John Hughes is probably one of the most overlooked directors when it comes to lists such as the one I'm making. He would have escaped my memory had I not seen both "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" in the past 3 days. Make no mistake about it, John Hughes is a great director.

What was most genius about his movies was that they transcended the genres they worked within. "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" works as both a comedy and a drama. "Ferris Bueller" and "The Breakfast Club" both work as teenage movies, but I know plenty of adults who like theses movies as well.

John Hughes has the rare and genius talent of making comedies that are intensely funny, but not in the typical laugh out loud type of way. There are scenes in his movies that I don't laugh at, but find them funnier than most other comedies I've seen. It's a bit hard to explain, but there are scenes in Mike Judge's "Office Space" that are like this. I guess John Hughes hits at some kind of fundamental truth through which I find something funny, but don't feel the need to laugh.

Now that you're thoroughly confused, here's the list:

1. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles - If you look at the plot of this movie on paper, it screams cliche. But the movie works. The brilliance of this movie seems to be in the casting. In many ways, Steve Martin plays slightly against type. Whereas Steve Martin usually gets to be the colorful comedy character, he spends much of this movie playing straight man to John Candy's quirky mannerisms. John Candy always seemed to find that perfect balance between taking things too far and not taking them far enough. He walks the line so perfectly, that instead of getting annoyed at John Candy as an actor, you get annoyed at the character John Candy is playing. I also like the heartfelt tug this movie had at the end. It didn't feel forced or manufactured.

2. Ferris Bueller's Day Off - You know, there are some REALLY great shots in this movie. The camera work and direction are top notch. For evidence, see both the museum scene and the scene where Ferris runs home in a mad dash to beat his parents home. I'm sure in the script, it read something like "Ferris runs home through neighbors houses," or "Ferris and Co. go to Chicago Museum of Art." It took a masterful director to fill in the pieces with all the great shots he put in the movie. Matthew Broderick was born to play this role. He was just great. I can't think of many actors who could basically play a "cool geek" without making it seemed forced. But this movie was chock full of great characters. Cameron's great. Edie Mclurg's "Grace" was hilarious. Jeffery Jones was great as the principle, but his fixation on Ferris becomes all the more creepy when it was revealed that Jeffery Jones was a collector of underage pornography. Nonetheless, his work in the movie is really funny. His character is the perfect foil for Henry David Bueller.

3. The Breakfast Club - Few directors or writers this side of Cameron Crowe have ever captured the high school experience better than John Hughes. He really seemed to understand each and every one of these characters, proving his genius as a writer. The script was phenomenal, but the movie wouldn't have gone anywhere without the fine actors assembled. I think one of the major problems with "modern" teenage movies is that Hollywood seems to cast teenagers with perfect skin and physiques, regardless of whether they can act or not. I didn't go to high school with the people who star in modern teen movies. I went to school with people who looked and acted like members of "The Breakfast Club." I'll take Allie Sheedy or Molly Ringwald over Tara Reid anyday. Give me Judd Nelson and Emilio Estevez over the "American Pie" jack asses. Paul Gleason is great as the principle. His scenes with the janitor really add a lot to the development of his character.

--these three movies could have gone in any order since I think they're all as equally good as one another. "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" wins out overall because I think it's John Hughes' best movie from beginning to end--

4. Weird Science - Hmmm. John Candy's best movie is the number one spot. Matthew Broderick's best movie is the number two spot. I'd have to say that this is Anthony Michael Hall's best movie. haha In all seriousness, Anthony Michael Hall wasn't the youngest cast member in the history of SNL for no reason. The guy's really damn funny. This movie proves it. The movie's zany in an 80's movie type of way, but I think it's held up pretty well.

5. Sixteen Candles - I remember liking this movie a lot when I saw it again a couple years ago, but sadly, I can't seem to recall much about this movie right now. If it was fresher in the mind, it may have ranked higher. But I doubt that, knowing how hilarious I find "Weird Science." "What's happenin' hot stuff?"

6. Uncle Buck - Good. Funny. But not good enough or funny enough to beat out the above movies.

7. She's Having a Baby - Don't remember it all that much. Must not be that memorable.

8. Curly Sue - Any movie with James Belushi has to rank pretty low on any list.

matt out