It’s amazing how these things work. Less than 24 hours from the sad news that John Hughes’ yearbook had been closed comes the discovery of a documentary about the elusive man.
In 2008, four filmmakers from Toronto set out to find answers to some of the big questions which always seem to revolve around Hughes’ films namely: how is it that regardless of when you grew up, movies like Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club still resonate? The group managed to make their way to Chicago and beyond but they never achieved the ultimate goal: speaking to Hughes directly. Along the way, they did have the chance to talk to many a familiar face including Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, Justin Henry, Gedde Watanabe, John Kapelos, Annie Potts, Kelly Lebrock, Andrew McCarthy, Mia Sara, Alan Ruck, Kevin Smith, Jason Retiman and Roger Ebert among many others. The resulting documentary titled Don’t You Forget About Me, appears to be finished though there’s currently no information on a release. Judging from this trailer and the fact that Hughes’ is again “hot” news, it would not surprise me if in a few weeks time we hear that the documentary has received some sort of distribution deal or at the very least, some festival play.
The film’s official website is currently pretty bare but the production blog is full of great material including some snippets from various interviews; well worth a look!
Hey Marina,
The filmmaking team is still in shock. All of this is pretty unbelievable. We spent 4 years of our lives devoted to this mans life, and now only in death have people truly responded to us. Things are moving so fast that we haven’t had a chance to look around, to paraphrase one of his famous movie quotes.
Thank you so much for posting information about our project. I just wanted to clear up a a small misconception that people somehow have. Our movie was finished at the beginning of the new year. We already had our ending. Our films b-story is about us tracking John Hughes down as our final interview. His death didn’t change our film, only our hopes that we’d see him return.
Are we happy about his passing? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Again, to spend four years of our lives, our own money or own stressed relationships to have our muse die? Horrible. He was like an “uncle”. We only wanted to make him proud. And outside of our own connection. Horrible for his family, the industry, and the audiences. Horrible. Tragic. But are we thrilled that our film now honors him in a completely different way ? That people will be able to see it ? That we now see a tangible feeling about this man and his work that we already had while he was alive that compelled us to make a film about his LIFE. Yes.
Our condolences are with his family and we share our sadness with his millions of fans.
Thanks for the information Matt. I look forward to having the opportunity to see it! No better way to honour his memory than to look b ack at the legacy he left behind.
So that distribution deal I mused about? It came faster than expected. The doc has been picked up by Alliance.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118007117.html?categoryid=13&cs=1