[wordup] Sincerely, John Hughes

[Adam Shand]

Source: http://wellknowwhenwegetthere.blogspot.com/2009/08/sincerely-john-hughes.html

THURSDAY, AUGUST 06, 2009
Sincerely, John Hughes
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: photo.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 17193 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://lists.spack.org/pipermail/wordup/attachments/20090816/6dc5728d/attachment.jpg 
-------------- next part --------------


I was babysitting for my mom's friend Kathleen's daughter the night I  
wrote that first fan letter to John Hughes. I can literally remember  
the yellow grid paper, the blue ball point pen and sitting alone in  
the dim light in the living room, the baby having gone to bed.

I poured my heart out to John, told him about how much the movie  
mattered to me, how it made me feel like he got what it was like to be  
a teenager and to feel misunderstood.

(I felt misunderstood.)

I sent the letter and a month or so later I received a package in the  
mail with a form letter welcoming me as an "official" member of The  
Breakfast Club, my reward a strip of stickers with the cast in the now  
famous pose.

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: photo2.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 17050 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://lists.spack.org/pipermail/wordup/attachments/20090816/6dc5728d/attachment-0001.jpg 
-------------- next part --------------
I was irate.

I wrote back to John, explaining in no uncertain terms that, excuse  
me, I just poured my fucking heart out to you and YOU SENT ME A FORM  
LETTER.

That was just not going to fly.

He wrote back.

"This is not a form letter. The other one was. Sorry. Lots of  
requests. You know what I mean. I did sign it."

He wrote back and told me that he was sorry, that he liked my letter  
and that it meant a great deal to him. He loved knowing that his words  
and images resonated with me and people my age. He told me he would  
say hi to everyone on my behalf.

"No, I really will. Judd will be pleased you think he's sexy. I don't."

I asked him if he would be my pen pal.

He said yes.

"I'd be honored to be your pen pal. You must understand at times I  
won't be able to get back to you as quickly as I might want to. If  
you'll agree to be patient, I'll be your pen pal."

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: photo3.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 14666 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://lists.spack.org/pipermail/wordup/attachments/20090816/6dc5728d/attachment-0002.jpg 
-------------- next part --------------


For two years (1985-1987), John Hughes and I wrote letters back and  
forth. He told me - in long hand black felt tip pen on yellow legal  
paper - about life on a film set and about his family. I told him  
about boys, my relationship with my parents and things that happened  
to me in school. He laughed at my teenage slang and shared the 129  
question Breakfast Club trivia test I wrote (with the help of my  
sister) with the cast, Ned Tanen (the film's producer) and DeDe Allen  
(the editor). He cheered me on when I found a way around the school  
administration's refusal to publish a "controversial" article I wrote  
for the school paper. And he consoled me when I complained that Mrs.  
Garstka didn't appreciate my writing.

"As for your English teacher?Do you like the way you write? Please  
yourself. I'm rather fond of writing. I actually regard it as fun. Do  
it frequently and see if you can't find the fun in it that I do."

He made me feel like what I said mattered.

"I can't tell you how much I like your comments about my movies. Nor  
can I tell you how helpful they are to me for future projects. I  
listen. Not to Hollywood. I listen to you. I make these movies for  
you. Really. No lie. There's a difference I think you understand."

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: photo4.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 19238 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://lists.spack.org/pipermail/wordup/attachments/20090816/6dc5728d/attachment-0003.jpg 
-------------- next part --------------


"It's been a month of boring business stuff. Grown up, adult, big  
people meetings. Dull but necessary. But a letter from Alison always  
makes the mail a happening thing."

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: photo5.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 18374 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://lists.spack.org/pipermail/wordup/attachments/20090816/6dc5728d/attachment-0004.jpg 
-------------- next part --------------


"I may be writing about young marriage. Or babies. Or Breakfast Club  
II or a woman's story. I have a million ideas and can't decide what's  
next. I guess I'll just have to dive into something. Maybe a play."

"You've already received more letters from me than any living relative  
of mine has received to date. Truly, hope all is well with you and  
high school isn't as painful as I portray it. Believe in yourself.  
Think about the future once a day and keep doing what you're doing.  
Because I'm impressed. My regards to the family. Don't let a day pass  
without a kind thought about them."

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: photo6.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 39950 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://lists.spack.org/pipermail/wordup/attachments/20090816/6dc5728d/attachment-0005.jpg 
-------------- next part --------------


There were a few months in 1987 when I didn't hear from John. I missed  
his letters and the strength and power and confidence they gave me and  
so I sent a letter to Ned Tanen who, by that time, was the President  
of Paramount Pictures (he died earlier this year). In my letter I  
asked Mr. Tanen if he knew what was up with John, why he hadn't been  
writing and if he could perhaps give him a poke on my behalf.

He did.

I came home from school soon after to find an enormous box on my front  
porch filled with t-shirts and tapes and posters and scripts and my  
very own Ferris Bueller's Day Off watch.

And a note.

"I missed you too. Don't get me in trouble with my boss any more.  
Sincerely, John Hughes."

Fast forward.

1997. I was working in North Carolina on a diversity education project  
that partnered with colleges and universities around the country to  
implement a curriculum that used video production as an experiential  
education tool. On a whim, I sent John a video about the work we were  
doing. I was proud of it and, all these years later, I wanted him to  
be proud too.

Late one night I was in the office, scheduled to do an interview with  
a job candidate. Ten minutes or so into the call it was clear that he  
wasn't the right guy, but I planned to suffer through.

Then the phone rang.

1?2?3?4?a scream came from the other room and 1?2?3?my boss Tony was  
standing in my doorway yelling, "John Hughes is on the phone!!"

I politely got off the phone with the job candidate who was no longer  
a candidate and

Hit. Line. Two.

"Hi, John."

"Hi, Alison."

We talked for an hour. It was the most wonderful phone call. It was  
the saddest phone call. It was a phone call I will never forget.

John told me about why he left Hollywood just a few years earlier. He  
was terrified of the impact it was having on his sons; he was scared  
it was going to cause them to lose perspective on what was important  
and what happiness meant. And he told me a sad story about how, a big  
reason behind his decision to give it all up was that  
"they" (Hollywood) had "killed" his friend, John Candy, by greedily  
working him too hard.

He also told me he was glad I had gotten in touch and that he was  
proud of me for what I was doing with my life. He told me, again, how  
important my letters had been to him all those years ago, how he often  
used the argument "I'm doing this for Alison" to justify decisions in  
meetings.

Tonight, when I heard the news that John had died, I cried. I cried  
hard. (And I'm crying again.) I cried for a man who loved his friends,  
who loved his family, who loved to write and for a man who took the  
time to make a little girl believe that, if she had something to say,  
someone would listen.

Thank you, John Hughes. I love you for what you did to make me who I am.

Sincerely,

Alison Byrne Fields.