Growing up, we all watched the same 80’s movies that our moms did when they were our age. We all fell in love with the big hair, the school dances, the romances and especially the heart throbs.
These 80’s movies all having something in common; they taught us about all aspects of love. So, grab some tissues, grab some popcorn, and get ready to fall back in love with these classics. It’s time to take a trip down memory lane. Let’s go back to the 80s.
1. Sixteen Candles
It all began in 1984 with Molly Ringwald falling for Jake Ryan, the man of her dreams who was completely out of reach. After all, she’d never even talked to him. Jake is probably the first boy many of us ever loved, and why wouldn’t he be. I mean, look at him. He’s 100 percent lovable. He finds the note that Samantha writes saying that she would sleep with him, then he goes on a mission to find out more about her. He comes across Farmer Ted at his party and finds out all he can about Samantha. Spoiler alert*, Jake shows up at Samantha’s sister’s wedding and gives her back her panties (you’ll have to watch the movie to understand) and the rest is history. This movie taught us that love can happen at the most unexpected moments.
2. Pretty in Pink
Another Molly Ringwald classic; the 1986 film told the story of Andie Walsh, an outcast who fell in love with the popular rich guy, Blaine. Blaine started showing interest in Andie, and then turned out to be a total jerk; he uninvited her to prom because of their different social statuses. Andie decided to go to prom anyway to show the rich kids that they haven’t broken her. Turns out, Blaine regretted his decision to break up with Andie and tries to win her back. Another spoiler alert* he succeeds and the movie ends in the parking lot with Andie and Blaine together. Yay for happy endings! Pretty in Pink taught us that opposites attract.
3. Dirty Dancing
Patrick Swayze stars as Johnny Castle, a tough guy who teaches dance at a hotel during the summer. Though the movie was filmed in 1987, it was based in the 60s. Baby is at Kellerman’s with her family for a few weeks and quickly becomes enamored with Johnny; who could blame her? Patrick Swayze was a total heart throb. Baby and Johnny dance together and quickly fall in love, despite their age difference and the fact that their relationship was forbidden. Star-crossed lovers you ask? Yes, but a much less dramatic version than Romeo and Juliet. Johnny’s famous line “Nobody puts Baby in a corner” has gone down in film history and taught us that you have to fight for your relationship and if you do, you can end up with the love of your life.
4. The Breakfast Club
Ok, the last Molly Ringwald movie, I promise. This 1984 film follows a day in the lives of a group of five teenagers who get Saturday detention for various reasons. This isn’t the most romantic movie but it does teach us something about love. Throughout their day together, each of the five students learns to accept one another and appreciate the new friendships they have gained, even if they never speak to each other again. There is the romantic aspect to this film. Claire and Bender end up together as do Andrew and Allison but the romantic version of love is not the main lesson that we learn from this film. The main thing that the Breakfast Club as taught us is to accept and love everyone, despite your differences; we must learn to love the people that bring new ideas and ways of life to the table.
5. Say Anything
It’s 1989; boy sees girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy has never talked to girl, but girl knows boy. Lloyd is not your typical high school boy, he’s incredibly sweet and genuine and he’s in love with a girl who he’s never talked to. Diane is a crazy smart girl who realizes that she really doesn’t have any friends. After they graduate, Lloyd calls Diane and asks her out. Through family scandal and a lot of time together, Diane and Lloyd are a typical high school couple. This is a romantic tale that taught us about first love and first heartbreak. They fall in love fast and back out of love, then back in love. Lloyd and Diane are meant to be and this film has taught us just that. First loves are epic and tragic and romantic, they break our hearts and tear us down, but while they last, they make us feel like we’re on top of the world and nothing than break us apart.
6. Can’t Buy Me Love
Young Patrick Dempsey plays a nerdy guy named Ronald who blackmails the popular girl Cindy, played by the late Amanda Peterson, to be his girlfriend in return for him paying for her mother’s designer dress that she ruined. Ronald ends up becoming a total jerk but Cindy still falls for him, and he for her. Throughout the movie we see the love that Ronald and Cindy have for each other begin to form and in the end, last spoiler alert*, they ride off into the sunset on Ronald’s lawn mower. This 1987 hit taught us to never change for love. In the end, you will only get hurt if you do change. Ronald was meant to be the nerd, and Cindy the popular girl. Don’t change for love, be yourself and you will be loved for you.