MovieChat Forums > The Breakfast Club (1985) Discussion > HIGH SCHOOLERS? I DON'T THINK SO.

HIGH SCHOOLERS? I DON'T THINK SO.


Those "high school students" look more like college students.

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Only two of them were actually teenagers (Claire and Brian) at the time of the filming. The three others were in their 20s.

This was quite common in those days, many movies had adult actors playing teenagers.

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And it makes sense as well. An actor in his 20s should (theoretically) be more mature and better able to handle the long work days on the set of a major motion picture

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Add to this the fact that he has experience and went through teenage years so he has a good understanding of how a teenager thinks while a teenager is confused and doesn't necessarily understand who he is and how he thinks.

I don't say that teenagers can't play teenagers, I just say that sometimes looking at things from an adult perspective can give someone some subtlety in portraying a teen character.

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As a teenager, I always hated it when the teenagers were played by someone in their 20s.

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They still have adult actors playing kids in a lot of movies and television shows today. It isn't just an 80's thing.

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Maybe! :o I just don't have a prime example. I know for sure that they are more careful nowadays because of how everyone wants movies to be more and more realistic.

But could you name me an excellent example of this in a movie made after 2010, please. I don't doubt you, just curious.

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Andrew Garfield was 31 when he played Peter Parker, a high school sophomore. 26 year-old Emma Stone played his high school sophomore girlfriend.

Stranger Things cast kids to play the younger kids, but Steve and Nancy are in their 20s, playing 18 year-olds.

I think it's still quite common.

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All the HS kids on Riverdale are in their 20's.

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Look at year books from the 40's and 50's. Some of those teens look middle age.

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Yeah, people used to age way faster than nowadays.

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"Age" or "Mature"?

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Age!!!! Lol xD if anything teens tend to think more and more that they are "mature" which is, usually, not the case.

Edit: sorry I answered in the weong direction. I can't really answer if people were maturing faster back then since I'm only 26. But somehow I doubt it.

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People smoked a lot more commonly back then too. Plus the way they had their hair and clothing style factors also.

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That’s how we rolled in the 80s and 90s. Michael J. Fox was pushing 30 as Marty McFly and I think half the 90210 cast were nearing pension age.

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