If anything good can be said to have from such a sad event, the premature passing of John Hughes has at least inspired an unusually high standard of obituary-writing. The personal connection still felt by an entire generation with his films has manifested itself in a number of heartfelt, idiosyncratic tributes from a wide range of voices.
As someone too young to have experienced the Hughes teen phenomenon first-hand — I was in diapers when he made his directing debut with “Sixteen Candles” — I’ve gained a lot of understanding this week as to why his work means so much to so many, and why that makes him an important filmmaker. While I’ve enjoyed several of his films, I’m looking forward to revisiting them from this perspective.
Meanwhile, the most interesting tribute I’ve read yet comes from an unlikely source: Washington lawyer Edward McNally, who grew up and attended high school with Hughes, and is rumored to be the inspiration for Hughes most beloved creation, Ferris Bueller.