix and pours the sugar on the sandwich and then puts Cap'n Crunch on top of that. She crushes the sandwich together and loudly eats it. Bender goes over and sits by Brian, Bender takes Brian's bag lunch.
Bender reaches in the bag and pulls out a thermos. He sets it on the table and points at it.
Bender goes in again and pulls out a juice box. Brian reaches toward the bag and Bender slaps his hand.
Andrew and Claire smile at each other. Bender stands.
CONTINUED: (2)
Bender mimes mother kissing father and then father kissing mother and then father punching mother in the face. Suddenly it's not so funny anymore.
Bender stands again and points forward.
Bender slams his hand back to slap his invisible mother.
CONTINUED: (3)
He reaches out and pretend he's his father hitting him.
Bender actually looks hurt.
Bender comes over to Andrew and rolls up his right sleeve to reveal a circular shaped burn.
Bender begins to walk away.
Bender walks over to a map table and throws all the maps on the floor. He climbs up on top of the table and then up to the second floor balcony.
CONTINUED: (4)
Vernon puts an orange in his mouth and then attempts to pour coffee out of his thermos. The top comes off and the coffee goes all over his desk.
Vernon walks into the hallway, talking to himself.
Bender comes out of the library doors followed by everyone else. Bender and Claire are walking next to each other. Brian and Andrew are walking next to each other and at the end of the line, Allison is following.
Bender opens his locker.
Bender pulls out a bag of marijuana.
Bender walks away.
Claire walks after Bender.
Andrew follows the other two. Brian looks at Allison who is standing there with her mouth open.
CONTINUED: (2)
Brian turns and leaves. Allison steals the lock off of Bender's locker. We see the crowd walking down the hall.
They see Vernon down one of the halls. We have various sequences of them running around and seeing Vernon until they stop.
Allison squeaks.
They all go Andrew's way and run into a hall closed by an iron gate.
CONTINUED: (3)
Bender puts his bag of marijuana into Brian's underwear. Bender runs away singing loudly. I wanna' be an airborne ranger... We see Vernon hear Bender. The rest of them run.
We see Vernon looking for Bender until he finds him in the gym. Bender is going up for a basket.
He dunks the ball. Vernon enters.
CONTINUED: (4)
Bender fakes the ball at Vernon. He then sets the ball down and rolls it at Vernon who kicks it back at him. They leave.
The rest of the kids are all sitting back in their seats when Bender and Vernon enter. Vernon pushes Bender.
Andrew laughs.
Bender takes his sunglasses out of his pocket and lays them in front of Andrew.
Bender leaves but not before pushing stuff over on the way.
Vernon has put Bender in a closet and is in there talking to him.
Bender just sits there staring at Vernon. Vernon fakes a punch and Bender flinches.
Vernon leaves and locks the closet door after him. Bender climbs into a hatch in the ceiling and disappears.
Bender is slowly crawling through a heating duct.
The ceiling under Bender gives and he falls through.
We see the door to the bathroom. We hear Vernon inside.
CUT TO
Bender walks down the stairs.
We see Bender under the table by Claire's legs. He sits up and bangs his head on the table. He groans. Above the table, Andrew and Claire try to take credit for the noise by making more noise.
Under the table, Bender looks between Claire's legs and can see her panties. He puts his head between Claire's legs.
Claire squeels. She squeezes Bender's head between her knees. Everyone starts faking a coughing fit.
Allison laughs at Vernon.
CONTINUED: (2)
He turns and walks away. We see that he still has the toilet seat cover stuck to his pants. Vernon leaves. Everyone laughs except Claire who lets Bender out to a barrage of slaps.
Bender gets up and walks over to Brian.
Brian gives Bender his bag of Marajuana. Bender turns and walks away.
Claire gets up and goes after him. Then Brian.
Andrew goes.
We see Vernon go down the stairs.
Brian, Bender and Claire are sitting in a circle and laughing hysterically. Bender lights Claire up and she coughs the smoke out. Brian laughs at her. He exhales and tries to eat the smoke. He talks in a really weird voice.
Brian waves Claire over to him and he falls over. We see Andrew emerge from a really smoky room. He inhales another puff and then starts dancing to everybody's applause. He goes back in the room he was in. He screams and it shatters the glass in the door.
Vernon is glancing through the confidential files in the school basement.
Carl enters.
Carl, laughing, comes over and looks at the files that Vernon was looking at.
We see Andrew and Brian laughing. Allison is hanging out over by the statue in the back of the library.
Allison suddenly takes interest in the conversation and as she speaks, she moves over and sits next to the two.
Brian and Andrew look at her in confusion.
Andrew is impressed.
Allison reaches in her bag.
She produces it in her hands and grins.
Allison reluctantly hands over the wallet and Brian glances through it to make sure nothing is missing.
CONTINUED: (2)
We see Bender, he is brushing his teeth with one of Claire's cosmetic brushes. We see Claire looking through Bender's wallet pictures.
Bender clearly doesn't want to answer that. He acts defensive.
CONTINUED: (3)
We cut back to where Andrew, Brian and Allison are sitting, Andrew is looking through Brian's wallet.
Brian laughs.
Allison looks up suddenly.
BRIAN & ANDREW No!
Allison looks hurt and then resentful. Just to spite them, she dumps the contents of her bag onto the couch. Lots of stuff comes out.
CONTINUED: (4)
Brian looks at her and then moves over to Andrew.
CONTINUED: (5)
Allison starts putting everything back in her purse.
Allison gets up and walks away.
Andrew gets up and goes after her.
Andrew turns away and Allison starts to cry.
CONTINUED: (6)
Allison is silently crying.
Andrew nods.
They both are crying silently.
Vernon and Carl are sitting talking.
Vernon ponders that statement for a moment.
They are sitting on the floor in a circle.
Andrew laughs.
They all look at her.
CONTINUED: (2)
Claire rolls her eyes.
Allison is relishing this attention.
Claire notes her disgust.
CONTINUED: (3)
CONTINUED: (4)
Allison is suddenly defensive.
CONTINUED: (5)
Claire is on the verge of tears.
ANDREW & BRIAN Come on, answer the question!
Claire silences all of them by screaming.
Silence for two beats.
CONTINUED: (6)
Allison decides to field that question.
Claire laughs.
CONTINUED: (7)
CONTINUED: (8)
Andrew laughs briefly.
CONTINUED: (9)
Allison feels left out.
CONTINUED: (10)
Claire takes lipstick out and opens it. She places it between her breasts and applies it from her cleavage. When she lifts her head, her lipstick is perfect. Everyone claps. Bender's clap is sarcastic and slow.
Bender turns to Andrew. As he speaks, we can see his words hitting home.
CONTINUED: (11)
Claire starts crying.
CONTINUED: (12)
There are a few beats.
Allison is on the verge of tears herself.
CONTINUED: (13)
CONTINUED: (14)
There is silence until Brian speaks.
CONTINUED: (15)
Brian laughs at her.
Brian is shocked.
Brian hides his head in his arm because he is crying.
CONTINUED: (16)
Brian bashes a chair over.
Andrew starts to laugh.
They all start to laugh, including Brian.
CONTINUED: (17)
Everyone laughs.
Allison starts to laugh too.
Later. We see Brian putting a record on and then music starts. We see them all dancing. This goes on for the duration of the song.
We see Bender crawling back through the heating duct.
Andrew, Allison, Claire and Brian are sitting, in that order on the railing.
Brian glances over at Allison and Andrew who nod in approval.
Claire looks at Allison who looks back.
We see Claire putting eye make-up on Allison.
CONTINUED: (2)
Claire closes her eyes. Allison mimics her.
Claire puts the make-up on her and Allison squeals.
We see Brian thinking about what he's going to write. We see Andrew just thinking. We see Allison and Claire again. Claire is still putting make-up on Allison.
We see Brian begin to write. We see Andrew, still deep in thought.
We see Bender, in the closet once again. Claire opens the door and enters.
Claire stares at him. Bender smiles. Claire smiles.
Brian is busily preparing the essay. Andrew looks up and sees the newly made over Allison and is in awe. Allison walks towards him and stops when she notices Brian staring at her with his mouth open. She glares at him.
Claire kisses Bender, then she breaks the kiss.
Bender nods and speaks at the same time.
We see Brian lift up his paper and kiss it. We see Andrew and Allison.
Allison smiles. We see Brian laugh and give himself a congratulatory punch in the arm.
The five are walking down the hall where they are met by Carl, sweeping up. Brian nods at him.
Brian gets into his dad's car and leaves. Andrew and Allison kiss, Allison rips a patch off Andrew's jacket and gets into the car. Andrew's dad arrives and looks at him, then at Allison. Andrew gets into the car and they drive off. We see Claire take out one of her diamond earrings and put it into Benders hand. They kiss and she gets into her car. She leaves. We see Bender put the earring in his ear.
We see Vernon pick up Brian's essay and begin to read.
We see Bender walking towards us as Brian's monologue continues.
BRIAN (VO)
But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain...
We see Bender walking across the football field as he thrusts his fist into the air in a silent cheer and freezes there.