Summary

  • The Breakfast Club quotes are memorable and relatable, making it a definitive movie of the 1980s.
  • The heartfelt sentiments shared between the characters in the film still strike a chord, despite some dated humor and references.
  • John Hughes' writing is highly regarded, and the best Breakfast Club quotes serve as a timeless reminder of his talent.

Iconic teen movie director John Hughes followed up Sixteen Candles with The Breakfast Club, and The Breakfast Club quotes are incredibly memorable. A tale of five students undergoing detention on a Saturday, this movie was an immediate sensation for teens and general audiences everywhere. It became regarded as one of the definitive movies of the 1980s as it's easy to relate to the film's characters. They each get a plethora of memorable lines as they joke, argue, and begin to reveal their true personalities and anxieties. The best Breakfast Club quotes still hit home for many movie fans.

While some of the movie's humor and cultural references might be a little dated today, the heartfelt sentiments shared between the characters as they bond due to their forced proximity still strike a chord. Whether they're about self-image, social pressure, or just witty banter, the best Breakfast Club quotes are a timeless reminder of why John Hughes' writing is held in such high regard and why The Breakfast Club is still a movie that has its scenes recreated for a parody or homage even today.

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25 “Well Brian, This Is A Very Nutritious Lunch. All The Food Groups Are Represented. Did Your Mom Marry Mr. Rogers?”

John Bender

Brian and Bender looking at Brian's lunch in The Breakfast Club

It's an iconic scene when the kids all pull out their lunches and the eclectic meals speak volumes about all of their lives and personalities. Claire (Molly Ringwald) has her perfectly arranged sushi, Andrew (Emilio Estevez) is eating like he's training for a triathlon, Allison (Ally Sheedy) constructs a fascinatingly gross sandwich out of what appears to be Pixy Stix and cereal, and Bender (Judd Nelson) decides to eat with Brian (Anthony Michael Hall) as he hasn't brought any food, resulting in this brilliant Breakfast Club quote as he critiques Brian's wholesome lunch.

24 “I Am The Eyes And Ears Of This Institution, My Friends.”

Carl Reed

Carl smiling as the teens leave school in The Breakfast Club

Mr. Vernon is remembered as the authority figure who is so hard on the teenagers in detention, but there is another adult in the school with them when they have Saturday detention. That is Carl (John Kapelos), the janitor. He’s the one responsible for keeping the entire high school clean - and seemingly, the only one. He’s a little more observant than Mr. Vernon, and he understands that teenagers and school officials are not going to see eye-to-eye, something he even voices to Mr. Vernon at one point. Carl seems more amused by the antics of the teenagers than anything else.

23 "You Know, I Have Just As Many Feelings As You Do, And It Hurts So Much When Someone Steps All Over Them."

Claire Standish

Bender and Claire walking and talking in The Breakfast Club

One of the running themes in The Breakfast Club is that the teenagers only think they know one another. What they really know is the images projected by one another to fit into their particular cliques. Bender repeatedly refers to Claire as cold or even frigid early in the movie, but she eventually points out that she has feelings just like everyone else does. Over the course of her time in detention, she becomes more vulnerable, and loosens up to be honest with everyone, saying some things that everyone in the room, and in the audience, can identify with. Claire's quotes reveal there's more to her than her just being the most popular person in town.

22 "Sweets, You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried."

John Bender

Bender turning to his left in The Breakfast Club

John Bender might be one of the most beloved characters in the movie, but his Breakfast Club quotes prove that he’s not exactly a nice guy. His rebellious nature leads him to lash out at those he doesn’t like and to try to get under the skin of those he does. When he takes an interest in Claire, he repeatedly insults her, needles her with remarks that he knows she doesn’t like, and won’t allow her to just ignore him. He very much has the attitude of a little boy pulling the pigtails of a little girl on the playground to get her attention. It’s immature, and in the confined space of detention, it doesn’t win him any favors until he starts being less antagonistic with the others.

21 “I’ve Seen Her Dehydrate Sir, It’s Pretty Gross.”

Andrew Clark

Claire, Andrew, Brian and Bender In The Library in The Breakfast Club

Though the teenagers in the library might not initially get along, they are united in hiding their antics from the authority figures in the school. When they ask to be able to get water, go to the restroom, and things like that just to get out of the library, Mr. Vernon (Paul Gleason) isn’t keen on letting them. Andrew backs Claire up, deadpanning this line about having seen Claire dehydrate in the past. It’s not going to be the most memorable against some of the other quotes from The Breakfast Club, but Emilio Estevez’s delivery of Andrew's line is perfect.

20 "Why, Because I'm Telling The Truth? That Makes Me A B***h?"

Claire Standish

Molly Ringwald in The Breakfast Club

Claire gets a lot of insults from the rest of the group because she’s seen as cold and unfeeling. Claire, however, also appears to understand the cliques of their school better than anyone in the room. She understands the fears they all have of not fitting into their respective friend groups, of being ostracized by the student body for not sticking to the status quo, and she’s the only one willing to point out that despite the bonding in Saturday’s detention, none of them will be hanging out together at school the next week. For that, the others think she’s being callous, but with how well everyone sticks to their roles, she’s likely right.

19 “Eat. My. Shorts.”

John Bender

John Bender from The Breakfast Club
John Bender from The Breakfast Club

Bart Simpson might be known for using this particular phrase to taunt other characters in The Simpsons, but he’s far from the only pop culture character to use it. In the 1980s and ‘90s, the phrase was a fairly common insult that was considered PG, marking The Breakfast Club as a product of its time. The term almost feels out of place since The Breakfast Club isn’t afraid to use more colorful language or curse words even in some of the movie’s best-known quotes.

Claire Standish

Claire smoking in The Breakfast Club

When the group decides to smoke together, despite Andrew’s initial protests, they all begin to be much more open with their comments. Though Claire has, at that point in the movie, started to open up more and become a bit more vulnerable, this is the point where she also starts to loosen up. Claire remarks on her own popularity, but it’s not meant in a serious way. It helps to humanize Claire a little bit and give her some levity instead of leaving her as the serious one of the group as everyone starts spilling secrets.

17 "I See Me, And I Don't Like What I See, I Really Don't."

Brian Johnson

Anthony Michael Hall as Brian Johnson In The Breakfast Club

It doesn't take long into their day of Saturday detention for the group to start spilling their deepest secrets to one another. Their insecurities and their fears are all laid out on the table despite them all thinking that they'll never talk to one another after detention is over. In this Breakfast Club quote, Brian admits that he doesn't like what he sees when he looks in the mirror. Brian's struggle with self-esteem and satisfaction is one anyone can relate to on some level, which is part of what's made the movie's appeal so enduring.

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16 "You Do Everything Everyone Tells You To, And That Is The Problem."

Allison Reynolds

Allison with her mouth open in The Breakfast Club

Allison hits the nail on the head when it comes to the more popular people in the school with this Breakfast Club quote. They are yes-people, not thinking for themselves, but quickly succumbing to the effects of peer pressure. It's the pressure that sees both Claire and Andrew eventually break down during the day. Allison, on the other hand, does what she wants, or tries to. Allison points out that doing exactly what other people want is a problem. She might lie once in a while to get reactions out of people, but Allison is more in tune with who she wants to be and who she really is than anyone else in the room.

15 "Does Barry Manilow Know That You Raid His Wardrobe?"

John Bender

Judd Nelson sits in the library in The Breakfast Club

With this line, the audience knows exactly what they are getting from John Bender. He wastes no time in insulting Mr. Vernon as soon as detention begins. The reference might be a bit dated for teens watching the movie today if they're not familiar with the singer, but his particular style would have been fresh in the minds of 80s audiences. It's clearly meant to be an insult, despite contention from Manilow fans.

14 "Don't Mess With The Bull, Young Man. You'll Get The Horns."

Richard Vernon

Vernon making the bull horn sign in The Breakfast Club

This is such a great and weird saying for an authority figure to use when they believe they're above reproach and just don't have time to deal with any kids challenging them. That's exactly the kind of figure Vernon presented in the movie. So focused on wielding his own power over the students, Vernon can't deal with the fact that Bender, or any of the kids, would question him at all. This is one Breakfast Club quote that's often been repeated in movies and television series since, mostly sarcastically.

13 "Two Hits. Me Hitting You. You Hitting The Floor."

Andrew Clark

Andrew in The Breakfast Club
Andrew in The Breakfast Club

This Breakfast Club quote comes from Andrew early on in the movie when he's really aggressive towards Bender and his whole attitude. He never fully drops his criticisms of Bender, but his opinion does clearly soften by the end of the movie. This is partly because Andrew gets in touch with the fact that his aggression stems from a desire to gain approval from his father, and this line smartly sounds like something Andrew heard someone else say, maybe even his own father, and then repeated in order to put up his tough-guy facade.

12 "Could You Describe The Ruckus, Sir?"

Brian Johnson

Brian wearing sunglasses in The Breakfast Club

This particular question is a fan favorite for the audience members who identify with The Breakfast Club's Brian. He is the kind of kid who always does what he is told and pushes himself to be the perfect student. The line is innocent enough to come across as helpful but hints at the guy who wants to climb outside the box society puts him in. When Vernon returns to the library and says he "heard a ruckus," it is early enough in the movie that any of the kids could give each other up, but they don't. Even Brian keeps his head with a smart comeback.

11 "I Don't Have To Run Away And Live In The Street. I Can Run Away And Go To The Ocean, I Can Go To The Country, I Can Go To The Mountains."

Allison Reynolds

The five students sit on the floor in the library in The Breakfast Club

Bender is the character labeled as the rebel, but maybe Allison should have been. She ends up as "the basket case" because she says outlandish things that surprise people, tends to have sticky fingers, and doesn't conform to anyone's idea of what a teenage girl should be. While all the characters get the chance to voice their unhappiness, Allison is the one character who actually seems like she is ready to leave her hometown behind and go somewhere where she can just be herself. A lot of teenagers and adults have identified with that aspect of her character over the years.

10 “It Is Now 7:06. You Have Exactly 8 Hours And 54 Minutes To Think About Why You Are Here – To Ponder The Error Of Your Ways.”

Richard Vernon

Principal Vernon looks back before leaving the library in The Breakfast Club

Assistant Principal Richard Vernon gives the perfect start for a quiet Saturday of detention for five students with unclear crimes. With his full authority and obvious skepticism about the character of the kids from different cliques, he gives out the ultimate goal of the detention – a self-evaluation essay. It establishes his character really well, not just the premise of the movie, and it's become one of the most memorable Breakfast Club quotes as a result.

9 “I Hate It. I Hate Having To Go Along With Everything My Friends Say.”

Claire Standish

Allison looks at Claire while they sit next to each other in The Breakfast Club

The gang shares their hidden sentiments beneath their stereotypical traits. Claire confesses that she constantly has to succumb to peer pressure. When Brian brings up how the five will go on being friends after their detention, Claire says that she doesn't believe that will happen. When Brian suspected her of being conceited, Claire revealed, “I hate having to go along with everything my friends say," before she goes on with a tirade about feeling peer pressure. The line speaks volumes to those who have felt social pressure in their lives before.

8 “You Ought To Spend A Little More Trying To Do Something With Yourself And A Little Less Trying To Impress People.”

Richard Vernon

Richard Vernon pointing in The Breakfast Club

Principal Vernon may be an oftentimes unjustly harsh authority figure, but he raises good points for the kids. All he is concerned about is the rebellious state of the current generation of children he is overseeing. So it's understandable why he would use a tough tone towards the gang, particularly towards Bender, when he drops this pearl of wisdom.

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7 “You Wanna Know What I Did To Get In Here? Nothing… I Didn’t Have Anything Better To Do.”

Allison Reynolds

Allison points with one hand while holding a pen in her mouth in The Breakfast Club

This Breakfast Club quote is one of the most surprising. To break the ice from Brian’s dark reveal of why he ended up in detention, Allison shares that she did not have a reason to be there at all. It is a much-needed bit of levity for the gang after a long sharing session wherein each one shared their impressions of themselves and of each other.

6 “I Could Disappear Forever And It Wouldn’t Make Any Difference.”

John Bender

Bender and Andy stare one another down in The Breakfast Club

This is a line shared by Andrew earlier and brought up by Bender during their sharing session when he begins to berate Claire after her trick of putting on lipstick using her cleavage. Andrew once again begins to get aggressive with Bender and his attitude, so the group goes back to arguing again. Bender is clearly a character with a lot of personal issues and an abusive life at home, the way that he acts out and triggers negative behavior in other people, almost on purpose it would seem, all feels very naturalistic. The way that Bender repeats this line really makes it sound like he believes it.