Image: Paramount Pictures
About This Quiz
John Hughes is one of the most prominent screenwriters and producers of the 1980s and '90s. Known for writing characters based on actors he knew, Hughes made a name for himself with the '80s teen movie formula and went on to produce and write for dozens of movies that were outside that genre. With popular films like "Sixteen Candles," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" under his belt, it is hard to deny his genius and expertise in the film world.
His films were so popular that you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who has never seen at least one of them (even if they don't know who John Hughes actually is). While he has 51 writer credits and 23 producer credits on IMDB, people mostly remember him for his ability to generate a story and his loyalty to the actors who brought his characters to life. If you are a John Hughes fan (or even an '80s-movie fan), you have probably seen his movies over and over again. However, we want to see just what you remember about those movies. Take this quiz to see how much you recall about his iconic characters and plots.
"Sweet Caroline"
"Good Vibrations"
"I'm A Believer"
"Twist and Shout"
After lip-syncing to Wayne Newton's "Danke Schoen," Ferris Bueller gets the crowd dancing with The Beatles' "Twist and Shout." The parade sequence is one of the most iconic '80s movie scenes.
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Dutch
Uncle Buck
"Uncle Buck" is the story about a man who is put into an odd situation. Buck Russel is a bachelor who likes to live a fun city life. However, when his brother asks him to babysit for a few days, he has to head to the suburbs to take care of children.
Clark Griswold
Del Griffith
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Walley World
SPOILER ALERT: While the Griswolds have a tough time getting across the country, things go even more awry when they arrive at Walley World only to learn that it is closed for renovations — at which point Clark Griswold loses his mind.
Wal-Mart
Disneyland
Cousin Eddie's
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"Beauty and the Beast"
"Pinocchio"
"101 Dalmatians"
The 1996 remake of "101 Dalmatians" starring Glenn Close as Cruella de Vil was one of Disney's first attempts at bringing their animated characters to life. Hughes worked on the screenplay of this film.
"Lady and the Tramp"
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Molly Ringwald
Molly Ringwald was a major player in quite a few John Hughes films. It is said that after meeting the actress, he was so inspired by her persona that he went home and wrote "Sixteen Candles" in a single weekend.
Ally Sheedy
Demi Moore
Elizabeth Shue
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SUV
Minivan
Station wagon
John Hughes wrote "National Lampoon's Vacation" based on an idea of what it was like to go on road trips with your parents in the '60s. It translated well to the decade and became a cult classic.
Cargo van
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"Sixteen Candles"
"Class Reunion"
"Weird Science"
Some call "Weird Science" a weird movie. It shows what happens when two incredibly intelligent teens attempt to work their way up the teenage social ladder by creating a beautiful girl to date.
"Some Kind Of Wonderful"
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"Savage Islands"
"The Great Outdoors"
"Sixteen Candles"
"The Breakfast Club"
If you say the name John Hughes, most people will immediately think of "The Breakfast Club." It's a movie about five students from different cliques serving detention and realizing that they have more in common than they thought.
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Ed and Jeanie
Cameron and Sloane
Ferris Beuller (played by Matthew Broderick) is a kid that just wants to have fun. He skips school, but instead of just hanging out at home, he convinces his friends to go to the city with him and have a little fun.
Jeanie and Cameron
Jack and Joey
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He quits his job.
He is laid off.
Lay-offs were not uncommon in the 1980s, and showing the resourcefulness of a family dealing with tough economic times was a good way to give the audience something to relate to in this movie.
He can't find a job.
He gets injured and cannot work.
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"Mission Impossible"
"Charlie's Angels"
"Miracle on 34th Street"
Richard Attenborough and Mara Wilson star in the remake of "Miracle on 34th Street," which was released in 1994. The remake received mixed reviews, but children loved the updated look of the old classic.
"It's a Wonderful Life"
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They win it.
The success of the first "Vacation" movie spawned many sequels, one of which was "National Lampoon's European Vacation." Though Griswolds have fun in Europe, they don't seem to understand how a roundabout works.
Clark has to go their for work.
They saved up.
The did a family vote.
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Ryan
Jake
When everyone forgets Sam's birthday, she goes through some dramatic moments and angry times. Of course, things all turn out for the best in the end, as the boy she's crushing on shows up and makes everything better.
Randall
Jared
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Clarky
Marky
Sparky
Giving characters nicknames helps the audience feel as though they are a part of the family. Ellen Griswold calling Clark "Sparky" as a pet name gives audiences another layer of their relationship, showing their love for each other.
Sharky
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A truck
A bus pass
A suitcase
A computer
There was no doubt that Ferris Bueller was a bit of a genius. He hacked into this school computers and changed the amount of absences he had had and even used sound equipment to pretend he was sleeping.
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"Jack"
"The Nutty Professor"
"Flubber"
"Flubber" was about a professor who wasn't necessarily good at focusing or keeping track of things, but when he invents the bounciest substance on the planet, things get a little crazy as he loses control.
"Kids These Days"
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New York
"Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" (1992) was quickly put together after the success of the first movie in the franchise. The movie brings Kevin to New York, where he begins to understand the spirit of Christmas.
Chicago
Las Vegas
Los Angeles
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Brian
Bender
In the memorable scene where Vernon gives Bender two months' worth of detention, Bender makes fun of him and doesn't necessarily care if he gets into trouble. Later, we learn that he'd probably be in detention rather than home anyway.
Andrew
Carl
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Chicago
The group goes to a museum, a baseball game and a fancy restaurant during their time off. They also happen by a parade that is going on in the city, where Ferris does his memorable performance.
New York
Milwaukee
Los Angeles
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New York
Illinois
Most of Hughes's films are set in Illinois, and several of them are in a fictional town called Shermer. Hughes actually lived in Northern Illinois until his death at the age of 59. He maintained a working farm there.
Wisconsin
California
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Joe Houston
Michael James
Fred Beckly
Jack Butler
Back in the 1980s, it was almost unheard of that a man would take care of the children while the woman of the household worked. However, in this gender role reversal movie, Hughes highlights just how difficult running a household actually is.
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George Newton
The plot to "Beethoven" is pretty straightforward. A family wants a giant dog that brings a mess wherever he goes, and the father figure (Charles Grodin) doesn't want this to happen. Of course, by the end, the father ends up loving the dog (just like real life).
Christopher Castile
Stanley Tucci
Chris Andres
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He taped someone's buns together.
He swore at his teacher.
He refused to turn in an assignment.
He brought a flare gun to school, and it went off in his locker.
When the group of teens sits in a circle talking to each other, they all discuss why they are in detention in the first place. Brian gives a heart-wrenching story about the pressure that he's under to succeed and admits that he was going to do something drastic with his flare gun.
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"What a cool name."
"Why would you date someone named Blane?"
"Blane? His name is Blane? That's a major appliance!"
Throughout "Pretty in Pink," we see Duckie trying to get Andie's hand because he is in love with her, but when she starts dating a rich guy, he goes off the deep end. He wants nothing more than for Andie to be happy, even if he isn't happy.
"Blake? Drake? Wait ... what's his name?"
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Macaulay Culkin
Marv Atkins
Kevin McCallister
Kevin McCallister is a regular kid whose family is headed to Paris for Christmas. Unfortunately, Kevin oversleeps and ends up being left home alone. During his abandonment, Kevin has to defend his house from a couple of nasty robbers.
Joey Lawrence
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A bear
His in-laws
"The Great Outdoors" is a John Hughes classic about learning to love your family, no matter how terrible they actually are. His show-off brother-in-law follows him on a trip he's taking to give him an investment opportunity that turns out to be a scam.
His sister
The weather
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Jeff McKee
Steff McKee
The rich kids in this movie have some very interesting names. Steff (played by James Spader) is the type of guy who thinks that social classes should only mingle with their own social classes, making him a pretty standard '80s villain.
Ref McKee
Joe McKee
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Christmas
Thanksgiving
Putting two unlikely people together and seeing what they'd do is a major theme in John Hughes' films (especially the ones that aren't about teens). In this movie, Steve Martin and John Candy are lumped together to create comedic gold.
Easter
New Year's Eve
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"She's Having a Baby"
"Baby's Day Out"
"Career Opportunities"
"Career Opportunities" (1991) is the story about two people from different social backgrounds getting together and figuring out just how much they have in common. It wasn't Hughes' most popular film, but it stuck to his formula nicely.
"The Great Outdoors"
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A homeless shelter
The park
A field trip
Prep school
"Dutch" is the type of movie that shows the push back children give to their parent's new lovers. It's a story about how two people come to an understanding of each other through a series of mean things they do to each other.
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Two people falling in love in high school
What happens when high school sweethearts get married
Though John Hughes wrote several movies about teen love, "She's Having a Baby" is more about what happens immediately after that love becomes successful. It's all about how difficult it is to maintain a relationship, especially when things start to change.
A girl getting pregnant in high school
A boy finding a mother for his children
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Watts
The idea of the teen love triangle was nothing new when "Some Kind of Wonderful" came out in 1987. As a matter of fact, it was one of the driving forces for every teen movie. However, it was refreshing to see that a tomboy got the boy in the end.
Amanda
Shayne
Mia
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Slurpee
Ice cream
Computer parts
ICEE
While Anthony Michael Hall, who played Gary, was well known for being a great "geek" throughout the 1980s, this movie really drove the point home. In the bar scene, he tries to explain how listening to blues music makes him think about his own "trials and tribulations" throughout the years.
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They're partners in crime.
We learn in the movie that Bill met Curly Sue on the streets, and he doesn't necessarily know her, but someone has to protect her. The two hustle people over and over again in order to get warm meals and places to stay.
He's her uncle.
He's her dad.
He doesn't know her at all.
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Roaring menace
Tiger flower
Petunia
Corpse flower
Not many people realize that John Hughes wrote the screenplay for "Dennis the Menace." He actually worked on quite a few children's movies (especially in the '90s). This showed that the writer had range and could change genres.
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You Got:
/35
