The Brat Pack is a nickname given to a group of young actors who frequently appeared together in teen-oriented
coming-of-age films in the 1980s. The term "Brat Pack", a play on the
Rat Pack from the 1950s and 1960s, was first popularized in a 1985 New York magazine cover story, which described a group of highly successful film stars in their early twenties.[1]David Blum wrote the article after witnessing several young actors being mobbed by groupies at Los Angeles'
Hard Rock Cafe.[2] The group has been characterized by the partying of members such as
Demi Moore,
Emilio Estevez,
Rob Lowe, and
Judd Nelson.[3]
Absent from most lists is
Mare Winningham, the only principal member of either cast who never starred in any other films with any other cast members.[12] Estevez was cited as the "unofficial president" of the Brat Pack.[1] He and Demi Moore were once engaged. In 1999, McCarthy said he was never a member of the group: "The media made up this sort of tribe. I don't think I've seen any of these people since we finished St. Elmo's Fire."[13]
The initial New York article covered a group of actors larger, or more inclusive, than the currently understood meaning of the term "Brat Pack". For example, he mentions cast members of Taps, including
Tom Cruise and
Timothy Hutton.[1]Charlie Sheen appears in several lists – more for his family relationship to Emilio Estevez and his partying than for his film work with other members.[12]
David Blum's New York story, titled "Hollywood's Brat Pack", ran on June 10, 1985. It was originally supposed to be just about Emilio Estevez, but one night, Estevez invited Blum to hang out with him, Rob Lowe, Judd Nelson, and others at the
Hard Rock Cafe. It was a typical night out for the group, who had gotten close while filming St. Elmo's Fire. That night, Blum decided to change the article's focus to an entire group of young actors at the time. The St. Elmo's Fire crew members did not like Blum and sensed that he was jealous of the actors' success.[15]
When the piece ran, the actors all felt betrayed, especially Estevez. The article mentioned people in several films but focused on Estevez, Lowe, and Nelson, and portrayed those three negatively. The "Brat Pack" label, which the actors disliked, stuck for years afterward.[16][17] Before the article ran, they had been regarded as talented individuals; after the article, all of them were grouped together and regarded as unprofessional. Interviewed for Susannah Gora's 2010 book You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried: The Brat Pack, John Hughes, And Their Impact on a Generation, Blum admitted that he should not have written the article.[18]
With the increased negative attention to them, the actors soon stopped socializing with one another. On the group's camaraderie, Ally Sheedy later said the article "just destroyed it. I had felt truly a part of something, and that guy just blew it to pieces."[19]
Legacy
During the late 1980s, several of the Brat Pack actors had their careers mildly derailed by problems relating to drugs, alcohol, and in Lowe's case, a
sex tape.[13] According to Susannah Gora, "Many believe they could have gone on to more serious roles if not for that article. They were talented. But they had professional difficulties, personal difficulties after that."[20] By the 21st century, the term "Brat Pack" had lost its negative connotation.[21]
The films themselves have been described as representative of "the socially apathetic, cynical, money-possessed and ideologically barren eighties generation."[14][22] They made frequent use of adolescent
archetypes, were often set in the suburbs surrounding
Chicago, and focused on
middle-class teenage angst.[7][8] According to author Susannah Gora, these films "changed the way many young people looked at everything from class distinction to friendship, from love to sex and fashion to music." They are considered "among the most influential pop cultural contributions of their time."[23]
In 2012, Entertainment Weekly listed The Breakfast Club as the best high school movie ever made.[24] On
VH1's 2006 list of the 100 greatest teen stars, Molly Ringwald was ranked No. 1, Rob Lowe was ranked No. 2, Anthony Michael Hall was ranked No. 4, Ally Sheedy was ranked No. 34, and Andrew McCarthy was ranked No. 40.[25][26]
In 2020, Estevez expressed frustration at the persistence of the "Brat Pack" name, saying "That [term] will be on my tombstone ... It's annoying because
Brad Pitt,
George Clooney and
Matt Damon have worked together more than any of us have. We just made two movies and somehow it morphed into something else."[27]
Filmography
Beyond the two primary films, there is no generally accepted list of "Brat Pack" movies. While Blum's article credits Taps as the first Brat Pack movie,[1] the list of movies below represents the more traditional filmography, with each movie including at least two core members in starring roles:
Rob Lowe saw a massive downturn in his career following a 1988 sex tape scandal, while his opening number at the
61st Academy Awards further aggravated his image and career and eventually his film career declined. However, his career saw a resurgence when he ventured back into television with The West Wing and since has had significant roles in various television shows including Brothers & Sisters (2006–2010), Parks and Recreation (2010–2014), and currently stars on 9-1-1: Lone Star.
Demi Moore starred in the blockbuster Ghost (1990). She followed this success with leading roles in consecutive box office hits: A Few Good Men (1992), Indecent Proposal (1993), Disclosure (1994) and by the mid-90s became the highest paid actress. However, her starring roles in The Scarlet Letter (1995), The Juror (1996), Striptease (1996), and G.I. Jane (1997) were widely panned and marked the end of her career as a leading actress.
Gallery
Brat Pack actors
Emilio Estevez (shown in 2011) appeared in The Outsiders, The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo's Fire, and Wisdom.
Judd Nelson (shown in 2008) appeared in The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo's Fire, Blue City, and Hail Caesar.
Rob Lowe (shown in 2012) appeared in The Outsiders, Class, Oxford Blues, St. Elmo's Fire and About Last Night....
Andrew McCarthy (shown in 2010) appeared in Class, St. Elmo's Fire, Pretty in Pink, and Fresh Horses.
Demi Moore (shown in 2010) appeared in St. Elmo's Fire, About Last Night..., and Wisdom.
Molly Ringwald (shown in 2010) appeared in Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Fresh Horses, and Betsy's Wedding.
Ally Sheedy (shown in 2011) appeared in Oxford Blues, The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo's Fire, Blue City, and Betsy's Wedding. She was also originally cast as “Sam” in Sixteen Candles, but was swapped for Ringwald.
Anthony Michael Hall (shown in 2017) appeared in Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Hail Caesar. He was also originally cast as “Duckie” in Pretty In Pink, but turned the role down out of concern of becoming ”nerd” typecast.[32]
^
abMiller, Samantha and Jewel, Dan.
"Brat Race". People. April 19, 1999.
^
abManning, Jason (2000).
"13. The Brat Pack". Material Things. The Eighties Club. Archived from
the original on November 21, 2015. Retrieved March 18, 2008.
^Gora, Susannah (2010). You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried: The Brat Pack, John Hughes, And Their Impact on a Generation. Three Rivers Press. pp. 106–119.
^Gora, Susannah (2010). You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried. Three Rivers Press. p. 332.
^Bullock, Saxon (September 2004).
"Don't You Forget About Me". Originally published in DVD Review. Archived from
the original on September 5, 2008. Retrieved August 15, 2008. ...ended up representing both the best and worst of the ambitious, materialistic 'Me' generation.
^Bullock, Saxon (September 2004).
"Don't You Forget About Me". Originally published in DVD Review. Archived from
the original on September 5, 2008. Retrieved November 12, 2008.