‘Breakfast Club’ Alum Anthony Michael Hall Once Again Tackling Social Issues in New Film

Anthony Michael Hall has shifted roles from that of a high schooler to that of a high school security guard in his new film, Natural Selection. And while this film deals with young people tackling prominent social issues, much like his 1985 classic The Breakfast Club, Hall said this film reminds him of a different teen-angst film, Rebel Without a Cause.

“There’s something kind of classic about the setup of the story,” Hall said. “And then it kind of devolves into something else. I was really kind of moved by the script. It was about this kid that comes into town, and he falls for this girl at the school, and then there’s a kind of bad kid that he befriends. It’s this kind of triangle that develops, and it leads to a shooting, unfortunately.”

Gun violence, of course, is a subject that can elicit emotional and raw reactions, but Hall said that Natural Selection isn’t excessive with its message. “The gun debate goes on and on in our country, and unfortunately it’s such a divisive issue,” Hall told Yahoo Movies. “But what I can say is, with this film, it wasn’t intended to beat people up with the theme or to preach to them in any way. But it’s a real challenging issue for all of us as Americans. It’s built into our Constitution, the right to bear arms. But the bottom line is we’ve got to stop this violence. It’s out of control.”

Of course, Hall is known for many of his classic high school-aged roles, and now he is playing an adult in the same setting. “You know what’s interesting about this role is suddenly I’m playing the high school security guard, and he’s a compassionate witness to this kid’s plight, what he’s dealing with,” he said.

Ultimately, Hall said he feels this movie strikes a chord much like one of his classic films. “He’s trying to fit in and the whole thing, which any kid can relate to. The world of high school, be it in The Breakfast Club, real life, or in this film, it gets cliquey and people sort of look for ways to kind of separate themselves when, in fact, we should be doing the opposite. [We should be] looking for ways to embrace each other, to see the commonalities.”

Natural Selection hit theaters on Aug. 26.

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