Happy Endings – Why isn’t there a John Hughes museum?

I’m still not sure what to think of the relatively new ABC series Happy Endings, but I usually find myself watching it after Modern Family mostly because of the other show’s powerful lead-in. Mostly it feels like a weakened version of Friends to me and honestly I wasn’t that impressed when it first premiered.

Think about it — you have three female and three male leads all in their early thirties and most of the episodes seem to revolve around their dating circles and other wacky life obstacles. Also, as I recall, it began when one of these friends jilted the other at the altar … hmm, that sounds eerily familiar. However, some episodes do stand out and last night’s, titled “The Kerkovich Way,” did just that for me.

When Penny and Max decided to compete in an urban scavenger hunt called Rosalita’s Run to try to beat out one of Penny’s nemeses, I thought, “Okay, this is going to be lame. Who does urban scavenger hunts?” But when it turned out to have a Chicago movie theme mostly revolving around the beloved classics directed or written by John Hughes, I got really excited and envious. First, Matthew Broderick reprised his iconic role as Ferris Bueller for a Super Bowl TV commercial and now this? What an awesome month for an ‘80s devotee!

The best part of the episode was hands-down the cameo of Richard Edson – you probably know him best as the parking valet from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off who takes Cameron’s dad’s car out for a joy ride with his comrade. As Penny and Max race to find clues, it turns out Edson – found in a garage resplendent in his parking valet uniform – holds one of them.

Penny (doing a double-take): “Oh my God, did you play the valet guy in Ferris Bueller’s?”

Edson: “I didn’t play the valet guy. I am a valet guy. I did that as a personal favor to John Hughes because I used to park his car. Parking cars is my passion. Showbiz is for the birds.”

Penny (looking a little creeped out): “Neat.”

Max (as they’re edging away): “Did not hear that on the DVD commentary.”

It was perfect. The other stand-out moment was Penny reminiscing about being an assistant curator of an imaginary John Hughes museum:

Penny: “All those summers interning at the John Hughes museum are finally going to pay off!”

Max: “Penny, I don’t know how many times I have to tell you this – there is no such thing as the John Hughes museum.”

Penny: “Ok, Max, then I guess I just went to my softball coach’s basement every day for three summers to watch movies and … oh my God!”

My only question is why isn’t there one? Arguably, Hughes’ movies defined a generation of angst-filled teens who wanted to see their problems taken more seriously on the silver screen. When it was announced that Hughes had died of a sudden heart attack in 2009, I mourned the loss of the man who penned many of my favorite movies. I would certainly pay a visit to a museum housing original Hughes screenplays, Annie Potts’ memorable wardrobe from Pretty in Pink, Molly Ringwald’s panties from Sixteen Candles or even Ferris Bueller’s leopard-print vest. Where are these precious cinema artifacts today, anyways?

If you’re like me and Hughes’ movies had a tremendous impact on your teenage years and you find yourself yearning for more than just the brilliant cameo in this week’s Happy Endings, I highly recommend the book You Couldn’t Ignore Me If You Tried: The Brat Pack, John Hughes, And Their Impact on a Generation, written by Susannah Gora. From cover to cover, it’s a fascinating read filled with first-hand accounts by the actors and film crews of some of his best beloved classics, including Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Some Kind of Wonderful. That might be enough to satiate your hunger for all things Hughes.

Other stand-out quotes from the episode:

• Alex: “My phone has been acting so stupid. I tried calling Penny the other day. The lines got crossed. I ended up talking to a guy named Chaz who tried to sell me homemade cough drops.”
• Dave, reading from note cards: “Many before us have faced similar difficulties in trying to interpret their intimate affairs: Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel. Everybody in Fleetwood Mac. Marty McFly and his mother. This isn’t working … My point is we need to talk about what happened.”
• Jane: “I did not push that guy out of the way because he was French. I pushed him out of the way because he was moving slow like a damn French.”
  Max: “What is your problem with our French brethren?”
• Julie (Penny’s nemesis): “It’s becoming a nasty pattern. It’s like write a best-seller, have a baby; write a best-seller, have a baby; write a best-seller, adapt the screenplay.”
• A reference to Joel Goodson from Risky Business flashing across the supermarket checkout screen: “Thank you for shopping with us Mr. Goodson.”

Clacked by Kim Tibbs
on Mar 08, 2012 @ 12:15 EST5EDT