OT: OT - Brat Pack or Brat Pack Adjacent?

[Taco]

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.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Wouldn't Demi Moore have to at least be adjacent, since she was in St. Elmo's?

 

[SubbaBub]

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.

 

[Taco]

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.

 

[Taco]

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]

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.

 

[Kolumbo]

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]

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.

 

[Deepster]

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.

 

[Deepster]

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."

 

[Kolumbo]

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.

 

[John]

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

 

[AreBee1969]

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).