There are some absolutely iconic films that are also perfect representations of the time in which they were made. St. Elmo’s Fire is one of the best ’80s movies, especially considering its legendary Brat Pack cast, but it’s also one of the most “‘80s movies” you’ll ever come across. That’s something that cast member Rob Lowe definitely loves. In fact, ahead of the sequel (which is now in the works), Lowe even recently revealed the very-’80s scene from the film that he’s glad he was able to shoot.
Rob Lowe played Billy Hicks in Joel Schumacher’s coming-of-age film, which follows a group of friends as they adjust to life as young adults. While the themes are universal, the setting certainly is not. Speaking with People, Rob Lowe calls out one specific moment in the movie that he loves even though it’s a product of its era than any other: playing the saxophone in a bar. He explained…
I think playing the saxophone in that bar was a highlight. It doesn’t get any more 1980s movie moment than playing your sweaty sax solo with your iconic bat shirt on and then getting in a brawl. It was just a great moment that those writers gave my character, and I’ll never forget it.
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There is something very 1980s about saxophone playing in movies. From St. Elmo’s Fire to the famous Sax Man in The Lost Boys, there was no shortage of movie scenes that included people playing the sax. There was even more of the instrument on the soundtracks of movies made in the ’80s. I’m not saying I started to learn the saxophone in the 4th grade entirely because it looked cool in the movies I saw in the mid-80s, but I’m not, not saying that.
Despite the film’s charms, some parts of St. Elmo’s Fire have aged poorly. There’s a moment in the film that Demi Moore finds cringeworthy, and even the movie’s title has been mired in controversy over the decades. Whether the sax scene is a moment that has aged well or just something that is such an element of its era that it’s perfect nostalgia, will be a matter of debate.
Which leads us to some important questions: Does Billy still play the sax, and will he play in the St. Elmo’s Fire sequel? It’s hard to say, especially since the film is still in the early days of development. While the idea of seeing what these characters are up to after three decades isn’t without its value, one has to wonder if it will all work without everything about the 80s that made it the movie it became.
Regardless, the original St. Elmo’s Fire remains iconic, and you can check it out for free right now on Pluto TV.
