Daily Dialogue — October 9, 2014

Richard Vernon: Well, well. Here we are. I want to congratulate you all for being on time.
Claire Standish: Excuse me, sir. I think there’s been a mistake. I know we’re in detention but I don’t think I belong here.

Vernon ignores her, carrying on with his speech.

Richard Vernon: 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. You will not talk… you will not move… from these seats. [addressing Bender, who has his feet on a chair] And YOU… will not sleep.

Pulls the chair out from under Bender’s feet.

Richard Vernon: All right people, we’re going to try something a little different today. We are going to write… an essay… of not less than a thousand words… describing to me who you think you are. And when I say ‘ESSAY’, I mean ‘ESSAY’, NOT one word repeated a thousand times. Is that clear, Mr. Bender?
John Bender: Crystal.
Richard Vernon: Good. You might learn a thing or two about yourself. You might even decide whether or not you’d care to return.
Brian Johnson: Excuse me sir, I can answer that right now. That’d be no.
Richard Vernon: [contemptuously] Sit down, Johnson.
Brian Johnson: Thank you, sir.

Sits down.

Richard Vernon: My office is right across that hall. Any monkey business is ill-advised. Any questions?
John Bender: Yeah, I have a question. Does Barry Manilow know that you raid his wardrobe?
Richard Vernon: You’ll get the answer to that question, Mr. Bender, next Saturday.

— The Breakfast Club (1985), written by John Hughes

Daily Dialogue theme for this week: Punishment.

Trivia: It was originally suggested that there would be several sequels to The Breakfast Club (1985), occurring every ten years, in which “The Breakfast Club” would get back together. This did not come to pass due to the volatile relationship between John Hughes and Judd Nelson. John Hughes stated that he would never work with Nelson again. Also, it was unclear whether or not Hughes still held ill will against his oft-cast starlet, Molly Ringwald. They had a falling out in the late eighties after Ringwald decided to move on from the teen film genre to pursue more adult roles, thus severing her relationship with Hughes.

Dialogue On Dialogue: John Hughes knew how to create entertaining noxious Nemesis figures and Vernon certainly qualifies.

If you have any suggestions for this week’s theme, please post in comments… and thanks!
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