Quick Links
Andrew McCarthy’s recently released Hulu documentary,Brats, is an interesting look at how labels can affect you, especially when you’re younger and more impressionable. The Brat Pack, as they were called, were a group of young actors and actresses in the ’80s who starred frequently together in some of the signaturecoming-of-age filmsof the decade. It appears like a fun elite group that any young person would want to be a part of, but McCarthy’s documentary, almost like a 90-minute therapy session, focuses on how the moniker shaped their lives and careers, leaning mostly in a negative way because, to some of them, it meant they could no longer be taken seriously as actors.
It’s brought up frequently in the documentary that nothing has happened like the Brat Pack phenomenon since,but that’s not entirely true. The'90s had its share of teen films, TV shows, and idols that similarly dominated their respective decade. They just weren’t given a clever name to identify them. During that time and in the years after, they also seemed to be a bit more thankful for their level of fame when they were young, something some of the members of the ’80s Brat Pack have consistently rejected.
The Era of ’80s Teen Movies and the Brat Pack
For those who don’t know,the ’80s was a defining moment for youth culture entertainment, particularly in film. There weren’t many movies aimed at the younger audience until the ’80s, and that makes the decade unique and a trailblazer in its own right. Due to films mostlyconceived by John Hughes, such asThe Breakfast Club,Sixteen Candles,Pretty in Pink, and many more, the stars of these respective films grew in immense popularity with the target audience.
It grew so much that the group was eventually coined with a special name. Thanks to an articlewritten by David BlumforNew York Magazinein 1985, the termThe Brat Pack was born. Blum wrote the article, originally pitched as a piece focusing onBreakfast Clubstar Emilio Estevez, as he watched the group of young actors being flooded by young fans and groupies at the Hard Rock Cafe in Los Angeles.
The group seemed to be led by its more party-centric and outgoing “members,” such as Rob Lowe and Judd Nelson, but it soon included some of the actors who starred in multiple films together or ran in the same circles. This culminated with the release of Joel Schumacher’sSt. Elmos Fire, which starred several members of the Pack, including Estevez, McCarthy, Nelson, Lowe, Ally Sheedy, and Demi Moore. Beyond that film, other actors associated with the group, such as Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, and other adjacent members, could very well make the ’80s look like a celebrity high school.
The ’90s Saw the Beginning of Its Own Brat Pack
As pointed out in theBratsdocumentary, most of the Brat Pack rejected the name because theybelieved it diminished their value as actors, and some thought it negatively affected their careers. McCarthy, in particular, frequently states nothing like it has happened since, but that can be challenged. During the mid-’90s,another youth culture boom began in entertainment, unofficially started by the success of 1995’sClueless.
That film didn’t trigger its own unofficial Brat Pack, but it did make it clear that youth-driven cinema in the ’90s could be very lucrative (the film grossed $88 million globally on a $12 million budget). Waiting in the shadows of the success ofCluelesswas a perfect storm of young talent, the return of the teen slasher film, and a network geared at young adults that would pave the way to create its own elite group of teen idols.
Brats Review: An Endearing Documentary that Unpacks The Brat Pack Label
Director Andrew McCarthy reunites with his former costars in a raw, emotional, and moving doc filled with ’80s nostalgia.
Much of this happened independently of each other before some of these worlds converged by the mid to late ’90s. A year beforeCluelesswas released, a teen and family drama calledParty of Fivepremiered, and it introduced the world to Neve Campbell and, eventually,gave a young Jennifer Love Hewitteven more exposure when she was added to the series. Despite early ratings that nearly got it canceled, the show eventually caught on with young adults and families and became a signature hit for Fox, especially when paired with their more established hit,Beverly Hills 90210.
Neve Campbell in the Scream Franchise
During her early run onParty of Five, Campbell starred in two teen horror films in 1996 that would become staples for its target audience:The CraftandScream.The Craftwas a modest hit, but appearing inScreamwould not only boost Campbell’s profile considerably but also fully ignite a ’90s teen explosionspearheaded by writer Kevin Williamson.
Much like John Hughes before him, Williamson wanted to write a movie that respected the teen audience. Unlike John Hughes, he also wanted to do his part to revive the horror genre, films that were seeing more misses than hits in the ’90s.Screamwas considered DOA by many in the industry when it only debuted to $6.4 million, but the movie had incredible legs thanks to stellar word of mouth, eventually grossing $103 million at the domestic box office on a $15 million budget. The fuse was then lit for the horror genre, any form of youth content, and the fresh faces that would star in it.
Neve Campbell Returns as Sidney Prescott in Scream 7
After being noticeably absent from Scream VI, actress Neve Campbell reveals that she will return as Sidney Prescott in the upcoming sequel.
Also simmering during the success ofScreamis the emergence of The WB Television Network (soon to be known as The WB by all the cool kids). The network began in 1995 and was struggling to find substantial hits as it was mostly identified by silly comedies that made it clear it couldn’t compete with the Big Four networks (NBC, ABC, CBS, & Fox).
The 1996-97 season gave them their first modest hit in7th Heaven, a family drama from producer Aaron Spelling that starred young talent the industry would come to know, such as Jessica Biel and Barry Watson. However, it was a mid-season replacement in 1997 that would give The WB the recognition it was seeking and also changed its trajectory to target the teenage and young adult audience specifically, something the other networks weren’t doing.
The Success of Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Buffy the Vampire Slayerpremiered in March 1997and became an instant hit. It also made its star, Sarah Michelle Gellar, a girl to watch. Gellar was known to soap fans following an Emmy-winning run onAll My Children, but she was essentially discovered by many fansafterBuffypremiered. She also filmed a little horror movie during the time thatBuffywas premiering on The WB.
Following the success ofScream, the industry hadI Know What You Did Last Summer, also written by Williamson, and starring more young stars on the verge of immense popularity.Campbell’sParty of Fiveco-star, Jennifer Love Hewitt, lands the lead in the film, but she is joined by a crop of other young stars that includesBuffyherself, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe and Freddie Prinze Jr.
The film was released nearly a year afterScream, during the third season ofParty of Fivefor Hewitt, and shortly after the second season premiere ofBuffy the Vampire Slayerfor Gellar. Due to all these key factors, unlikeScream,I Know What You Did Last Summerwas a hit out of the gate, spending three weeks at number one and ultimately grossing $125.3 million worldwide on a $17 million budget.
Scream 2 Was Another Hit in the ’90s
By the end of 1997,Scream 2was released,and it was just as successful as the first film, capping off a solid year of youth entertainment that created a new group of young stars.Scream 2featured the surviving members of the first film and other fresh faces, including Gellar, who gets her own Drew Barrymore moment in one of the film’s signature scenes. You might also notice a young Joshua Jackson out ofMighty Ducksgear as one of the students featured in the film class scene with Gellar and Jamie Kennedy’s Randy Meeks. The audience will also see more of Jackson on The WB very soon.
Again, spearheaded by Williamson, you see theemergence ofDawson’s Creekin 1998on The WB. The series would introduce the late ’90s to more young talent, including Jackson, James Van Der Beek, Katie Holmes, and Michelle Williams. Another mid-season replacement for the network, likeBuffy the Vampire Slayer,Dawson’s Creekbecame an instant hit, becoming a flagship show for the network and turning its cast into international stars.The series was geared at teensand didn’t talk down to them with Williamson, much like Hughes before him, respecting the voices and minds of the target audience. This is what many of these shows and movies from the ’80s and ’90s have in common. They treated their demographic as viable human beings, giving the audience idols to look up to and worship for various reasons.
10 Greatest R-Rated Comedies of the ‘90s
In the 1990s, comedies usually followed rules. But some of them were blasphemous enough to be the R-rated laughfests that are still remembered today.
What you have throughout 1998 and through 1999 is an explosion of more movies and TV shows, with some of these stars appearing in some of them together.1998’sCan’t Hardly Waitis almost like a game of spot the teen star, even with some of the film’s supporting roles. Hewitt also starred in this one, and one of her co-stars was Seth Green, a child actor who also benefited from the teen boom of the ’90s because, by the time he was inCan’t Hardly Wait, he was a series regular onBuffy the Vampire Slayer,with Gellar. He was also inMy Stepmother is an Alienwith Alyson Hannigan, who also starred onBuffyas Willow, who would eventually star in her ownraunchy teen comedyin 1999,American Pie. As you can see, it’s all connected.
The Late ’90s Teen Stars Found More Success
The late ’90s became a sort of connecting the dots of teen starsand how they were associated with each other. Many starred in horror films (Katie Holmes hadDisturbing Behavior,Michelle Williams hadHalloween: H20, and Joshua Jackson hadUrban Legend). They also had even more defining teen films that connected them by appearing in them together or their adjacent success. By January 1999, Van Der Beek found success withVarsity Blues, which also starred a fresh-faced Paul Walker. Just a few weeks later, Freddie Prinze Jr. scored a big hit withShe’s All That, also co-starring a fresh-faced Paul Walker.
Again, in mere weeks,Cruel Intentionswas released,reuniting Gellar and Phillippeand featuring Jackson in a small role. That film became another teen hit, even fully introducing most of us to Selma Blair (who also starred in her own series on The WB,Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane). By the end of that month,10 Things I Hate About Youwas released,making stars out of its teen castand becoming a hit thanks to the youth market. This all culminated with the release ofAmerican Piethat summer, which proved to be the biggest hit of them all when it grossed $235.5 million globally on an $11 million budget.
It was a time when some of these stars were even connected by their lesser-known projects that didn’t fully connect with the demographic. Prinze Jr. and Blair starred alongside10 Thing I Hate About You’sJulia Stiles inDown to Youin 2000 (you’re forgiven if you don’t remember it), while the actor also starred inSummer Catchwith7th Heaven’sJessica Biel. He even appeared inBoys and Girlswith Hannigan and Jason Biggs, who had their teen hit withAmerican Pie. Even shows on The WB that weren’t as huge as some of their biggest hits made mini-stars that were connected. Leslie Bibb starred on the network’s comedy seriesPopularand also jumped into film with Joshua Jackson and Paul Walker inThe Skulls.
The ’90s Brat Pack Handled Their Success Well
At the height of their popularity, the ’90s teen stars, muchlike the Brat Pack, were featured on magazine covers and talk shows. They became the toast of the industry because, even if the older demographic wasn’t all about their output, they supported a lucrative industry, andthese actors and actresses were undoubtedly bringing in money. They weren’t given a label like the Brat Pack to identify them, but their success was similar, and one of the key differences was how most of them handled it.
The teenstars of the ’90s, for the most part,didn’t seem to view their status negatively, and it didn’t prevent many of them from landing more prestige movies. Take Katie Holmes, for instance. Even though she starred in what some would call forgettable teen fare such asDisturbing BehaviorandTeaching Mrs. Tingle, she also landed roles in more respected projects such asGo(directed by Doug Liman),Wonder Boys(directed by Curtis Hanson) andThe Gift(directed by Sam Raimi). The more prestigious roles were there for these actors, which proved they had to seek them out to land them.
Can’t Hardly Wait: Where the Cast is Today
Can’t Hardly Wait is going to be 25 this year. The actors in the film haven’t stopped working since then. Here’s where the cast is today.
Compared to the Brat Pack today, the teen idols of the ’90s also look back more positively on their teen stardom and output. You’ll find it hard for Judd Nelson or Molly Ringwald to speak about their ’80s success much at all, butthe ’90s stars seem to understand that they wouldn’t be where they are now without it. In 2023, Michelle Williams, now a multiple Oscar nominee, spoke toVultureabout her time onDawson’s Creekby saying, “Maybe there’s a connection between firstness and lastness, so I’m constantly reconnecting with my time onDawson’s Creekbecause every project that I end somehow recalls that to me.” The actress went on to talk about how it was great training for her as an actress and some of those skills she still uses today.
“But it was an incredible kind of training because you’re also learning these really fundamental things, like how to have a conversation with somebody where you’re looking them in the eye but some part of you is also scanning downward to hit your mark. It’s that kind of technical stuff that seems sort of silly and small that still comes in handy for me.”
Sometimes, reminiscing on these projects from the stars of the ’90s isn’t about profound thoughts on training but just about being proud of the fact that they made films that left their mark. During the25th anniversary ofCruel Intentionsthis year, Phillippe was happy that he was a part of a film that is still being discussed 25 years later, something some members of the ’80s Brat Pack seem reluctant to do.
“When I started out as a young actor, my hopes and dreams, in a lot of ways, were tied to having something that lasts, having something that makes that much of an impression. And to be more specific, being in a seminal teen movie was something, in the early part of my career, that mattered to me, that John Hughes movies when I was growing up. And Cruel Intentions still holds up. If you watch it today, it’s sharp, funny. It doesn’t feel dated.”
Perhaps the ’80s Brat Pack stands out more because it was the first of its kind. Young stars in young coming-of-age films helped shape their generation. It’s hard to say if the movies of this period or the young adult films andTV shows of the ‘90shad more impact (that will come down to the individual), but this wave certainly didn’t stop in the ’80s. It continued well into the ’90s, without a cool name, but definitely with young actors and actresses that were more game to embrace their teen stardom.If you’re interested in the ’80s Brat Pack,Bratsis streaming now onHulu.
