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Director John Hughes Dies at 59

Director John Hughes, best known for his 1980s teen comedies his died at age 59 according to a statement from his representative.  Hughes suffered a heart attack while taking a morning walk in Manhattan.

Hughes was best known for the movies he made in the 1980s that defined a generation.  “Sixteen Candles,” “The Breakfast Club,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” and “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” were both written and directed by Hughes.  His last film was 1991’s “Curly Sue.”  However, Hughes kept writing, turning out scripts like, “She’s Having a Baby,” “Christmas Vacation,” and “Home Alone.”

His first movie was based on an article he wrote for National Lampoon magazine.  “Vacation,” was a huge hit.  My friends and I still quote it to each other to this day.  (Of course, you could say that about most Hughes movies; they’re instantly quotable.)

After “Curly Sue,” Hughes returned to his native Illinois to farm and write.  Maybe he knew that he could never tap into the zeitgeist like he did with “Sixteen Candles,” and “The Breakfast Club,” and “Ferris Bueller.”  Maybe he figured he had made his mark and that, after they start calling a genre of movies “John Hughes-like,” there’s nowhere else to go.

While he hadn’t directed a movie in over 15 years, the mark he left on cinema cannot be denied and will not be forgotten.  Rest in peace, John Hughes.

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