Pop culture in general has experienced a massive flux in ‘80s revelations with the release of Top Gun: Maverick, the return of Stranger Things, and my own personal first-ever viewing of Dirty Dancing which has altered the course of my life and has done the impossible: it has made me attracted to Patrick Swayze. As a proponent of reading, I can’t help but think of other kindred narratives when watching these classics beyond the generations they originate from. If you’re looking for a nice beach read or something to enthrall you while you’re in the comfort of your own home while also being a worshiper of ‘80s cinema, I believe I can help you expand your media consumption to beyond John Hughes and Tom Cruise.
- Top Gun: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine (Gail Honeyman)
If your favorite movie is Top Gun, you value the power of vulnerability, trust, and friendship. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine revolves around a socially challenged and extremely headstrong woman who reluctantly gives in to the friendship of an office colleague despite considering herself a loner by choice. As she works through coming to terms with her past and allowing another person into her life, Eleanor is required to rescind what she believes is the only correct way of life (her own decisions) and instead consider opening herself up to the rest of the world. You also desperately need to experience some kind of media revolving around a woman considering the testosterone fest of a movie Top Gun is (just for some balance).
- The Outsiders: The Mysteries of Pittsburgh (Michael Chabon)
The Outsiders is a tale of fighting supposed predisposition, friendship, and unbearable subliminal love for men. Because of this, I have selected The Mysteries of Pittsburgh by Michael Chabon. The language in this novel is intuitive and yet overtly decorative in a way that indicates a deeper sense of awareness. The newly graduated son of a Pittsburgh mobster finds a new group of friends while trying not to reach conclusions about himself; consequently, he dedicates his summer to forming observations about his newfound group of friends and lovers. With a drama-filled undercurrent of crime, the desperation of young criminals that felt born into it, and the bonds of both lifelong and newborn friendship, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh is a more mature dive into friendship and family that mirrors several of the central themes within The Outsiders.
- Stand by Me: The Lord of the Rings (J. R. R. Tolkien)
The bonds you forge as a child may fade, but those formed in the throes of adventure and peril run deep as the journey comes to an end. Were you thinking of Stand By Me? Oops, there must’ve been a miscommunication, because I was talking about The Lord of the Rings trilogy. This series is the quintessential model for the powerful spirit that friendship can provide in times of great disaster and is worth a read despite the fact that there are like two women in the whole series. Galadriel is there! Arwen! That’s almost completely it. Just like Stand By Me! I love both of these works and the friendship depicted makes you suppress a smile when thinking of childhood friends. Plus, the movies for The Lord of the Rings are really fun to binge with friends, so you can celebrate friendship while watching it on screen! Or just stick to Stand By Me. Either way I win.
- The Breakfast Club: Looking for Alaska (John Green)
If The Breakfast Club is your favorite ‘80s movie, you enjoy a romanticized outlook on loneliness and humanity’s most basic connections among each other. This outlook is instrumental to the manic pixie dream girl narrative where a strange girl turns out to be the new perspective on life a man has been looking for in order to escape from the pressures of normal life. Who is the master of manic pixie dream girl genesis? Mr. John Green, that’s who. Now, you may be hesitant because it’s a young adult romance, it’s a John Green book, yadayadayada. Well, get over it because this book is a beautiful ode to loyalty, defying high school hierarchies, and looking past your predetermined outlooks on people’s characters. I also recommend the show on Hulu if you’re looking for stand-out supporting characters, though that could be said for all John Green media. It’s funny, goofy, and heart-breaking, all three adjectives that I would use to describe The Breakfast Club.
- Heathers: Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
Mean girls and color coordination, Heathers offers a cult classic status with a murderous twist. While I personally haven’t read much like it, I know of a book that offers the drama, the not-so-silent pining, the betrayal, the supposed hatred, and the fish-out-of-water trope: Wuthering Heights. This might be one of my favorite classics of all time considering it features much more accessible language and a distinct cast of characters. Above all else, this book is DRAMA. Truly delectable. Heathcliff and Catherine, will they, won’t they? Oh, it’s all so dark and romantic and deadly. I could just see Winona Ryder rocking the role of Catherine, but that’s a different article for a different day.
- Dead Poets Society: The Hill Ghost (Callan McAuliffe)
O’ Captain, my captain, you love dewy imagery with misty rolling hills and the comfort of a dark, cable knit sweater during the fall. Romantic language and meaningful narratives are at no shortage, especially among the classics; however, if you want a new romantic and lyrical novel that you wouldn’t have to read in school, I recommend Callan McAuliffe’s debut novel The Hill Ghost. It recounts the adventure of a powerful dog dedicated to shepherding a flock of sheep on the Irish coast and his interactions with a tricky new group of wolves that are getting a little too close to his sheep. When reading this novel, you feel transported to dewy rolling hills, mossy forests, and a magical land where weirdly sentient dogs roam. It’s tragic, beautiful, and a return to classical romanticism in the form of modern literature that I highly recommend for fans of a film as provoking and poetic as Dead-Poets Society.
- Dirty Dancing: Pride & Prejudice (Jane Austen)
If your favorite movie is the surprising and unlikely tale of Baby and Johnny’s summer love, you certainly love strange circumstances and withering gazes that turn to loving stares and a cast of mostly stupid sisters. Enemies to lovers is a classic trope, but Jane Austen started it all with the rollercoaster romance of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. There’s tense dancing, silly parents, arranged romances, and headstrong heroines in both works, and this novel has truly survived the tests of time. With accessible language and endlessly quotable lines, it’s definitely both a fun read and a good book to have in your repertoire.
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Because there are so many iconic ‘80s movies to cover, there will be a second part of this post next week, so keep an eye out for that! I hope these recommendations are to your liking and I totally agree with your taste in movies considering there was something in the movie-making water during the 1980s.