Remembering John Hughes

John Hughes, the director who defined '80s teen comedies and inspired a generation of filmmakers and moviegoers, died of a heart attack while visiting family in New York City. He was 59 years old.

During Hughes' heyday in the '80s, nearly every movie he directed was an immediate hit. And rightly so, for he had the golden touch: His characters were always dead on, from awkward prepubescent girls (usually played by Molly Ringwald) to awkward nerds (usually played by Anthony Michael Hall) to insolent rebels (hello, Judd Nelson).

His movies had simple themes, yet tapped perfectly into the river of teen angst, whether they were about transcending high school cliques ('The Breakfast Club'), ditching school with your friends ('Ferris Bueller's Day Off') or having a crush on the most impossibly popular boy in school ('Sixteen Candles').

Toward the end of the '80s, Hughes turned away from teen comedies but continued to direct successful films such as 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles' and 'She's Having a Baby.' After directing 1991's 'Curly Sue,' however, he concentrated instead on writing broader comedies such as the 'Beethoven' and 'Home Alone' movies. In the last decade he had disappeared almost completely from the public eye, retiring to Wisconsin and rarely giving interviews or being photographed.

But his movies remain. What's your favorite John Hughes movie, line or moment? Let us know in the comments section below.