This story gets its drive from character development.
That's practically all it is. Five stereotyped kids are placed in a stereotypical environment. The only thing that can happen is character development.
When you have a story like Lord of the Rings, you have to spend some time in setup. What is a Hobbit? What does it do? Where did it come from? Once you answer some of these questions, the importance of the One Ring becomes a bit more clear. You need some history and context to make the story more believable.
In The Breakfast Club, all of that is taken care of. You already know the basics of each of these kids. You have some ideas about their backgrounds, their goals, and how they achieve them. Because all of this is already in place, the storyteller has a lot more liberty with developing the story.
The introductions of the characters was pretty interesting. Before you see the faces, you are introduced by their stereotype. You also see what effects they have already had on the world. You see posters, classrooms, lockers; all of the typical school stuff touched by one particular person to make it different. Also, before you hear what the kids necessarily think about themselves, you hear what their parents think. As with most stories about kids, the parents factor in a good deal. As they drop the kids off (or don't) for detention, each says (or does not say) something to their respective child that reveals a great deal about how the parent sees the kid. This inevitably transfers to how the kid sees him or herself, which is made evident through dialogue a little later.
When we are finally really introduced to the main characters, they begin by staying inside their respective stereotypes. As the day wears on, they begin to explore. They learn about each other, and that lets them learn about themselves. They explore. Something that is important here, though, is that they were willing. They were looking to develop their character, to learn a little something. When that will is no longer there, the character ceases to develop.
A lot could be said about the "meaning" of this movie. It could concern dealing with the consequences of your actions, or learning that you don't always have to live with the consequences of the actions of others. Maybe it was a lesson in how to climb through the ceiling, or in self-sacrifice, or the evils of stereotyping. Or maybe it was just some kids going through life together. Life really does make the best story, after all.
A lot could be said about the "meaning" of this movie. It could concern dealing with the consequences of your actions, or learning that you don't always have to live with the consequences of the actions of others. Maybe it was a lesson in how to climb through the ceiling, or in self-sacrifice, or the evils of stereotyping. Or maybe it was just some kids going through life together. Life really does make the best story, after all.