The Nerdy Confidence of Anthony Michael Hall
This coronavirus quarantine hasn't been enjoyable for anyone. Not having sports has been a huge disappointment, with the thrilling NCAA Tournament and NBA Playoffs coming up, and the Olympics soon after that all being cancelled or postponed. It's also difficult not being able to see friends and family, save for NBA 2K games and Zoom calls. Oh yeah, and there’s a global pandemic that’s threatening jobs and lives. However, one perk of being home all day is the opportunity to stream a lot of movies and TV shows. I took advantage of this by doing an 80s John Hughes/Anthony Michael Hall film festival, being transported from my couch to the suburbs of Chicago in a time before I was born for Sixteen Candles, Weird Science, and The Breakfast Club. What stood out in all three was Anthony Michael Hall's roles in each as a geek.
Hall plays roughly the same character in 3 movies over less than 2 years, yet effortlessly makes them each memorable and anything but stereotypical. It's difficult to put your finger on at first, but as you get to know the actor and the characters he plays, it's crystal clear that Hall's trademark is the geeky confidence he wears on his sleeve. The crux of why The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles are cult classics because of this skinny teen and his trademark: a nerd who possesses dazzling self-faith.
One element of Anthony Michael Hall's signature confidence is his hands. He specifically zeroes in on this as Farmer Ted in Sixteen Candles. The scenes where he flirts with Samantha on the bus and when he makes Jake a martini while talking with him are some of the world's greatest uses of the 10 fingers we were given. Hall's hands are practically their own character, calmly moving about to add to his smooth as silk persona. Unfortunately, these same hands seem to be part of Hall's undoing after he used those same 10 fingers to commit assault in 2017.
Another element of Hall's characters is the complete lack of filter they boast, creating some of the most hilarious moments in TV history. His audacity is the key to the character. Without it, he'd be shy and uninteresting. Moments like asking his Weird Science drinking buddies if they still live with their parents, only to be met with silence make up the core of his character.
The other crucial part to his character is Hall's flawless delivery. The writers throw Hall an alley-oop in each of these films, which could very well hit or miss. From there, it's out of their hands and into the active, stir-crazy hands of Anthony Michael Hall. However, the 80s superstar still comes through every time with a line more wonderful than the last. For example, in The Breakfast Club when John and Andrew are arguing and Hall's character, Brian, blurts out that he's in the math club, and then adds that he's in the physics club as well. It should be a funny but forgettable moment. Instead, Hall's rendition makes it the highlight of the film for me, making me howl with laughter harder than I have in a month.
The final piece of the perfection called Anthony Michael Hall is his consistency and reliability. He manages to go against the grain, yet also float with the current so we know him and feel comforted by him, yet not be bored by the stereotypes his characters present. This concept escapes Hall later in his career when he tries to be a jock in movies like Johnny Be Good. We will experience humor and surprises along the way, but at the end of the day, we know what we're getting when we look at the lovable and confident nerd played by Anthony Michael Hall. The beauty of Hall's characters is like talking to an old friend again: you know who they are, what they stand for, and why you like them, but experience new, pleasant surprises seeing them again.
Hall plays roughly the same character in 3 movies over less than 2 years, yet effortlessly makes them each memorable and anything but stereotypical. It's difficult to put your finger on at first, but as you get to know the actor and the characters he plays, it's crystal clear that Hall's trademark is the geeky confidence he wears on his sleeve. The crux of why The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles are cult classics because of this skinny teen and his trademark: a nerd who possesses dazzling self-faith.
One element of Anthony Michael Hall's signature confidence is his hands. He specifically zeroes in on this as Farmer Ted in Sixteen Candles. The scenes where he flirts with Samantha on the bus and when he makes Jake a martini while talking with him are some of the world's greatest uses of the 10 fingers we were given. Hall's hands are practically their own character, calmly moving about to add to his smooth as silk persona. Unfortunately, these same hands seem to be part of Hall's undoing after he used those same 10 fingers to commit assault in 2017.
Another element of Hall's characters is the complete lack of filter they boast, creating some of the most hilarious moments in TV history. His audacity is the key to the character. Without it, he'd be shy and uninteresting. Moments like asking his Weird Science drinking buddies if they still live with their parents, only to be met with silence make up the core of his character.
The other crucial part to his character is Hall's flawless delivery. The writers throw Hall an alley-oop in each of these films, which could very well hit or miss. From there, it's out of their hands and into the active, stir-crazy hands of Anthony Michael Hall. However, the 80s superstar still comes through every time with a line more wonderful than the last. For example, in The Breakfast Club when John and Andrew are arguing and Hall's character, Brian, blurts out that he's in the math club, and then adds that he's in the physics club as well. It should be a funny but forgettable moment. Instead, Hall's rendition makes it the highlight of the film for me, making me howl with laughter harder than I have in a month.
The final piece of the perfection called Anthony Michael Hall is his consistency and reliability. He manages to go against the grain, yet also float with the current so we know him and feel comforted by him, yet not be bored by the stereotypes his characters present. This concept escapes Hall later in his career when he tries to be a jock in movies like Johnny Be Good. We will experience humor and surprises along the way, but at the end of the day, we know what we're getting when we look at the lovable and confident nerd played by Anthony Michael Hall. The beauty of Hall's characters is like talking to an old friend again: you know who they are, what they stand for, and why you like them, but experience new, pleasant surprises seeing them again.
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ReplyDeleteWow!!! So well written, insightful and fun to read!!
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