John Hughes dies at age 59

Filmmaker John Hughes died at the age of 59 today in New York. Hughes suffered a heart attack while talking his morning walk. He was visiting family in Manhattan at the time.John Hughes is survived by his wife of 39 years Nancy, his two sons John and James and four grandchildren.

John Hughes was darn near that of a filmmaking God to movie geeks, and just teenagers in general, of my generation. Hughes’ films defined our generation, putting our lives up on the big screen. Hughes was a Chicago-based filmmaker, so he had a special place in the hearts of us in the Midwest as well.

Hughes’ films included an extensive laundry list of extremely popular hits that remain favorite for today’s generations as well, standing strong against the test of time. Some of these films include SIXTEEN CANDLES, THE BREAKFAST CLUB, WEIRD SCIENCE and FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF. Later on, he would make more adult-oriented films that still offered a similar sense of humor, such as PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES, SHE’S HAVING A BABY and UNCLE BUCK.

Hughes was also a very successful writer, with two of his most popular works being National Lampoon’s VACATION and HOME ALONE, which held the box office record for many years. Hughes’ last writing to hit the big screen was DRILLBIT TAYLOR (2008). He will truly be missed by those of us who remember the 80’s all too well and I encourage any younger generations who are not familiar with his work to rush out and discover why his movies are so loved. I promise, you will not be disappointed!

Source: Hollywood Reporter