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The Brat Pack will always be immortalized as teens in iconic 80s flicks - here are all their movies in order.
The "Brat Pack" was a group of ascending young actors in the 80s who starred in several movies together, many of them chronicling the ordinary lives and struggles of teenagers of the time period. Several different people were considered to be a part of the "Brat Pack" at the time, and some opinions differ as to who was/wasn't in the group. Today, we'll chronicle every Brat Pack movie in order.
The Brat Pack included several young actors from the 80s.
On June 10th, 1985, The New Yorker published an article titled, "Hollywood's Brat Pack", written by up-and-coming journalist David Blum. He coined the term as a play on Old Hollywood's popular "Rat Pack", a group of young stars like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., etc. that were often seen in movies together.
David Blum was originally assigned to do a profile on Emilio Estevez, but upon being invited to join him on a night out to the Hard Rock Cafe with Rob Lowe and Judd Nelson, Blum decided to write about the group of young actors and how their early successes had affected their lives.
The article originally names the following people:
Emilio Estevez
Rob Lowe
Judd Nelson
Tom Cruise
Timothy Hutton
Matt Dillon
Nicolas Cage
Sean Penn
Additionally named, but included in the group:
Demi Moore - mentioned as a love interest in this context
Mentioned as Brat Pack affiliated, but "not quite there":
Andrew McCarthy
Matthew Broderick
Matthew Modine
Kevin Bacon
Other notable names:
Molly Ringwald
Anthony Michael Hall
Ally Sheedy
Nicolas Cage
Robert Downey Jr.
The article caught fire pretty quickly, with several media outlets picking up the catchy name used to describe the group of teens: "Brat Pack". Several people mentioned in the article disagreed with its characterization, as can be seen in archival footage and current day interviews from Andrew McCarthy's 2024 documentary, Brats. The documentary also covered the impact of the article on its young subjects, including the fact that several of the actors avoided working together after its popularity and the negative connotation of the name at the time.
The Outsiders was adapted from a 1967 novel of the same name about two rival teen gangs and the violence they perpetuate. This is often seen as one of the first Brat Pack movies, although it doesn't feature every single member.
Class features Andrew McCarthy and Rob Lowe as two prep school roommates, one more naive than the other, who realize they have more in common than they think.
Sixteen Candles is about a teenager who is excited by her sixteenth birthday, only to realize that no one in her family remembered it. Although Molly Ringwald was never mentioned in the initial article, many people recognize her as a member of the Brat Pack!
Oxford Blues stars Rob Lowe and Ally Sheedy. It's about an American boy who falls in love with an English woman and follows her to Oxford where he tries to fit in.
The Breakfast Club is a classic John Hughes movie about five high schoolers from all different backgrounds who are forced to spend time together while serving detention. This is one of the classic Brat Pack movies!
St. Elmo's Fire is about a group of friends and recent college graduates adjusting to adult life. This is the movie that really cemented the "Brat Pack" ideology; the article was written when the group was doing promo for this film.
Pretty in Pink is about an outcast high schooler Andie who falls in love with one of the most popular boys in school. They struggle to make their relationship work as they are in two different social stratas.
Blue City stars Judd Nelson and Ally Sheedy. It's about the son of a murdered mayor wanting to clean up the corruption in his town.
Starring Rob Lowe and Demi Moore, About Last Night is a film about two single guys trying to navigate romance in Chicago.
Wisdom is about a couple who rob banks and donate some of their bounty to struggling farmers. This Robin Hood-esque film stars Demi Moore and Emilio Estevez.
Fresh Horses features Molly Ringwald and Andrew McCarthy. In the film, a well-to-do college student falls in love with a struggling girl from the country. Kind of an interesting parallel to Pretty in Pink.
Betsy's Wedding stars Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy. When Betsy and her fiancé Jake decide to get married, they are planning a simple gathering, but things get out of hand when Betsy's parents feel pressure to throw a lavish affair from Jake's wealthy parents.
Taps is about a group of students at a military academy who decide to band together and rebel against those who conspire to close it. This was Tom Cruise's first major film.
Rumble Fish is about a former gang leader named Motorcycle Boy who seeks peace after a life of violence and his younger brother who aspires to the opposite.
Risky Business was Tom Cruise's first starring role. It is about a Chicago teenager hoping to achieve a night of mischief when his parents go away for the weekend. The problem is, chaos ensues!
In Weird Science, two teenage boys create their dream woman on a computer and she ends up coming to life.
Ferris Bueller's day off is about a teen who fakes an illness to have a free day off school.
Which Brat Pack movie is your favorite? Is there anyone else you consider to be in the Brat Pack that I haven't listed here?
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![Wisdom [DVD] [1986] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41WHqb5KodL._SL500_.jpg)
