Why The Breakfast Club Has the Perfect Cast, According to Astrology

Wednesday Journal Entry, Week 26

February 8th 2023 – Karina Lafayette

There are few movies that have really left a mark on me like The Breakfast Club. While some people feel it’s outdated, and there’s no doubt a few of the jokes (and the sexism) haven’t aged well, as someone who’s always been on the fringes of society, it’s hard not to see myself in the characters, which of course is the point of the movie. I don’t think John Hughes really intended to make the film a realistic depiction of high school, he just wanted to write a social experiment on what would happen if five very different people got the chance to see past their differences.

And of course, like almost everything else, there’s an astrological reason for that. For starters, The Breakfast Club was released on February 7th 1985, right in the middle of Aquarius season.

Hughes himself was born on February 18th, teetering close toward Pisces, but still an Aquarius through and through not only for his sun, but also Venus and Mercury. Despite some outdated views that today would be considered chauvinistic, he also had an understanding toward humanity, which is definitely reflected in his chart. Aquarius after all, is the sign of the humanitarian, the misfit, the loner, the best friend, and is often that person who understands everyone, while still feeling misunderstood themselves. This feeling is at the core of The Breakfast Club.

The five main characters, Bender, Claire, Allison, Brian and Andrew initially meet each other, feeling as though they’re all from different worlds, only to come out with a realization that at our core, everyone is the same, and leave it to an Aquarius like John Hughes to be able to depict that in a way that’s raw and believable. Not only so, but the astrology gets even better when you learn about the actors and their stars. Molly Ringwald, who plays Claire, also happens to be an Aquarius, sharing a birthday with Hughes himself. In real life, her and Hughes had a close, complicated bond during the eighties and made in total three movies together, and it’s not hard to see why.

Though it may be hard to picture her character Claire as having an Aquarian flare, that’s because most people are familiar with the side of Aquarius that’s rebellious and alienated from society. You have another side to this sign that often longs to fit in, even if it means ignoring their truth. Because Aquarius values friendships so much, their loyalty comes at the expense of their well-being because they want so badly to make sure that everyone gets along, something depicted with Claire. We see this especially in the scene where she admits to Brian that on Monday it’s likely she’ll forget about them, because she knows the social backlash that could come from being their friend.

Something else that’s interesting is that Ringwald also happens to be a Scorpio moon, which we don’t really get a glimpse of in Claire, except for when she’s alone with Bender (Judd Nelson), where she lets her guard down

and allows herself to approach someone she typically wouldn’t go for. Although it’s obvious she would date him mostly to piss off her parents, something a Scorpio moon would certainly do.

When it comes to Judd Nelson, there’s no doubt that the role of Bender was written for him. I mean, he’s a Sagittarius with a total of four planets in Scorpio: Mars, Mercury, Moon, and Neptune. At this point I’d almost wonder if Hughes even secretly knew astrology, or maybe it’s because of the fact that Scorpio is one of the only signs that really fits the bad-boy-with-a-good-heart archetype, that no one else could’ve done this character justice. He channels that energy so perfectly. Anytime the camera is on him, even when Bender is being an asshole, it’s hard not to get in on whatever mischief he has planned. That dark, piercing gaze takes you right into his world, just like Hades leading into the Underworld.

But probably the most Scorpionic moment of all is when Bender shifts from trickster to wounded bird in his monologue, where we get insight into his abusive home life. He screams to the top of his lungs while acting out an argument between him and his father, letting the audience know that behind the bravado, there’s more than meets the eye, because with Scorpio, there always is more. There’s also the shadow side to Scorpio that likes to hurt others as a way to deal with their own pain, which we see repeatedly with the way Bender casually insult his peers earlier in the film.

Of course, opposite Bender is Andrew, who seems to be everything Bender isn’t. He’s popular, a jock and always strives to be the best. And you guessed it, it’s because Emilio Estevez, who plays Andrew, has Aries in his chart- Aries Mars to be exact. Aries and Scorpio are known for often butting heads since even though both are ruled by Mars, Aries is a fire sign and Scorpio is a water sign. Where Scorpio can taunt and manipulate, Aries prefers being direct. As the first sign of the zodiac, Aries always has to come first and be the best and only the best. They don’t like being seen as weak and enjoy playing the hero. Probably the most obvious depiction of this is in the dance montage, where Andrew is jumping over tables and finishes with a fantasy shot where he screams like the Incredible Hulk.

Despite his bravado, he’s determined to get to know Allison better after she dumps the contents of her purse as a way to connect with him and Brian. Allison mostly keeps to herself and tags along with the rest of the group, not really knowing how to interact. She later reveals that she doesn’t have any friends. The socially awkward misfit is a wonderful reflection of Ally Sheedy’s Cancer Venus, a placement that’s a perfect blend of warm vulnerability and major trust issues. The reason Cancer Venus has trust issues, is because they’re incredibly loyal but rarely find others who are the same. Allison wearing black highlights her need to blend into the background despite also really longing for connection.

Something else that adds to the layer of mystery in Ally Sheedy’s performance, is the fact that she’s a Gemini sun and rising. Gemini is the sign of the twins, and the duality is very much apparent in the scene where Claire gives Allison a makeover. She goes from blending into the background to allowing a certain sweetness in her personality to shine through, even despite the fact that pink is clearly not a color that she would normally wear. While the scene feels cliché now, it isn’t really about the makeover, it’s about Allison being made visible. Another thing that’s apparent is how different Allison and Claire are in terms of femininity and beauty, with Ally Sheedy having Venus in Cancer, and Molly Ringwald having Venus in the sign of socialite and image-driven Capricorn.

Hence the reason why Allison can so easily push her buttons in the scene where she tries to find out whether Claire is a virgin. Capricorn, after all, rules the public and has an image to maintain, while Cancer on the other hand prefers comfort and not having to care what other people think.

As much as Allison’s sudden romantic spark with Andrew might seem off-putting to the audience, in astrological terms, it makes sense when you think about the fact that Emilio Estevez also happens to be a Taurus Sun. The connection between Taurus and Cancer Venus really just feels like a warm hug. After the movie finishes, if their romance were to continue, it’s likely that Allison has difficulty with being vulnerable, and would require that famous Taurean patience of his in order to really develop the relationship further.

It’s also worth adding that the bit where Andrew reveals to Bender his buffet-style lunch is probably the most Taurus thing ever, because who else would bring that kind lunch in the first place?

Unsurprisingly, Emilio isn’t the only Taurus in the movie. There’s a reason why Judd Nelson so convincingly has his character going against Mr. Vernon, played by Paul Gleason, and it’s all because Gleason was a Taurus himself. He did a fine job at depicting the worst traits of that sign in the scene where Mr. Vernon lays down the ground rules for the day. The shadow side of Taurus loves rules, routine, and has a need to control everything and everyone in sight. And as he puts it, “Don’t mess with the bull, young man, you’ll get the horns,” a legendary Taurus motto.

While giving a speech, the only one in the room who’s really a match for Mr. Vernon is Bender, who has no issue challenging him since Scorpio after all, is the sign opposite to Taurus. Early on, it’s pretty clear that this isn’t their first rodeo, but as time proves it later, in the scene where they’re alone and Mr. Vernon harassingly dares Bender to punch him in the face, Bender stares at him wide-eyed in fear, proving that Mr. Vernon can see past his bad boy persona. As much as opposite signs may at times hate each other, it’s really because they see each other better than anyone. Similar to the dynamic between Claire and Allison.

Between all this drama, we have Carl the janitor swimming in the background, played by fellow Pisces John Kapelos. Despite him coming across as just another staff member at their school, in the scene where Bender asks sarcastically, “How does one become a janitor?” Carl reveals

that he’s “the eyes and ears of this institution” and that there’s more to being a janitor than just having to clean up after everyone, that students ought to watch themselves around him to avoid getting in trouble. Pisces after all, are known for being elusive, mysterious and sometimes up to no good, since they tend to mirror their environment.

Last but not least is of course Brian. Brian is stereotyped as the introverted smart one of the group, but you might be surprised to find out that Anthony Michael Hall is an Aries stellium (sun, Venus, Mercury and Saturn), despite his character being quite a contrast from Emilio Estevez as Andrew. What’s important to note is with Aries Saturn being conjunct Mercury, this restricts the otherwise unpredictable nature of Aries. Saturn’s influence is also quite

apparent when we learn that the reason Brian is in detention, has to do with him struggling with pressure from his parents to be a perfect A student. Saturn can represent authority figures, and people with strong Saturn influence tend to feel like they aren’t good enough unless they’re constantly succeeding. In a way, Brian also reflects a softer side to Aries that we don’t normally get to see due to stereotypes. While he’s not into sports like Andrew and doesn’t have the same macho attitude, he still wants to be the best.

After looking at how each chart reflects the cast of The Breakfast Club, it’s obvious that for actors, and even artists in general, different aspects of a natal chart take center stage depending on the project. In The Breakfast Club, we see very different people who were able to create a moment in pop culture. For projects that fail, it’s really because the story just doesn’t mesh well with the person’s stars, however when their stars align, magic happens. A role can only be the right one if it brings out part of who we already are.

Are there other movies you want me to write about from an astrological lens? Let me know!

Karina

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