The Brat Pack: A Gen X Reflection on Andrew McCarthy's Documentary Brats, and the Movies That Shaped Us

I recently watched Brats on Hulu—Andrew McCarthy’s deeply personal and beautifully crafted documentary about the so-called “Brat Pack” and the 1980s movies that introduced us to these amazing actors. Those films have since become a lasting part of our culture. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. Also see the best of the best on Hulu right now and ways to get Hulu for streaming (or Live TV).

As a Gen Xer, this film hit me like a wave. It wasn’t just nostalgia. It was validation. It was a reminder that we mattered. That we still matter. Back then, we were called lazy, cynical, disaffected—labels that stuck unfairly and, in many ways, limited our potential. Careless words can have lasting impact. Many don’t even remember those labels now, but they do remember the Brat Pack. That’s the power of cultural memory—and the injustice of being mischaracterized.

Brats: A Documentary That Says What We’ve Always Felt

In Brats, McCarthy revisits the cultural phenomenon that defined his early career and shaped the lives of so many of us who came of age in the 1980s (and '90s!) - Gen X has entered the Chat. He interviews fellow Brat Pack members like Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Ally Sheedy, and Emilio Estevez, exploring how a single article written by journalist David Blum branded them with a name they never asked for and couldn’t shake.

McCarthy confronts Blum in the film, and while Blum admits he may have been “a bit mean,” he never fully owns the damage he caused. That label “Brat Pack” wasn’t just catchy. It was limiting. It was dismissive. And it stuck. It grouped these brilliant young actors into a box they couldn’t easily escape. It was unfair, and it hurt. And I do think it limited their potential in many ways.

Gen X was later named the “slacker generation” coined around the time of Reality Bites and Singles. But they were wrong about us—just like David Blum was wrong about the Brat Pack. They took it on the chin, and in many ways Gen X did too. It took us a while to get back up. But we did. Despite the labels, our generation—the so-called slackers, the so-called brats—has, dare I say, defined, shaped, and made possible the culture and world we live in today.

Brats Delivers with Heart and Footage

One of the most enjoyable parts of Brats was the incredible use of movie clips and behind-the-scenes insights. Seeing those iconic scenes again, interwoven with honest reflections from the actors, was both nostalgic and illuminating. It reminded me just how great those films were (and are).

If you haven’t seen Brats yet, I recommend it. It’s thoughtful, emotional, and well done. Definitely Fresh on the Rotten Tomatoes scale and a pleasure to watch.

Pretty in Pink and the Ending That Wasn’t

One of the most fascinating moments in Brats is when McCarthy and director Howard Deutch discuss the original ending of Pretty in Pink. In the first cut, Andie (Molly Ringwald) ends up with Duckie (Jon Cryer), not Blaine (McCarthy). But test audiences hated it. So they reshot the ending—with McCarthy in a not-so-great wig—and gave us the fairytale kiss in the rain.

I’ll be honest: I never noticed the wig. I was just happy Andie ended up with Blaine. I loved Duckie, but I wasn’t Team Duckie. That’s life—sometimes the guy who works the hardest doesn’t win. Watching McCarthy's Brats made me think differently. Maybe the original ending was more honest. But life doesn’t always get wrapped in a pretty bow where the guy who loves you the most is the guy you pick. And that’s what made those movies so brilliant—they weren’t afraid to show the mess.

Andrew McCarthy: The Heart of the Pack

McCarthy’s role in this story is more than just as a narrator. He’s the emotional core. In Brats, he’s vulnerable, reflective, and honest about how the label affected him. He admits he once resented it but now sees it somewhat as a blessing. That evolution mirrors our own as Gen Xers. We were once boxed in by labels, but we’ve grown beyond them.

McCarthy’s performance in Pretty in Pink as Blaine was understated and real. His chemistry with Ringwald was electric. And in St. Elmo’s Fire, he was magnetic. That whole cast—Emilio, Demi, Rob, Judd, Ally—they were lightning in a bottle. I couldn’t take my eyes off them but let's be honest, it didn't quite match the magic of The Breakfast Club.

The Breakfast Club: A Cultural Earthquake
Nothing hit me like The Breakfast Club and I walked out of that theater a different person. I was them; they were me. And that final letter, read by Anthony Michael Hall, still echoes in me:

“Each one of us is a brain, and an athlete, and a basket case, a princess, and a criminal.”

That line didn’t just define the characters. It defined us. It told us we were more than the labels. That we were complex. That we were seen. 

Final Thoughts

Maybe "The Brat Pack" should have bonded together and let the name empower them. Perhaps they could have taken the reins and led the charge. But it was a different time, and labels were real and often damaging.

Many unfavorable or unfair labels live on today, though some have been broken apart by the voices of those who did the hard work before the world was ready to listen. In today’s world, media labeling has shifted somewhat. Consensus is often formed by crowdsourced opinions developed on social networking, which can be empowering, but sometimes dangerous. Often the most vulgar or loudest opinions still shape the narrative. This phenomenon has led to the rise of cancel culture… but that’s another article.

To Andrew McCarthy: thank you. For your honesty. For your vulnerability. For giving us Brats, and well, you. And for reminding us that the Brat Pack wasn’t just a label—it was a legacy.

And to the Brat Pack: you saved us. You saw us. And we’ll never stop watching.

Check out more about what's on Hulu and Hulu's streaming service, here: https://kellsay.com/blogs/reviews/why-i-am-loving-hulu-right-now-top-movies-series-to-watch-july-2025