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Molly Ringwald said she was unhappy with the way Allison’s makeover turned out in The Breakfast Club—but she did not give Ally Sheedy’s character the makeover. Ringwald said she was not the makeup artist and could not decide how the look was done. She and Sheedy each described a less conventional alternative to the film’s ending.
Did Molly Ringwald give Ally Sheedy’s character a makeover?
No. In the film, Ringwald plays Claire Standish, the student who changes Sheedy’s character Allison Reynolds near the end. But Ringwald said she was not responsible for the makeup decisions. In a 2015 Vogue interview, she said, “But I wasn’t the makeup artist, so I couldn’t make that call.”
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A 2025 report by Remind Magazine about a 40th-anniversary cast reunion attributed a stronger comment to Ringwald: “I just want to say that I’m not responsible for the makeover and I was really not happy with it.” The report’s page was not accessible, so that wording should be understood as the publication’s account, not as a verified transcript of the exchange.
Why wasn’t Ringwald happy with the result?
Ringwald objected to the amount and placement of the makeup, not to Sheedy’s performance. She said the scene was supposed to strip makeup away and that she would have kept Allison’s hair off her face and used much less makeup. “If they would have actually let me do the makeover on her, it would have been a lot better,” Ringwald told Vogue in 2015. She was describing what she would have changed, not claiming she had authority over the finished look.
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Why did Sheedy dislike Allison’s transformation?
Sheedy had her own criticism of the scene. In a 2020 interview with The Independent, she said, “I never liked the makeover.” Her concern was that Allison’s shift toward a more conventionally feminine appearance could imply that she needed to look prettier to be accepted.
Sheedy recalled Allison receiving blush and eye shadow, a pink dress, and a headband. She preferred a change that showed Allison letting down her defenses rather than becoming a different kind of girl. “I tried to negotiate with John that it would be about taking stuff off, or Allison taking down this wall that she had put up to keep people at arm’s length,” she said. Sheedy added that Ringwald joined her in asking director John Hughes for a less stereotyped treatment, but the request was not adopted.
What alternative did each actor propose?
The finished scene adds visible markers of conventional femininity. The actors’ proposals instead emphasized less makeup or the removal of a protective layer:
| Perspective | What should change | What the change would suggest |
|---|---|---|
| Molly Ringwald, interviewed by Vogue in 2015 | Use much less makeup and move Allison’s hair away from her face. | A lighter-touch version of the scene; Ringwald said its idea was to strip makeup away. |
| Ally Sheedy, interviewed by The Independent in 2020 | Have Allison take off her large black sweater to reveal the plain white shirt underneath. | Allison lowering her defenses, rather than being remade as conventionally attractive. |
Why does the ending remain a point of debate?
The Breakfast Club is a 1985 film written and directed by John Hughes. Its final makeover gives Allison a new appearance, followed by a kiss from a boy. For viewers and for Sheedy, that sequence can make acceptance seem tied to looking more conventionally attractive. The actors’ comments identify a different possibility: the scene could have shown Allison becoming more open without suggesting that her existing appearance needed correction.
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The criticism is specific to the choices in the finished scene. Ringwald’s account distinguishes her reaction from responsibility for the makeup, while Sheedy explains the emotional change she wanted the transformation to express. Neither account suggests that the two actors were in conflict.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where can you revisit the film?
The Criterion Collection lists The Breakfast Club (1985) in a 4K UHD + Blu-ray edition with interviews featuring Ringwald, Sheedy, and other cast and crew. Its listing does not establish that the edition includes a dedicated extra about the makeover scene. See Criterion’s film and edition details.
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