A film that has changed my life is The Breakfast Club, directed by John Hughes.

This film really engaged with me on an emotional level because it was easy to relate to. Although the setting is within a school the characters are all a similar age to myself and I found that I could relate to every one of them, because as the image shows above, each character ends up with a title that represents them, however there are certain elements from each individual character that I can relate to and so can many teenagers. 

Bender, 'The Criminal' deals with many issues that many teenagers often deal with such as drugs and domestic violence. The fact he smokes and takes drugs is something many people often experience during their teenage years and is often something many are curious about. As well he comes from a violent background where his father often beats him and his mother, although this is an extreme case of domestic violence, it is also something which a lot of people have been exposed to at one point or another. Also the fact that the character of Bender is far from perfect and often finds himself in Mr Vernon's office is something which most teenagers can relate to since a majority of people have found them self being reprimanded by a teacher at some point, this allows the audience to engage with the character on a personal level. 

Andy, 'The Athele' is a character that I could also relate to because he does not actually like sport or the lifestyle that comes with it. However he goes through with it to please he father, This is something I could relate to personally and many other teenagers could as well because he constantly tries to please others and puts off doing what he loves in order to gain praise and please them. Many would be able to identify with Andy Clark because they would only try to please others in order to have an easy life, despite being unhappy with their decision to go along with it. 

Ally 'The Basket Case' is also a character that is easy to relate to because she sees herself as an outsider and someone that constantly has to lie in order to make herself seem interesting or fit to fit in. Being an outsider or an out cast is something many people feel like they are in school because they don't know where they fit in within the cliché hierarchy most schools have. Ally feels the need to lie to fit in, throughout the film she lies about things such as intimacy, which is something most people experience at different ages throughout their teenage life and also something which many feel they need to experience in order to 'fit in' or to feel 'normal'. 

Claire 'The Princess' is a character that is easy to relate to as she is criticised throughout the film for being rich, having nice things and 'the perfect life' which is something the character of Bender, and many of the audience aspire to have, The fact that Claire does not appreciate the security she had with both parents and a rich lifestyle is something the audience can relate to because many people will know of someone who has everything we desire such as a complete stereotypical family, yet is still not happy. Also the fact that Claire is criticised for still being a virgin is something that many teenagers can relate to because she is then seen as 'frigid' and a 'tease'. Yet Ally who claims not to be a virgin is regarded as a 'slut'. This is a cliché high school topic and is something most teenagers feel uncomfortable about because either way, they will be judged by everyone else. 

Brian, 'The Brain' is the stereotypical clever guy of the group, who does well in school, gets good grades yet is still judged by the rest of the school hierarchy for being a 'geek' or a 'nerd'. Brian is easy to relate to because he, like many others tries to ignore the criticisms of his peers and still continues life by trying not to get in the way of people like Bender. However, throughout the film Brian is subjected and succumbs to peer pressure and gets high by smoking marijuana, this is a rateable issue which many people throughput their teenage years will experience and try. This also goes against the cliché stereotype and exposes the true reality that in fact clever people aren't necessarily perfect either and they are just as curious to try potentially dangerous and new things such as drugs, as the 'criminals' would. 

Throughout the whole film, Brian is the character I identify most with on a personal level because he studies hard and tries to do as well as he can, despite coming from a not-so-privileged background. I also identify with him the most because he would never treat any of his new friends that he meets in detention, differently when his actual friends simply because he has made a personal and emotional connection with them. Unlike both Andy and Claire, who openly admit that if Brian came up to them and their socially elite friends they would probably laugh at him. 

Overall, The Breakfast Club is one of my favourite films simply because I can relate to every single one of the characters and their issues, and so can most teenage audiences, which the final quote of the film explains. Also it challenges the typical ideologies of rule breakers who flout rules and the way Mr Vernon sees all pupils, as well as conforming to the ideology that everyone is different and feels like an outcast sometimes, but that's okay, because underneath it all we are all the same anyway.