Sorry to hear it's not on the new releases. Hughes gives loads of interesting details about his original ideas, characterization, shooting problems, what he was aiming for. Almost as entertaining as the movie.

This is a great commentary with Hughes speaking in deadpan throughout the movie - an example being when he chats about a squirrel that had to walk along a telephone wire.
Just wish he'd do one for The Breakfast Club.

For quite a while I've been wishing to listen to this track again in order to review it here. Since what sadly happened last week, the wish became irresistible...
Hughes, speaking in a clear and objective tone until the last second but sounding somewhat detached as if to avoid getting carried away, keeps the commentary pretty much comprehensive, with production anecdotes; reminiscences; autobiographical resonances of the story; discussions about the actors, extras, editing, locations and soundtrack. Interestingly, during the museum sequence, he says "This picture, which I always thought this painting was sort of like making the movie...you don't have any idea what you've made until you step back from it". That seems to be his very intention with the commentary, which probably explains why his digressions about characters and plot sound neither condescending nor redundant like they invariably do on other commentaries.
I just wonder how great it would be to listen to Hughes' commentaries for his best movies, "Uncle Buck" and "Planes, Trains & Automobiles"...

John Hughes is, to many people, an enigma. There was a documentary made a few years ago featuring a group of twenty something's traveling across the country in a van to search for the reclusive director, to try and tell him what a major impact he's had on their lives and hopefully try and draw him out of retirement. The nearest they got was parking outside his home and trying to get a message to him via a maid.

At one point in the commentary he talks about the character of Cameron Frye mesmerized by the Seurat painting ' A Sunday afternoon on the island of LA Grand Jatte '. As the camera zooms in to Cameron's face so does it zoom into a little girls face in the center of the painting. Zooming closer and closer until there is nothing but painted dots of colour and nothing recognizable there. As Cameron looks for meaning in the painting there is nothing there. Just as there's nothing inside of Cameron ( or so he fears ). I never understood that scene before Hughes explained it that way. There's beauty in the painting or the person but when scrutinized too closely, there's nothing really there. It disappears. Interesting. Does it tell us something about Hughes though? Ourselves? Who knows. Hughes won't give you answers. He raised some good questions though.

A lot to write about a commentary but, after all, it's John Hughes commentary.

What I wrote there should be taken with a pinch of salt. It's not easy to get the subtle humor across that I put in it. I'm not saying Hughes was a profound genius. After all he also wrote and directed stuff like 'Curly Sue'.