Published: November 10, 2025
2025 marks the 40th anniversary of St. Elmo’s Fire, an ‘80s classic starring several members of the so-called “Brat Pack.” The film was recently just re-released in theaters to celebrate the milestone. Directed by Joel Schumacher and released in 1985, the story follows seven life-long friends struggling to adjust to adulthood, their relationships, and their careers after graduating college. The movie of course also features the debut of the song of the same name, which itself I thank this movie for the existence of.
Among the many coming-of-age ‘80s movies like Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles, St. Elmo’s Fire is among the more underrated of the bunch. The film is very similar to the more popular The Breakfast Club, but where that film deals with the struggles of high school and stereotypes, St. Elmo’s Fire feels almost like a spiritual sequel (Ironically with half the same cast), tackling more youth-plaguing turmoil, but this time post-college and featuring the true entrance into adulthood. I watched this film for the first time as I was nearing the end of my senior year of high school, obviously a very influential time, and it had a significant impact on me, becoming one of my favorite movies. Every time I hear the music of this movie, it just makes me feel things. Now, two years later, having the opportunity to watch the film again, it’s still one of my favorites, and this time I was able to experience it not only in a movie theater, but also from a new perspective.
As previously stated, St. Elmo’s Fire assembles multiple members of “The Brat Pack.” The Brat Pack was the name used by the media to describe the group of young actors who starred in all the popular coming-of-age films in the 1980s. The most commonly referenced members were Emilio Estvez, Anthony Michael Hall, Molly Ringwald, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, and Ally Sheedy. Andrew McCarthy actually released a documentary on the group for Hulu last year. Looking at that list, if you subtract a few names and add Mare Winningham, you have yourself the main cast of St. Elmo’s Fire. It’s quite fascinating to think about which other ‘80s stars could have fit into other versions of this film as well. Robert Downey Jr. was originally considered for Rob Lowe’s role. Other actors considered or turned down roles include Brooke Shields, Joan Cusack, C. Thomas Howell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Elisabeth Shue.
While the film tackles the overarching story of the friend group itself, it also takes time to give each of the main characters their own plot line. Some of them aren’t necessarily the best or super fleshed out, but I found myself finding at least a small piece to relate to in each of them. You have Kirby (Emillio Estevez) the hopeless romantic, Billy (Rob Lowe) the saxophonist frat boy, Kevin (Andrew McCarthy) the one who’s in love with someone he can’t have, Jules (Demi Moore) the broken cautionary tale, Alec (Judd Nelson) the adulterer politician, Leslie (Ally Sheedy) the traditionalist, and Wendy (Mare Winningham) the shy, but pure social worker. I love seeing how each of these characters differ in outlooks on life and what they prioritize. A great example of that is the clashing ideals of Billy and Wendy as they navigate their romantic relationship. Billy struggles to move on from college, reluctant to give up his partying lifestyle. He and Jules deal with similar struggles within the film. Wendy, on the other hand, is very independent and career focused, taking immense pleasure in having the best peanut butter and jelly sandwich ever because she was able to make it in “my kitchen” from “my refrigerator” after moving into her own apartment. Being in college, I see a lot of my friends fitting into both of these categories. Some have no idea what they want to do with their life and just want to have fun while they can, but others are extremely career focused and will not stray from their goals. As the film shows us, no matter how fun it is, eventually you’ll have to graduate from late nights at the bar to early Sunday morning brunch.
Rob Lowe recently revealed that a script for a potential sequel is currently in development, and everyone is excited about the prospect of another film. I don’t know how I personally feel about it, but I would certainly be interested in seeing where all these characters have ended up years later.
Happy 40th anniversary to St. Elmo’s Fire, an 80s coming-of-age classic full of iconic quotes, that’s romantic at times, and heartbreaking at others, but overall thought provoking and life reflective.
