Ave atque Vale: John Hughes

Moviemaker John Hughes has died unexpectedly in New York. Hail and farewell to someone who gave us some iconic pop culture films of the 1980s and 1990s, some of which captured the ups and downs of growing up -- and did it with both humor and insight. He essentially invented the teen movie, but nobody since has done it as well as he did.

Besides, what child of the 80s doesn't have a special fondness for Hughes? The best obit I can think of giving isn't really an obit; it's a tribute to the delight that Hughes brought. He didn't make artsy-fartsy Oscar-bait movies, but his movies resonated anyway; pop culture is the richer for their creation. What a great legacy! Even after all these years, his work still makes me smile. And out of all of it, my absolute favorite is 1986's "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." (If you've never seen it, go get the DVD immediately! This blog will wait -- go get the DVD!)

Here's a highlight out of a movie that's full of memorable moments:

UPDATE: Oh, I can't help it. Here's another great clip. Actually, Ferris has some pretty darn good life advice on the lines of "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it" and "Isms in my opinion are not good. A person should not believe in an ism -- he should believe in himself." Can you get a better cheer for the individual than that?