10 Brat Pack Movie Couples, Ranked
The Brat Pack is back—sort of. Andrew McCarthy revisits the era that altered the lives of a group of young Hollywood stars in the 1980s in his new documentary Brats.
McCarthy, serving as subject and director, sits down with former co-stars Ally Sheedy, Emilio Estevez, Demi Moore, and Rob Lowe to discuss that moment in time and how one New Yorker profile changed everything. While McCarthy and other actors in the Brat Pack initially looked at the moniker with disdain, they break down their feelings and how they’ve evolved decades later.
Naturally, discussions about iconic Brat Pack movies—The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, and St. Elmo’s Fire, to name a few—came up during the documentary. As we celebrate the movies that shaped the Brat Pack, we’re ranking 10 couples from Brat Pack movies. Scroll down to see where your favorite pairs land on our list.
Brats, Streaming Now, Hulu
10. Kirby & Dale, St. Elmo's Fire
Honestly, St. Elmo’s Fire would be a perfect movie with the elimination of Dale (Andie MacDowell) and Kirby’s (Estevez) romance. It’s not hard to understand why Kirby falls for the gorgeous Dale, but he goes to such drastic lengths to impress her that his desperation starts to reek. He loses a job and drives in a snowstorm just to find her on a getaway with another man! Kirby should have taken the hint.
9. Jewel & Matt, Fresh Horses
Ringwald and McCarthy tried to recapture the magic they created in Pretty in Pink, but it just wasn’t the same in Fresh Horses. After a chance encounter, Matt (McCarthy) crosses paths with the mysterious Jewel (Ringwald). He winds up breaking off his engagement with his girlfriend to be with Jewel. Love is often very messy and can lead to some poor decision-making, as is the case here. We’ll give Ringwald and McCarthy credit for reuniting, but Fresh Horses is easily forgettable.
8. Leslie & Alec, St. Elmo's Fire
Leslie (Sheedy) and Alec (Judd Nelson) could have been a great couple, and maybe they were back in college. Nelson and Sheedy have such a natural rapport with one another, so you wish you could root for them. But as soon as Alec starts cheating on Leslie, their relationship is doomed. Alec should have just let Leslie go and explore a relationship with Kevin, but Alec is one of those guys. He never likes to lose. Thank goodness Leslie didn’t marry him.
7. Billy & Wendy, St. Elmo's Fire
Billy Hicks (Lowe) is the guy people warn you to stay away from. Despite the many red flags, Wendy (Mare Winningham) just can’t quit Billy in St. Elmo’s Fire. She should be running in the other direction, but she makes excuses for him at every turn. The heart wants what it wants, and that’s the case with Wendy when it comes to Billy. She knows Billy is not her soulmate by any means, but she needs to get him out of her system before she moves on to the next chapter of her life. In his quieter, more intimate moments with Wendy, Billy shows shades of the man he could be one day.
6. Andrew & Allison, The Breakfast Club
While we don’t condone changing your entire personality for a guy, Allison (Sheedy) and Andrew’s (Estevez) place on this list comes from sharing such vulnerable moments together while in detention. In one of the film’s most touching scenes, Andrew tries to get to know the brooding Allison. He asks about her parents, and she admits that they just ignore her, which nearly brings Andrew to tears. The first thing Andrew says to Allison after her makeover is, “I can see your face.” As Andrew and Allison share a kiss outside the school once detention is over, you can’t help but hope these two don’t forget about each other by Monday morning.
5. Andie & Blane, Pretty in Pink
Team Duckie fans, take a seat. Andie (Ringwald) is destined to end up with Blane in Pretty in Pink. Ringwald and McCarthy have instant chemistry onscreen, which makes you root for them right from the jump. Andie is a working-class teen with a sense of style fit for a fashion magazine. Blane, a preppy and affluent student, falls for her. Even if you think she should have chosen Duckie, the initial Pretty in Pink test audience knew Andie and Blane were meant to be in this high school fairytale.
4. Danny & Debbie, About Last Night
Lowe and Moore have undeniable chemistry in St. Elmo’s Fire, even though their characters are not (mostly) romantically linked, so the ’80s blessed us with About Last Night. Dan (Lowe) and Debbie (Moore) hit it off right away with their flirty meet-cute and hookup. However, their relationship becomes a victim of bad timing, as is the case with so many relationships in one’s 20s. In the end, the spark between Dan and Debbie just won’t go away, so they decide to take another chance with their romance. About Last Night walked so a generation of romance movies could run.
3. Kevin & Leslie, St. Elmo's Fire
Every viewer can tell Kevin (McCarthy) is hopelessly in love with Leslie (Sheedy) from the moment they step into a frame together in St. Elmo’s Fire. Most of the crew wonders why Kevin remains single, but the answer is right in front of them all: His heart belongs to Leslie. Kevin is torn between his friendship with Alec (Nelson), who is not faithful to Leslie, and his heart. After Leslie confronts Alec about his infidelity, she shares a night of passionate lovemaking (including in a coffin!) with Kevin following his confession that he’s “desperately, completely in love” with her. Alec and Leslie don’t have a fraction of the passion that Leslie and Kevin have. In the end, Leslie refuses to choose between Alec and Kevin, but Kevin and Leslie should have been endgame. Alec never deserved her.
2. Keith & Watts, Some Kind of Wonderful
Some Kind of Wonderful is Brat Pack adjacent, as Lea Thompson would say. The film, written by Brat Pack patriarch John Hughes, is one of his most underrated films. Some Kind of Wonderful tells a tale as old as time. Guy wants a date with a popular girl, and his best friend agrees to help him. But that best friend harbors feelings for him. Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson) is willing to bury her feelings for Keith (Eric Stoltz) so he can be happy with Amanda (Thompson), but Keith realizes he feels the same way about Watts by the end of the film. He runs after her and kisses her in the middle of the street. While Watts should have definitely told him to take back those earrings, Some Kind of Wonderful is such a timeless exploration of best friends in love.
1. Samantha & Jake Ryan, Sixteen Candles
Sam (Ringwald) and Jake Ryan (Michael Schoeffling) are the quintessential Brat Pack couple. Who doesn’t swoon when Sam walks out of the church to find Jake Ryan waiting for her? After Sam’s family forgets her birthday and becomes preoccupied with her sister’s wedding, all Sam wants is for someone to notice her. Enter Jake Ryan. For many, Sixteen Candles is the entry point into the Brat Pack universe, and there’s just nothing quite like the ending of Hughes’ directorial debut. Sam and Jake Ryan sitting on the dining room table, dimly lit by the glow of her birthday candles, and sharing the perfect first kiss… that’s the stuff of teenage fantasies. Hughes made it the ultimate cinematic experience for youths across generations. And for that, we have to reward Sam and Jake Ryan with the top spot.
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