OT: - OT - Brat Pack or Brat Pack Adjacent? | The Boneyard

OT: OT - Brat Pack or Brat Pack Adjacent?

Joined
Dec 19, 2011
Messages
234
Reaction Score
369
Caught a bit of Doc called Brats, which is about the creation of the term Brat Pack. Andrew McCarthy interviewed a bunch of folks and a few where actors I never associated with this group - namely Timothy Hutton and Jon Cryer (who was a main character in Pretty in Pink).

To me, you needed to be in either St Elmo’s and Breakfast Club or any of those early 80s movies (though I will die not including Anthony Michael Hall or Ally Sheedy in the Brat Pack, though I’m probably wrong).

First team Brat Pack is:
Just Nelson (Babe Ruth)
Emelio Estavez
Molly Ringwall
Andrew McCarthy (Class makes up for just SEF)
Rob Lowe (see above)

Beyond these, there is the aforementioned Anthony M Hall and Ally Sheedy. Also discussed but never occurred to me were:

Timothy Hudson (Taps and the Outsiders)
Tom Cruise (also add Risky Business)
Matthew Broderick (War Games and Ferris Burlers)
Ralph Machio(Outsiders and Karate Kid)
Matt Dillion (Outsiders)
Patrick Swyaze (Outsiders and Red Dawn)

I know this is a very GenX topic, but I’m curious who others thought of who is in the Brat Pack and who was in it but rose out of it.
 

SubbaBub

Your stupidity is ruining my country.
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
32,163
Reaction Score
25,038
Sheedy and Hall are first team BPrs. If you were in either the Breakfast Club or St Elmo's Fire, you are part of the Brat Pack. There are a few others may qualify but that is 90% of the list. The Outsiders is not a Brat Pack movie. Neither were Red Dawn, Ferris Bueller or Taps. BP movies were lighter than either of those movies.

James Spader and Robert Downey Jr are probably the next alternates that were in the two core movies. Spader was in Pretty in Pink and the Billy Zabka of the Brat Pack movies. RDJ was everywhere during the era and played opposite most of the core BP group.
 
Joined
Dec 19, 2011
Messages
234
Reaction Score
369
I really can’t argue Sheedy or Hall not being in - both were in Breakfast Club and St Elmo’s. Just never associated either like Jud Nelson or McCarthy. Christ, Hall was also had a major role in 16 candles, which would be on the Mt Rushmore of Brat Pack Movies with the two obvious and Pretty in Pink.

Spader is really interesting - that he plays swarmy better than anyone so maybe that’s why he didn’t come to mind. Another one is John Cusack - had small roles in 16 candles and Class and later as the lead in the Sure Thing and Better off Dead - Adjacent candidate for sure - like 2nd Gen Brat Pack.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Dec 19, 2011
Messages
234
Reaction Score
369
Wouldn't Demi Moore have to at least be adjacent, since she was in St. Elmo's?
Yes, I forgot her - definitely a member. She largely escaped it with her overall body of work - whereas with Judd Nelson and McCarthy, even though they did a good amount of other films, they haven’t.
 

nwhoopfan

hopeless West Coast homer
Joined
Feb 16, 2017
Messages
30,205
Reaction Score
57,717
Yes, I forgot her - definitely a member. She largely escaped it with her overall body of work - whereas with Judd Nelson and McCarthy, even though they did a good amount of other films, they haven’t.
Yeah most of the Brat Pack continued to work steadily but really weren't in big movies after the 80s. Even Rob Lowe was mostly famous for being famous rather than his movie career.
 
Joined
Mar 4, 2014
Messages
17,599
Reaction Score
23,203
Interesting topic. It's great following those '80's actors and perhaps someone could have coined a better phrase than Brat Pack. I always think of those 2 movies, St. Elmo's Fire and Breakfast Club, but then there were all those other movies. That small group of actors was good but there were so many other actors with better careers.

Top of my head:
St. Elmo's Fire
Breakfast Club
Pretty In Pink
16 Candles
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Better Off Dead
WarGames
About Last Night (sleeper pick)
The Outsiders (so many guys, Diane Lane was 18, surprised she didn't get more burn in the '80s, or I just missed her films)

Your first team
First team Brat Pack is:
Molly Ringwald (The Princess)
Just Nelson (Babe Ruth)
Emelio Estavez
Andrew McCarthy (Class makes up for just SEF)
Rob Lowe (see above)

add:
Ally Sheedy
Anthony Michael Hall (The Prince)
Demi Moore


I also like 80's actors in an expanded set in addition to the ones you listed:
Timothy Hudson (Taps and the Outsiders)
Tom Cruise (also add Risky Business)
Matthew Broderick (War Games and Ferris Burlers)
Ralph Machio(Outsiders and Karate Kid)
Matt Dillion (Outsiders)

Patrick Swyaze (Outsiders and Red Dawn)
add:
James Spader
Charlie Sheen
John Cusack
Jon Cryer
Elisabeth Shue
Nicholas Cage
Gedde Watanabe (Of course!)


 

nwhoopfan

hopeless West Coast homer
Joined
Feb 16, 2017
Messages
30,205
Reaction Score
57,717
Okay...what about "Fast Times at Ridgemont HIgh" and the various actors in that? I don't think any were considered Brat Packers, but that had a number of quintessential 80s actors. Sean Penn went on to a career way beyond what might have been indicated based on his Spicoli character. Jennifer Jason Leigh had staying power. I had to look at Judge Reinhold on imdb--in addition to Fast Times he was in Stripes, Gremlins and the Beverly Hills Cop movies. Was anybody more 80s than that? And then of course there was Phoebe Cates. Although she didn't have a long Hollywood career, she certainly made an impression.
 
Joined
Aug 24, 2011
Messages
11,315
Reaction Score
30,488
Your first team
First team Brat Pack is:
Molly Ringwald (The Princess)
Just Nelson (Babe Ruth)
Emelio Estavez
Andrew McCarthy (Class makes up for just SEF)
Rob Lowe (see above)

add:
Ally Sheedy
Anthony Michael Hall (The Prince)
Demi Moore
This is my Brat Pack roster with no one else inside the ropes. Just because you were in movies at that time doesn't make you Brat Pack. Take Jon Cusack. He had his own offshoot/genre. Fast Times had nothing to do with the Brat Pack other than being made in the same decade.
 
Joined
Aug 24, 2011
Messages
11,315
Reaction Score
30,488
I do have a funny Brat Pack story. A good friend of mine had a bar in Portland, ME back in those days. Judd Nelson is from that area. One night the Celtics were playing the Lakers in the finals and Judd Nelson came into his bar with Rob Lowe. Mind you, this was the height of the Brat Pack era.

My buddy was working the door at the time and Rob Lowe didn't have ID. My friend turned him away and Judd Nelson (who my friend knew a little personally) said "Hey _____ , that's Rob Lowe" and my friend said "I don't care who he is. He doesn't have his license and he's wearing a Lakers hat and he's not coming in."
 
Joined
Mar 4, 2014
Messages
17,599
Reaction Score
23,203
Okay...what about "Fast Times at Ridgemont HIgh" and the various actors in that? I don't think any were considered Brat Packers, but that had a number of quintessential 80s actors. Sean Penn went on to a career way beyond what might have been indicated based on his Spicoli character. Jennifer Jason Leigh had staying power. I had to look at Judge Reinhold on imdb--in addition to Fast Times he was in Stripes, Gremlins and the Beverly Hills Cop movies. Was anybody more 80s than that? And then of course there was Phoebe Cates. Although she didn't have a long Hollywood career, she certainly made an impression.
Can't forget Fast Times and the Vacation movies.
Forest Whitaker as Charles Jefferson was one of his first roles. And Phoebe, ah yes Phoebe.
 
Joined
Feb 4, 2012
Messages
15,479
Reaction Score
17,308
Interesting topic. It's great following those '80's actors and perhaps someone could have coined a better phrase than Brat Pack. I always think of those 2 movies, St. Elmo's Fire and Breakfast Club, but then there were all those other movies. That small group of actors was good but there were so many other actors with better careers.

Top of my head:
St. Elmo's Fire
Breakfast Club
Pretty In Pink
16 Candles
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Better Off Dead
WarGames
About Last Night (sleeper pick)
The Outsiders (so many guys, Diane Lane was 18, surprised she didn't get more burn in the '80s, or I just missed her films)

Your first team
First team Brat Pack is:
Molly Ringwald (The Princess)
Just Nelson (Babe Ruth)
Emelio Estavez
Andrew McCarthy (Class makes up for just SEF)
Rob Lowe (see above)

add:
Ally Sheedy
Anthony Michael Hall (The Prince)
Demi Moore


I also like 80's actors in an expanded set in addition to the ones you listed:
Timothy Hudson (Taps and the Outsiders)
Tom Cruise (also add Risky Business)
Matthew Broderick (War Games and Ferris Burlers)
Ralph Machio(Outsiders and Karate Kid)
Matt Dillion (Outsiders)

Patrick Swyaze (Outsiders and Red Dawn)
add:
James Spader
Charlie Sheen
John Cusack
Jon Cryer
Elisabeth Shue
Nicholas Cage
Gedde Watanabe (Of course!)



I'd add Some Kind of Wonderful
 
Joined
Aug 24, 2016
Messages
811
Reaction Score
2,595
In my head, I think of 1980s John Hughes movies when I think of Brat pack. I haven't seen the doc yet, but I would think Hall and Sheedy are first teamers.

I'd also throw Jami Gertz and Robert Downey Jr. in the conversation for adjacent Brats. Both were in Less Than Zero with McCarthy. Gertz also in 16 Candles, Downey Jr. with Hall in Johnny Be Good and Weird Science (Hughes directed).
 

Online statistics

Members online
84
Guests online
1,616
Total visitors
1,700

Forum statistics

Threads
159,255
Messages
4,186,053
Members
10,058
Latest member
Huskie BB


.
Top Bottom